Guardian Angel

by Absentialucci

Epilogue

Princess Luna carefully kept an eye on the sky. No attacks thus far… things were going… astonishingly well. This was troubling. She paced back and forth in her room.

“Something the matter, your highness?”

Luna sighed, and turned to face her loyal attendant.

“Things are too quiet, Harsh Echo.”

“Is that not a good thing, my lady?”

“Normally I’d say yes, but… a threat has been made against Equestria, and this would be the ideal time for them to strike.”

“Shouldn’t the wedding be canceled then, my lady?”

Luna turned back to her sky.

“You have been loyal without question, Harsh Echo. I trust you more than I trust any pony. Understand, that what I say here stays between us.”

The black-furred Thestral bowed before her princess, dark blue, slitted eyes flashing with understanding.

“Of course, my lady.”

Luna stared out over Canterlot. So much had changed since her banishment, yet it still felt the same.

“Were it up to me, yes. We would’ve called the whole wedding off. At least rescheduled. But my sister insisted that as long as we upheld security, it would be fine. This is an important day for Equestria. Two Powerful noble houses are to be united. And their union would strengthen Equestria’s ties to the Crystal Empire. To put such a wedding off would make us appear weak, and unable to stand against a threat.”

Her attendant went quiet.

“That is why it is essential that we keep watch.”

Somewhere in Canterlot, an explosion shook their balcony. Luna narrowed her eyes, searching for the disturbance.

“And it seems that we have already failed.”

The frantic clatter of hooves and armor brought her attention to her door.

“Your highness! Canterlot is under attack!”

A member of her night guard, wearing the colors distinguishing him as Captain was panting at her door.

“What’s the situation, Captain?”

After a brief moment, as the Thestral gathered himself, he answered.

“Infiltrators, your highness. They took the form of our own. We were caught completely off-guard! I was in a squadron, doing our rounds within the castle. Flicker Shade and White Cloud were with me, but then… it wasn’t them. They were black, chitinous creatures! The cut down Bramble Star and Cavern Click, before Steady Rhythm and I were able to slay them. Steady Rhythm is in the hallway behind me, but we must get you to safety!”

Luna exhaled sharply.

“Harsh Echo. Fetch me my weapons and armor. If we have infiltrators, Canterlot has already fallen. Captain, Sweet Siren, is it?”

She too, snapped to attention.

“Yes my liege!”

When Harsh Echo returned, she was burdened by shaped plates of armor, and two swords. Luna cast her spell, and the armor pieces quickly fastened themselves to her.

“I cannot allow such artifacts as these to fall into our enemy’s hooves. Who can we still trust, Captain?”

“Ma’am! We have code words for this exact scenario! The callout is ‘Moon,’ and the response is ‘Whisper.’”

Luna nodded, drawing her two swords, holding them aloft with her magic.

“Then we must take as many as we can, and escape the city. We can marshall our forces and take back Canterlot later. My sister’s royal guards will have to make do on their own.”

The captain saluted, then fell in step beside Luna.

“Harsh Echo, you are armed, yes? Can you use such weapons?”

Harsh held her gaze steadily.

“They are not just for ceremony, my lady.”

Luna nodded.

“Good. For I fear we are about to fall under attack.”

In an instant, Harsh had her weapon out. As they left the room, they heard the sounds of combat.

“That must be Steady Rhythm! We must help him!”

Her Captain charged towards the fighting, while Harsh Echo waited for Luna to move.

“We must take as many as we can with us, if we are to stand a chance at taking Canterlot back!”

Luna reared back, before charging towards the sound of clanging metal and battle cries. She turned the corner, and immediately her eyes befell two fallen Thestrals, and six chitinous bodies. Captain Siren and her comrade-in-arms Steady Rhythm were fighting side by side, a maelstrom of death before them. But even so, Luna saw two of her sister’s guards raising their weapons to attack them from behind. In an instant, she was there. One sword flashing silver in the moonlight, and the other aflame with gold. One infiltrator fell, hewn in two, and the other had just enough time to dodge her initial swing, but he was not fast enough to avoid her follow-up swing. He fell, dead.

“Guards! To me! We must make a fighting retreat!”

A battlecry rose up around her, as the remaining night guard formed ranks. Code words were called, responses were given. Any response different from the proper one led to the speaker being slain. They made their way, first through the Castle, then through the streets. Her rapidly growing army making a protective circle around her.

“Your highness! Above you!”

Luna reacted instinctively. And just as her guard had called, another infiltrator fell dead. Slashed out of the air.

“Look to the skies! They can attack from all angles!”

Her guards reacted as one. Several Thestrals took to the sky, the holes in their formation rapidly filled by others. Infiltrators fell. So too, did some of her brave guards, but they were making progress. Her eye glinted with cold fire. Canterlot may have fallen, but this enemy had no idea who they had just angered.
Justice would be dealt. And Luna… was their reaper.