Prelude to Knightfall - Part II
"Captain, please wake up!"
Garland awoke with a start, shaken awake by an orange bespectacled unicorn adorned in the shining golden armor of the Solar Guard, with a rapier sheathed at her side. Rubbing his face, the knight looked into her emerald eyes. She was clearly distraught, if the tears welling in her eyes and her disheveled red mane were anything to go by. She tried to speak, but the incoherent stutters fell on deaf ears as Garland placed his pointer finger on the tip of her snout, silencing her. "Use your words Nova Flare."
"I-it's Princess Luna! She's refusing to bring the moon down, and the Lunar Guard are marching the castle as we speak!"
Garland's blood ran cold, the hairs all over his body standing up. His breath hitched, and he could feel his heartbeat quickening. His best friend, the princess of the night, whom he had sworn loyalty to centuries ago...
Twilight had warned him about this, the lavender mare had warned him about a lot of things, but he couldn't bring himself to believe it. He leapt from the bed, not bothering to shoo Nova Flare out as he quickly changed into his armor. He shot a glance at his company, snarling as he placed the horned helmet upon his head. "And where is Celestia? Is she alright?!" He grabbed his sword, gripping the handle tightly. Alongside the crimson tassel and aqua beads was now strung a large pink feather, a gift from his former co-captain, Firefly.
"Princess Celestia is gathering the Elements of Harmony! We have to talk them down!"
Garland snarled again. Everything was coming along just as Twilight had predicted! He kicked down his front door and made full sprint towards the Castle of the Two Sisters. Nova followed alongside him, both of them barreling through the mighty forest that had begun to grow around the castle grounds a mere one hundred years prior. The journey to the castle was halted a mere five minutes in, as a group of three stallions garbed in the platinum armor of the Lunar Guard. The three, all earth ponies, had emerged from behind the trees. Seeing their captain, they glanced to each other nervously, before the one in the middle, a brown stallion with a mint mane, cleared his throat and spoke. "S-sir Garland!" His amber eyes wide like saucers as he stared down his captain, he began to shake. "Under the orders of Nightmare Moon, y-you must surrender yourself or face death!" The stallion let out a sheepish smile, only for Garland to shut him down.
"I commend the attempt at diplomacy Mint Chip, but your blatant attempt at an ambush has caught no one off guard. I suggest you move before I knock you down."
The other two earth ponies visibly paled, stepping back into the deeper cover of the trees. Mint Chip, however, stood steadfast despite his shaking having increased to the point where if one were to listen, they'd hear the slight 'tink' of his armor every few seconds. "I-I'm afraid not Captain. I d-don't want this, b-but if you do not surrender, then we...must..." The stallion looked left, then right, only now noticing his backup had left him alone. "...oh..." He turned back to Garland and Nova, only to receive a metal boot to the face. The pain was immeasurable as he flew backwards, at least ten feet. The landing knocked him unconscious, and the gash left in the surface of the ground from his skid had only ensured he was injured further. Nova looked to his unconscious body sympathetically and turned to face Garland. "Was that really necessary? I'm sure he could have been talked out of it! Mint Chip isn't a bad pony!" The knight only continued forward, breaking into sprint once again. Lost in his own thoughts, he never heard his companion's question.
Luna had been changing over the past two hundred years, sure, but it had never been drastic. Sure, she had on occasion confided in him of her jealousy towards Celestia, and the praise their subjects had constantly graced her sister's sun with. That's when it began to click into place.
She wasn't allowing room in the sky for the sun to rise. Not for any real reason, but out of pure spite.
Garland's pace quickened yet, with Nova barely keeping up with him. His thoughts no longer dwelled on Twilight's knack for prophecy, and every thought in his head focused on stopping Luna. With the castle in site, they stopped. The chasm between them and the castle had been great for keeping out intruders, and now the tables had been turned. "They cut the bridge!" Nova screamed, her eyes welling up again. Garland thought for a moment and slung his sword over his right shoulder, before pointing to the cut end of the rope bridge. "Concentrate. Focus on bringing the bridge up, and I will carry us across.
"Wha-OOMPH!" She had no time to react as she was snatched up in his left arm. Blushing at the sudden contact, she adjusted her glasses.
"Focus Nova, we need that bridge up."
"R-right!" A humming noised filled the air, as a golden glow surrounded Nova Flare's horn. Her mind reached out, and she envisioned the bridge within her grasp. Slowly, the cut side of it had begun to rise. She let out a confident smirk as she held the bridge into place. Keeping silent to maintain her concentration, she gently pointer her front hooves forward, signaling Garland to cross. The knight took a step forward, then another, before smiling. The bridge was stable, and they had almost reached their destination.
As the two reached the entrance of the castle, a disgusting sight awaited them. Ponies both once knew as friends, comrades, and even family, now lifeless at the front gates. Garland turned back to Nova and kneeled down to her height. "You will turn back, and you will hide in my home. There are scrolls and quills in my desk. I need you to write a letter addressed to a 'Twilight'. You will write to them that the thousand years has begun, and you will send it in my name. Give it to the barn owl in the trees outside, he knows where to go. And lastly, do not come back, no matter the reason. You WILL wait for me." The mare nodded vigorously. "Good, now go!" She turned back and began to sprint full force away from the castle. Waiting until she was out of sight, the knight turned around to face the castle.
Gently stepping over the bodies, Garland made his way in, where the stench of death lingered ever more. The once ornately decorated stone walls now held gashes and craters. Most windows had been smashed to bits, and the sun and moon printed banners lining the halls had been torn to shreds. Casting aside his feelings, he looked to the corpses of his fallen brethren, most of which had been of the Lunar Guard. Continuing up the stairwell to the second floor, he halted. Above, he heard screams, not of pain and suffering, but of anger. It would seem he had arrived after a majority of the fighting had passed, leaving little obstacles for him to overcome. Making his way to the third floor entrance hall just outside the throne room, he came across a brigade of stallions dressed in golden armor. Some brandished their spears, while others cowered at the sight of the hulking captain. A purple unicorn with a grey mane grit his teeth and dared to step forward, pointing the spear in his magical grasp directly at Garland's space. Garland's left hand shot up, grabbing the spear and snapping it in his grasp with lightning speed. "Gallant Sparkle, was it?" The unicorn's blue eyes widened, but only for a moment as the spear mended in his grasp. Garland chuckled, and kneeled down to his level. "Fear not, I am on your side after all."
"Horse apples! The Lunar Guard aren't 'on our side', they came in here and destroyed the place, and they...they..."
Hoofsteps clacked through the hall, and a grey pegasus mare stepped into view. Her mane was obscured by the armor she wore, but the few streaks of white in her snout showed her age well. This was Shining Ray, captain of the Solar Guard, and the only member of either side of the guard to have kept up with Garland during the occasional bar hop. "Garland is with us, Sparkle. He may be captain of the Lunar Guard, but his loyalty lies with BOTH sisters, not just Princess Luna. Besides...I personally sent for him." Her emerald gaze turned to the man as he stood once again at full height, and she smiled. "You sent Nova into hiding, correct?"
"Of course I did. She'd not be able to handle the carnage here. T'was best she keep her distance."
Gallant spoke up again, now somewhat at ease. "Nova is safe?" He stepped forward, letting out a hiss. It was only now that Garland noticed the bloodied gauze around his midsection, where his a fraction of his armor had been removed. The knight frowned and looked to Ray. "May I?"
"Be my guest."
He help out his left hand, a mint aura enveloping both it and the brigade of Solar Guard troops, most of which let out audible sighs. Gallant raised an eyebrow, narrowing his eyes at Garland. "What was that?"
"Healaga. It cannot provide aid to major wounds, but it allows me to spread a great healing magic across a group of my choosing. One of few spells I am naturally gifted with. You should all feel your pain leaving you shortly. For now, stay here." He began to continue down the hallway, towards the large doors leading into the throne room.
"Sir Garland?" He turned back, seeing Gallant Sparkle having stepped a great deal forward. The shine in his cobalt eyes was hopeful, and despite his injuries, he took a deep bow. "Thank you."
"Hardly worth thanking when my boys did this. After this is over, drinks are on me." He continued through the doorway to the throne room, heaving his sword over his shoulder. The room was lit relatively bright compared to the rest of the castle, allowing Garland to witness the destruction within the brown walls in full. Three windows, one on each wall save the exit to the hallway, that had once framed the room in a beautiful pink light now lay shattered on the ground, with pieces of glass stuck into the red carpet leading from the door. Following the carpet, one would find a raised platform containing two heavily damaged thrones, each with their own set of stairs leading to them. The one on the left was shimmering navy blue, and the one on the right a shining gold. Above them sat banners of the moon and sun respectively, now torn to shreds. The left and right walls each had two grass colored archways leading to separate rooms, none of which were as important as the mare standing at the base of the platform between the two thrones. Luna's back was turned on Garland as she spoke.
"We knew it would only be a matter of time before thou arrived."
The knight stepped forward, making his way to the middle of the throne room. "Enough of this Luna. I know not of what's going on in your mind, but you aren't yourself--"
The mare turned as she cut him off, cackling. Now that she was facing him directly, Garland could see that she had changed not only mentally, but physically as well. Her once navy coat was now a glossy black, and her once cobalt blue starry mane had paled and lengthened significantly. She was adorned in a decorate pale blue helm, complimented by a matching set of armor on her four legs as well as a thicker plate on her chest. "Luna? No, we are no longer Luna. We are NIGHTMARE MOON! And thou would do well to remember that!"
Garland took another step, and beneath his helmet his eyes made contact with her own, narrowing. "Then you'd do well to remember who you are facing...Nightmare Moon."
The lunar princess let out a hiss and rushed forward, a cobalt magic engulfing her horn as she charged, only to miss as Garland jumped to the right. He lifted the sword from his shoulder, and as Nightmare Moon turned to charge again, she was knocked backwards and towards the doorway by the massive metal blade. She wasted no time recovering, and as Garland began to sprint towards her, she began to charge up another spell. The knight jumped, and brought his sword overhead with the intent of knocking her out of the fight with the blunt side of the blade, only for the mare to roll out of the way just before the sword impacted with the floor, the crystalline structure chipping away and sending shrapnel flying. She let loose a blast of energy, but Garland was to fast as he flipped the hulking blade around to absorb the spell. Nightmare Moon took the opportunity to rush him again, and this time she jumped, her front hooves colliding with the knight's helmet. Garland let out an audible grunt of pain, backhanding the mare away mere milliseconds after the collision. He brought his clawed left gauntlet up to meet his face, only to realize that Nightmare Moon had managed to shatter a small section of his helmet. He growled, and as she began to fire a barrage of spells his way, he absorbed each and every one with his blade. As he stepped closer and closer, Nightmare Moon began to fire faster and faster, to no avail. His face was covered in the shadows of his helmet, though a single shining yellow eye was visible beneath it all as he readied his blade. He pointed it toward the mare, both hands gripping it's handle, a rainbow blow engulfing the blade as he thrust it forward and launched a beam of shifting lights and colors towards Nightmare Moon. Her screams were heartbreaking, and to Garland it was as if he had betrayed everything he had ever known. He would remember this moment forever, not for the pain he felt as foreign magic fruitlessly clawed at his human soul in an attempt to find a pool of mana to tap into, not for the guilt of betraying his princess, but for the anguish of bringing such pain to his best friend.
To Nightmare Moon, it was as if she was being skinned, the pain of centuries of dormant magic searing into her very being was a feeling that rivaled, or even surpassed, the cruelest torture she could have conjured up. The beam lasted only a moment, but to Nightmare Moon, it felt like centuries. She wouldn't last under this pain, and even now she was slowly losing consciousness under Garland's assault.
As the beam stopped, she fell first, a raspy breath escaping her lips as she collided with the floor. Garland himself was next, as he fell to his knees. He tried to use his sword for support, but to no avail as he too fell to the ground with weak lungs.
And then he awoke. He had no clue how long he had been out, though the sun was shining through the window of the castle's infirmary as the birds sung in harmony. He was without his armor, dressed in a white onesie fitted solely for him, the lone human in this land. He covered his face to block out the sun as it assaulted his eyes. He felt fabric brush against the back of his hand; gauze. He'd ask what happened later. For now, he needed to find the princesses. Lifting himself off the stiff bed, he made his way through the infirmary's peach covered walls towards the exit. The castle was indeed in shambles, and soldiers of both sides patrolled the halls, shooting glares both amongst each other and at Garland. He paid them no heed as he approached the double doors to Celestia's personal quarters. A solar guard stood tall on each side of the door, though neither dared to stop Garland as he entered, instead opting to give him glances of pity as he pushed the doors open. He finally stepped through, and closed the door behind him. Glancing over the elegant room, he let out a remorseful groan. The once gleaming pearl walls had been cast in shadow as the curtains lay shut, though a faint light did force it's way through regardless. Peering through the small gap in the curtains was Celestia, though she lacked her royal garb. She turned to Garland and gave him a halfhearted smile. Beneath the gauze, he did not return it.
"What happened Celestia?"
She stayed silent, averting her gaze to the floor. A few moments passed before she spoke. Her voice was raspy, strained. "The Nexus Garland. The Nexus took her. It twisted her thoughts and turned her into..." She couldn't make it far into her explanation before letting out a quiet sob.
Garland nodded, and Celestia let out a sniffle. "Had you not weakened her, our fight would have been for naught."
"Where is she now?"
Celestia began to sob again as Garland placed a hand on the base of her neck. Her sobs grew louder, and through it all her stood at her side. Finally she managed to hold her cries back, and in that moment, in that same raspy voice, she responded. "The moon. I was forced to use the Elements of Harmony to banish her. One thousand years from now..."
Garland sighed. Again, Twilight had proven herself to be a little to knowledgeable about events that have yet to happen.
"Thank you Garland."
He tucked his thoughts away, just for a moment. "For?"
"Her studies of the Nexus found it to be...unabashedly dark. The Elements of Harmony are capable of a great many things. Breaking free an entity of darkness with no light in it's heart is not one of them. Nightmare Moon's will was not Luna's own, and I fear the Nexus has taken her completely." Celestia's explanation filled him with an even greater sadness than before, and the chokes and sobs of his princess did little to help. Twilight explained to him in her letters that Luna would return to both Equestria and the light, but if the Nexus of Evil had well and truly taken her body as it's vessel, was there still a Luna to redeem? "So I thank you, Sir Garland. I'll be leaving the Lunar Guard in your hands as well. They are your stallions, and you would do better to investigate them than I. Besides, I have to find the Nexus."
His eyes shut. He had a lot to think about, and he had forgotten that the investigation into his men would likely fall to him. He'd figure that out later, for now he had his answers. "I did what I had to Celestia. I only hope that we can recover from this tragedy in full." He turned to leave, and as he shut the door again, Celestia turned back to the curtains. She could feel the tears running down her face. A droplet hit the floor, and her devastated expression quickly became a determined scowl. "And we will, as we have before."
Garland watched as the detained Lunar Guards were lined along the walls of the barracks, chained together. Beside him sat Nova Flare and Shining Ray. Nova nuzzled his left leg, and to his right Ray conversed with Gallant Sparkle. Garland paid little attention to the conversation; it was clear that those that had taken up arms with Nightmare Moon were to be punished.
Amongst the lineup sat Mint Chip. The brown stallion sat on his haunches, looking to the dirt below in shame. His mint colored mane hid his eyes well, but Garland had been around ponies long enough to recognize their body language. It helped that he had personally known Mint Chip since he was a just a small colt, and he knew that the stallion had never been a good liar. He tapped on Nova's horn, to which she swatted him, only to visibly recoil as he let out a pained hiss.
"Come with me Nova. It's high time we get the full story."
The two approached the lineup, and as the chained ponies begged their captain to spare their lives, his chest began to ache. He would not have his men killed! Did they think of him that little, that he would have their lives snuffed out? "You will not be hung, I can assure you that much...if you cooperate. Mint Chip." The stallion in question looked up. Garland could just make out the tears in his eyes amongst his swollen face. Perhaps he had gone overboard as Nova Flare had said. "What happened?"
The brown stallion looked down again, nudging the dirt with a hoof. "Princess Luna stormed the barracks late at night. She looked different and kept calling herself 'Nightmare Moon', and she had told us that Princess Celestia had made an attempt on her life. She told us that she was going to take over by force and bring about an eternal night to scorn her sister's attempt at assassination, and that she would personally skin those of us that didn't join her!" He looked to his captain again, this time his eyes burned with the sting of betrayal and disbelief. "Is it true that Princess Luna has fallen, Captain? Is it true that she...used us, to kill our own brothers and sisters?"
Garland shook his head. "Something else is afoot. For now, that is all I must say. Princess Luna was not herself that night, nor will she be for a long while."
It was only then that Nova spoke. "That's why you were shaking. You didn't even want to fight."
Mint Chip let out a quiet laugh before he responded. "Only partly. I was also absolutely scared at the idea of even fighting Captain Garland. He isn't exactly the kind of foe you want to face down."
Ignoring his comment, Garland took a moment to think to himself. Nightmare Moon had used their loyalty to her advantage. An underhanded tactic, but an ultimately effective one indeed. He looked to the others, his own brothers and sisters in arms. "Have any of you a contradicting story?" Most shook their heads in silence, and the ones that audibly confirmed Mint's story spoke only of a griffon holding an orb wrapped in cloth. In silence he turned back to Gallant and Ray.
"We will be freeing them, for now at least." The statement earned a gasp from Gallant, who stepped forward to object.
"But-!"
"But nothing Sparkle. Their loyalty to Equestria shall not be their downfall. Nightmare Moon tricked them. The two of you will meet me at my office within the castle later to discuss this matter further." And with that, he made his way back to the castle. His trip was filled with the sounds of nature, the chirping of the birds and the rustling of the leaves. It was as if nothing had happened. No matter what, nature moved on. He thought back to his conversation with the Lunar Guard. An orb wrapped in cloth? The pieces began to click in his head, and now he had a destination in mind.
Ten years had passed since the banishment of Nightmare Moon and the theft of the Nexus of Evil. Princess Celestia had been made aware of the theft, though she had little incentive to seek out the Nexus a second time, she feared losing herself, or worse, her only remaining companion. Garland had rebranded the Lunar Guard, giving them much harsher training regiments under the command of both himself and Secondary Captain Mint Chip. He sat in his office, a glass of wine in hand. The sun did not reach these grey walls, instead they were lit by various candles on the knight's desk and a lantern hanging just above. A map of the land hung on the wall to the left of the desk, and directly behind it a maroon banner decorated with the silhouette of a forward facing pink pegasus with her wings spread wide hung neatly. Behind the pegasus were three spears. Though the middle one stood straight up, the left and right spears were crossed over each other.
Accompanying Garland was Shining Ray, the white streaks in her muzzle more visible than ever before. Her purple mane had paled in her old age, and her white dress uniform held a great many medals. She too held a glass of wine in the grasp of her right wing.
"-and I couldn't think of anyone better to lead the Red Wings in my absence Ray."
She raised her brow. She was technically a decorated hero, sure, but filling Garland's shoes as the leader of the restructured Lunar Guard wouldn't exactly be easy. "How long will you be gone?"
He brought his hand up to his face and stroked his chin, but alas she couldn't make out his expression in the shadows of this dusty old office. He didn't use it much honestly, instead having preferred to use his cabin for meetings. "Oh not long, a month, maybe two, max? I'll be back in time to help clean up the winter weather."
She smirked, she could handle the Red Wings for a month or two! She had been leading the Solar Guard for years. Now that she had passed the torch to Gallant Sparkle, her soon to be son-in-law, life had gotten boring. It would be nice to lead again. "You can count on me Gar. You get back here before the winter ends so we can all celebrate Hearth's Warming ya hear?"
Garland frowned, but of course she didn't see it. He would not be coming back. Not for a very long time. It hurt to know the bloodline he had watched flourish and grow would have to go on for so long without his friendship. He only hoped that Firefly would forgive him. "I hope to be back then. Keep in mind this is a personal journey. Princess Celestia has grown reclusive, and mustn't know of my absence. I hope to be back before she notices I am gone." Another lie. Him and the princess hadn't spoken in months. Over the past decade she had grown reclusive. He knew it would pass, but he needed to leave without her making an attempt to stop him. "During that time, I need you to do your best for the Red Wings and your best for Equestria."
"No sweat Garland. I'll have your boys in tip top shape for you when you get back!"
"I hope you will. If you'll excuse me, I do have some personal business to attend to. Feel free to take the wine glass with you, you seem to be enjoying it." Indeed, Ray had finished a bit of the bottle herself. Chuckling, she sipped her drink one more time, and placed the glass on his desk. "Thanks for the offer, but I really outta not. I'll see you later big guy!"
"Likewise."
And with that, she made her leave. Reaching into a drawer, Garland pulled out a scroll of parchment and placed it in front of him. Grabbing his feather and ink, he began to write.
'Celestia
I know you wouldn't let me do this if I had been forward with you. I am going to hunt down the Nexus of evil. We may not be able to use the Elements of Harmony to cleanse it, but perhaps we hold the power to destroy it. Alas, it is my own actions that have led to this, and had I not pushed to secure it in the first place, perhaps we would not be where we are today. I cannot pretend to be innocent forever. I'm going to find the Nexus. I'm going to bring Luna home. I know not how long I'll be gone. It could be a few years, it could be a century. Forgive me for leaving you behind in your darkest hour dear friend, but I only seek to set things right. In my absence, the most capable of Firefly's bloodline shall hold command of the Red Wings. That is my only request, though I know I am unfit to make it.
I hope that you may find peace in this new world. You are strong Celestia. Do not let your own darkness take foot.
-Garland'
Twilight Sparkle raised a brow as she eyed the letter long since tucked away within an old storybook. "Hmm...Elements of Harmony? I know I've heard of those before..." The lavender unicorn brought a hoof to the tip of her snout as she looked out to the lakeside near the tree where she lay studying. "...but where?" She had been pondering this letter for a week now. What started as a simple bedtime story for Spike had since become an investigation. She had found a letter hidden away within the book, and while it had been well preserved, it was abundantly clear the parchment was at the very least roughly a millennia old. Sighing, she placed the letter back into the book, and shut it tight. As she placed the book in her saddlebags, Twilight got an idea. If her hunch was correct, she had one 'Old Copy Of Predictions & Prophecies" to read up on.
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I will watch your career with great interest.
11593806
I thought I got a comment, but it was you, Dio!
Jokes aside, I appreciate it. I got a few ideas.
I wish you the best of luck for ya story, net! Redoing a story is difficult.
11594397
Yeah, I had to catch myself back kept almost rehashing ideas from the the original that I wanted to scrap.
11594401
Just remember to be careful with the cross-overs. People hate it when if it happens too soon or too many, or worse the cross-overs with other Displaced serve no purpose for the story.
11596166
I actually plan to avoid crossovers altogether for this version. Reason being that I have a TON of potential sequel ideas and I don't want to overbloat the story further. Crossovers may happen eventually, but it'll be selective, and will most likely cover areas I don't plan on covering such as Equestria Girls or G5.
Crossovers for the original version? yeah sure if i ever actually go back and finish it lmfao. That one is in a weird place right now. I want to finish it for the sake of finishing it, but it's redundant. This is a better version of it that just so happened to be different enough to turn into a separate story, and I honestly don't think anyone would want to read the original over this one.