Long ago, Luna's army was comprized of some of the most powerful unicorns and the only species of bat pegasi. To this day, only one natural bat pony lives.
Long ago, Luna's army was comprized of some of the most powerful unicorns and the only species of bat pegasi. To this day, only one natural bat pony lives. Her name is Hestaria and her only wish, her only hope in life is that she could find a place she could be accepted. her work at the storm cloud factory wasn't the best place to try and be accepted. It wasn't until her friend convinced her to join him in Celestia's Guard, that she would find somepony, named Captain Nexus, holding out a hoof of great opportunities of both acceptance and perhaps a friend. Some strong language and a few "deaths". Commander Nexus is a side character and, YOUR GUESSED IT, Brand Fire used without permission again! A tad shorter than my others but not under done. Review as you will and Stay Brony My Firends.
About one hundred miles North West of Canterlot, and about a few thousand feet up, the bustling city of Cloudsdale moved like a well-oiled machine. The rainy season was on the way and the Cloudsdale Weather Factory was doing double overtime to try and get as many rain clouds as possible for all of Equestria. At the lowest level of the complex, a singular mare bucked the clouds to test the lightning. She was the only one on the night shift for this job because it was the most dangerous, and no pony wanted to be anywhere near one of those things when they had too much.
As cliché as it was, not only did she have the job no pony wanted, but she was and always has been the outcast of the plant. If her bright yellow serpent eyes weren’t enough a deterrent, her bat wings were defiantly more than enough to push away anypony. Her radiant moon cutie mark on her flank was odd even to her. She had been born with it, unlike anypony else she knew. No moment of eureka, no insane revelation as to what she would be doing her whole life, nothing, she was just that bat pony with the shit job.
Her gray coat and light blue mane were dripping with sweat from a long six hour day. As the clock slowly winded down to her shift being over. The whistle sounded and she stopped mid-buck. She didn’t want to be here in the middle of the night all by herself any more than the next mare. She sighed and started walking towards the employee locker room. Inside, she saw her replacement for the day shift, White Knight. He didn’t really say much when she came in. He looked up, grinned and nodded at her.
“I left you the biggest one I could find.” the mare said jokingly.
White Knight chuckled. “Thanks Hestaria. I’ll be sure to leave you the most volatile for reassessment tonight.”
Hestaria giggled a bit and tossed her white lab coat into her locker.
‘I bet most of you think this is an OC ship-fic with another OC right?’ Hestaria thought to herself. ‘Well don’t get use to the idea, he’s just a passing glance. The real action hasn’t even started.’
Hestaria shut her locker and said goodbye to her coworker before flying out the double doors into the early autumn morning. The air at this altitude was fringed, but it didn’t faze her. She preferred the cold. It was easier to get warm than stay cool. Unlike most of her coworkers, with the exception of White Knight, she lived down at ground level. Her house was a simple one story cottage just under Cloudsdale. She landed at the end of her walk way and leaned against her mail box.
A light gray Pegasus with a yellow mane and matching eyes landed down next to her and smiled.
“Good morning Derpy.” Hestaria said with a smile.
“Morrnin’ Hesti! I got a letter for ya.”
“Don’t you always?”
Derpy dug into her saddle bags and pulled out a sealed envelope. “You think you’ll get in this time?”
“We’ll see. Thanks for the mail!” she shouted behind her walking back to her house.
“Bye Hesti!” Derpy shouted back as she took flight towards Canterlot.
“Like clockwork that mare.” Hestaria said to herself.
She pushed open her door and plopped down on her bed next to the fireplace. She took a deep breath and opened the letter. She read silently to herself and her expression turning gradually less enthusiastic. She sighed again and used the letter as the kindling for the fireplace.
“Not qualified again. How can a pony be not good enough to get into the Cloudsdale Freedom Fliers? It’s not like I asked to join the fucking Wonder Bolts!”# Hestaria swallowed her anger and plopped back down onto her bed. “It’s fine, I’ll just apply again next week. They have to say yes eventually. I know they will.” She pondered what she was saying for a moment. “I really need to stop talking to myself like I need to give exposition.”
Hestaria laid her head down onto her soft pillow and let her eyes shut. “Tomorrow’s another day.” She sighed before she slowly drifted off to sleep.
Two weeks later, Hestaria landed at her mailbox as always and waited a few seconds for Derpy to bring her the mail. A few seconds passed, then a few more. Derpy finally swooped down landed in front of the dark gray bat pony.
“Derpy, are you okay? You’re a little late this morning.” Hestaria asked concerned for the young mare.
“Yeah, but I wasn’t sure if you wanted your letter today.” Derpy said not looking directly at her. Well, her one good eye wasn’t looking directly at her.
“What do you mean?”
Derpy reached back and took an envelope out of her saddle bags. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you Hesti, sorry.”
Hestaria took the letter and watched the Pegasus fly off towards Canterlot. She looked down at the envelope and was shocked at what she saw. In big red letters, the words, ‘Return to Sender’ were printed over the front face of the envelope. Not only had they denied her, they didn’t even bother reading her letter. She had been putting in longer hours at the Weather Factory to try and get closer to paying off her house so she could move into Cloudsdale. But now, her hopes dashed, her dreams crushed; she didn’t have anything now. She dropped the letter and ran inside with tears streaming from her eyes.
It didn’t matter how positive she was now, there wasn’t going to be anything after this. She would be working the same shit job she was working now until she died. Hestaria didn’t bother going to work that night, she didn’t care. It was just before sunrise the day after that, that anypony even came to check on her. The knock woke her from a very long sleep. She trudged her way to the door.
“Go away.” ‘Did I really just get up to say that?’
“It’s White Knight.”
“Don’t give a fuck.”
“I brought mango flavored beer.”
Hestaria’s ears perked up at the words and the door swung open quickly. “You’re bluffing.”
“Am I?” White Knight said holding up the six pack of fruit flavored beer.
Hestaria downed the first one with gusto and held back on the second. The alcohol wasn’t too strong, but it helped her calm down a bit.
“So,” Knight started. “The boss sent me to find out why you haven’t shown up for work.”
“I quit, that’s why.” Hestaria replied taking a swig of the mango flavored beer.
“Why? Because some letter told you that you’re not qualified to serve?”
Hestaria knit her brow. “How’d you know that?”
“Wind and rain don’t always wash away things lying in the street.”
“Whatever, I don’t care anymore.”
“Last I checked, what somepony said to you didn’t matter to you.”
“It’s because I’m not normal. I know it is.”
“What do you mean?”
“I know you see the wings on my back just like everybody else. They require a photo and a full physical. I’m the most fit pony in that factory and they don’t think I’m physically inept to fly with Cloudsdale’s Air Force. It’s all because I’m not normal. They want somepony who looks like you, not some bat winged freak.”
“You’re not a freak. And there are still other things you can do.”
“Weather Patrol already denied me; Celestia knows the Wonder Bolts wouldn’t take me and more over I doubt that even the Celestian Guard would take me.”
“Look, I don’t like what they did any more than you do, but apply for something else. I’ve worked with you for four years now and I know you know you don’t give up.”
“Hope can only get you but so far Whitey.”
“Listen, I’m going to be trying out for the guard next month, they do the physicals there and train you. If you don’t meet expectations, they kick you. Full proof.”
“And if they say I’m not what they’re looking for?”
“Then you have my permission to quit. Come one this’ll be fun! If not physically painful.”
“You really have a way of being positive about the situation don’t you Whitey?”
“How about you come to work tonight and avoid getting fired?”
“Fine, only if you bring me a case of beer before I leave every week.”
“Deal.”
The two friends bumped hoofs and laughed, the first time she had laughed in a few days.
A month and four cases of beer later, Hestaria and White Knight were on their way to the Canterlot Military Academy for orientation. It was easier to get into the Academy than the Freedom Fliers for some odd reason. Maybe there was a shortage of volunteers. She was to go through two months of training and if she was still standing after that, she was a sure to be accepted. It didn’t matter to her where she went after the Academy, she just needed to prove to her boss, her coworkers and maybe even herself that she wasn’t the total outcast that they thought she was.
The air ship was filled with pegasi from Cloudsdale and some of the surrounding villages. Most were light gray and or white with blue manes. Hestaria was the only dark colored Pegasus there. And as far as she knew, other than her mother, she was the only bat pony in Equestria. She never understood why, but every family on her mother’s side had at the very least one bat pony in the mix. Every picture, every painting, every (if any were around) cave drawling of her family had one bat pony. She had found a painting in the back of her family’s attic of a full family of bat ponies.
Her ears started to pop as the air ship began to drop down below the Peak of Canterlot Mountain. At the southern most base of the mountain, was the ten mile wide area known as Canterlot Military Academy.
“It doesn’t look like much from up here.” Hestaria said to her white coated and bleach blond friend.
“We’ll have to see. I heard that the drill sergeant that most ponies get is a total hard ass.” White Knight said leaning over to the window.
“I hope they have a bar on base.”
“I highly doubt it.”
“Fuck me flying.”
The air ship landed softly near the entrance of the Academy. The back side of the wall had a massive metal plate with the name of the instillation and the saying “May Celestia guide thee to greatness”.
“She knows I’ll need it.” Hestaria said to herself before being herded into rows of five with the other pegasi.
A dark red unicorn with a fiery yellow mane, dressed in full Celestian Guard Armor stepped out from the front the air ship and stood in front of the recruits.
“Alright you lazy good-for-nothings, ten-hut!” he shouted.
Everypony clicked their hoofs together and straightened their backs.
“I am Master Sergeant Brand Fire But you will call me Sergeant Firebrand.” He began as he paced in front of them. “I am here to make your life a living hell. This isn’t a field trip you misguided coat hanger ninjas, this is a training facility!” Brand Fire glared directly at Hestaria. “Let me guess.” He said getting in her face. “You’re here to protect and serve Princess Luna, right?”
“No sir. I’m-”
“I’m sorry, what!?”
“No Sir!” Hestaria shouted.
“Good, because that’s not where you’re at right now! You are here for one reason and one reason alone, to be broken. And WHEN you reach your breaking point, we will rebuild you into the soldier of Celestia that you are meant to be. If you wanna’ quit now, it’s a long flight back.”
The air ship took off right behind them and left them there alone with Sergeant Brand Fire.
“Now, since there are no questions, I’ll have First Sergeant Wave get you into orientation then you’ll be off to lunch. Sergeant!”
“Yes Sir! Company, right face!” everypony turned on their heels and faced to their right. “Forward, march!”
The orientation wasn’t too bad. The first hour involved quarters assignments. Hestaria was given a room with some blue and ornage pegasus, she didn’t bother to get the name. After another ten minutes of settling in, she was herded with the rest of her group into the mess hall for lunch hour. The grub was deserving of a dog rather than a pony. Brownish mush and water.
‘And I thought the food in the factory was bad.’ Hestaria thought to herself.
After lunch, they were shoved into a class room and taught the basic rules of the Academy witch were as follows, do as your told, keep your points up and never piss off Firebrand. That last one wasn’t written but it was very useful to keep in mind. Immediately after that, a class on battle formations and strategy came. Less than an hour after that she received her uniform and the first PT drills started. Those were easy considering her line of work before this not being of those meager physique. Once the PT drills were over, another six hours of classes set in. The formations were easy to remember and replicate on the field. Hestaria was absolutely board.
After the classes, the twenty of them were handed a bag with four hundred bits. Almost everypony, including White Knight, were elated as they were lead to the exchange with a list in hand. Upon entering, they were told to find everything on that list and pay for it upfront. Armor & boots, compass, lantern, back up lantern, two canteens a saddle bag, a larger bag, six uniforms, two maps, jacket, book of the rules of the Academy and a pen; total cost, four hundred and ten bits. Great, now they owed the academy more than two months of servitude.
The campus was nice at least. The bright green grass was odd for the time of year but it wasn’t all that off putting, probably enchanted by some unicorn to always look like this. The tall stone buildings with towering columns were breathtaking, but to Hestaria they were just something too complicated for military training. The only simple building on campus was the gym. The sign on it said the Luna building but it was the gym. It made sense to her strangely. They had been told that before going to combat, regardless if you liked it or not, you were to say ‘May Celestia guide me and Luna give me strength.’
The next six weeks went as follows: up at 0400 everyday, breakfast at 0405, classes from 0410 to 1100, lunch at 1101, formation training form 1105 to 1600, hoof to hoof combat 1601 to 1900, dinner at 1901, lights out at 2100, repeat. They gave them two hours to themselves but Hestaria, despite preferring to stay up at night, spent that two hours sleeping. Her physical prowess were keeping her a float, but she wasn’t sure if she would make it two months.
Suddenly, something strange happened, Sergeant Fire wasn’t in that morning for his usual wake up call. Instead, a new stallion was heading the operation. His armor wasn’t like anything she had seen before. The navy blue chest piece spread back to his shoulders like bat wings and his helm looked like it had the dorsal fin of a fish standing where the top of the main usually was. That wasn’t even the strangest part, he had a horn, and silver wings. A dark blue unicorn stallion with silver wings and odd armor was suddenly in charge.
He introduced himself as simply The Captain. He was now head of the Academy and would be over seeing every little thing going on. After introducing himself in the lecture hall, he took off out the window and towards the front gate. A few minutes later the sound of his voice echoed across the campus asking somepony named Ephialtes if he could hear him. It was like Princess Luna’s legendary Royal Canterlot Voice but coming from his mouth.
The Captain’s arrival wasn’t even the stranger part of it. Hestaria always had a nagging feeling that somepony was watching her; and every time she’d looked over her shoulder, he would be there either in his armor of his black uniform. He was following her. He didn’t even look like he was watching her, but he was always there when she turned her back.
The next day the final test took place, a siege on castle walls. In the middle of a open field, a team of infantry were to assault and take the flag hidden behind a massive wall. Her team, the Bomb Brigade, were told to drop as many paint bombs behind the wall and clear the way for the ground troops. The unicorns were to provide long range support and the earth ponies held wooden lances and carried grappling hooks to scale the walls. The walls were lined with unicorns using stun spells to knock pegasi out of the air and earth ponies getting close to the wall. Earth ponies inside the wall used crossbows with paintball tipped arrows to mark a target that had been hit.
The dispenser on Hestaria’s right front ankle was uncomfortable and itchy. It held four paint bombs that released with the press of button. A spring inside would shoot the bomblets out at once and cover what ever was near by with paint. Her golden armor weighed her down as she took flight over the advancing battalions. It she hated her their flying patterns, they were too close together and an easy target for those crossbows.
“Hestaria!” Her flight lead called out from the head of the flight of four, it was her room mate.
‘She bothered to learn my name?’
“Hang back!”
“Why? I’m the most accurate out of this team!” Hestaria shouted back.
“I don’t care, everypony down there is gunning for you as it is. I need you separate from the rest of the formation. That’s an order!”
“No! I’m as much a part of this flight as anypony!”
“Hestaria, either you do this or I’ll have you court marshaled!”
Hestaria looked down at the open filed below her and the forty foot wall coming closer. The stun spells were already raining upon them and the crossbow bolts sailed below them.
“You want me gone?” Hestaria reached back and undid the clasp around the heavy plate protecting her middle section and flank. The flank plate fell away and she had to wiggle her way out of the one covering her midsection. The mail armor under that slid off easily and she looked back to her flight lead. “You got it!”
Hestaria rolled over and dove straight for the ground where the front line of troops where getting hammered. She looped to their right flank and waited for one of the troops to fall. The second a spell landed on one of the soldiers, she bolted forward and snatched his lance. She held the weapon like she had been meant for it, the way it felt having the lanced in her grip was so natural.
She banked hard left and flew towards the wall at full speed from only a few feet off of the ground. All of their spells and bolts landed inches behind her hindlegs. She reached the wall in a matter of seconds. The stone left her filed of view as she launched herself to the top of the wall and another twenty feet higher. No pony on the wall was ready to see the bomblets from her right foreleg fall exactly in the middle of the largest concentration of troops lining the wall.
Hestaria dug her sharp canine teeth into the leather straps that held the dispenser onto her foreleg and ripped it from her hoof. The devise fell to the wall and shattered on impact. Thinking she was now unarmed, the unicorns down bellow started trying to pelt her with knock out spells. Hestaria tucked in her wings and tumbled straight towards the middle of the pack.
Only a few yards from the ground she opened her wings again and slowed herself enough as to not break her knees. She kept low to the ground for a moment and let a few unicorns knock each other out before unleashing her lance. As earth ponies advanced with their own lances, Hestaria stood proud and grinned mischievously. If it felt right holding the lance, it looked down right bad ass and graceful when she swung it. She spun on her hoofs and wielded the spear like it was apart of her body. She used it in close range against the earth ponies, held it by its base to keep the others at bay and even intercepted bolts and spells inches before they reached her body.
The sudden sound of a paint bomb blast caused her to lose concentration for moment before realizing that the other Pegasi were starting a bombing run. And knowing the pattern they had practiced, she needed to start running right for the flag. The paint bombs flashed and coated everypony in her wake with various colors of paint as she sprinted on her hindlegs towards the flag, the lance firmly clutched in her hoofs.
Ten feet from the flag, Hestaria spread her wings and caught the blast wave of one of the bomblets. She had no paint on her body, but the wave carried her up faster then she could have just flapping. She pushed forward as hard as she could and snatched the red flag in her teeth as she passed. Hestaria’s grin stretched wide as the flag whipped in the wind and pounded her light gray coat.
She followed the flight of Pegasi as the team behind the wall looked up at her dumbfounded. She weaved through the flights until she found hers. The flight lead looked at her shocked and angry at the same time as Hestaria’s grin grew larger. Once on the ground, her flight lead snatched the flag and her Drill Sergeant shouted at her to drop and give her twenty for breaking formation. It didn’t matter to her, it was a victory over her shitty flight lead and everypony else on base.
Around dusk, her Drill Instructor had her follow her to the Captain’s office. The door read “Capt. Shining Armor: Captain of the Guard” Her Sergeant left her in front of the door and the Captain’s voice came from inside. Hestaria stood at attention and saluted the stallion. The office was a simple beige color with a large wooden desk at the very back in front of a window looking over the quad. A filing cabinet sat to the left of the desk and a dark blue flag on its right. Next to the door, his armor sat on a stand next to a coat rack. His usual hat rested on it along with a black leather jacket.
The Captain wore his midnight blue dress uniform without its hat behind the desk with a dust colored Pegasus mare in a maid outfit standing next to him adjusting a photo on the wall. This was the first time she had gotten a close up view of The Captain. Dark blue coat, matching eyes, and a black mane. There was something else off, his wings weren’t just silver, they were made of metal. He had a permanent set of Lunarus Corp. Iron Icarus’.
He looked up at her from a file on his desk, most likely hers. “As you were.” he said calmly. Hestaria stood at rest and looked straight at him. “Private First Class Hestaria. Denied promotion for having a smart mouth and not following orders as given. Personally I don’t think that’s the whole truth but that doesn’t excuse going that far in a combat situation. Is there anything you have to say in your defense of what happened today?”
“Captain Armor, Sir, I-”
“I am not Captain Armor, he’s no longer in charge here. I am, so address me as Captain, Private.”
“Yes Captain. I was told to hang back and stay out of my formations way.”
“Exactly what Corporal Lightning Dust had told me, but I don’t think she told you to take a fallen soldier’s weapon and go Brave Hoof on them.”
“No Sir, but-”
“No buts Private. As Sergeant Fire thought about you, you’re not right for Celestia’s guard.”
Something inside Hestaria suddenly snapped. “NO! WHO ARE YOU TO TELL ME ANYTHING!? SO WHAT IF I DON’T TAKE ORDERS WELL, I’M A DAMN GOOD FIGHTER! DIDN’T YOU SEE ME OUT THERE!? YOU FOLOW ME EVERYWHERE SO I’M GUESSING YOU SAW WHAT I DID OUT THERE TODAY!”
“Private,” The Captain said calmly. “if you would just let me finish. You’re-”
“Not what we’re looking for, I know! I don’t care. I. GIVE. UP!”
Hestaria finished her rant and dashed out of the room in anger with tears starting to form in her eyes. As she ran from the room, she knocked White Knight over and he heard her call after her. Not even a second late, The Captain’s voice told him to stay where he was. Hestaria kept going over in her head what could have been in that file. “Doesn’t meet physical expectations: Is odd looking.” okay that last part might not have been there but it was probably worded differently. As she burst through the doors of the main building, Hestaria took flight towards the south as fast as her wings could carry her in the late fall air.
Hestaria flew for what seem like only a few minutes. Bellow her, an ocean of dark green trees passed beneath. The moon was high above her as she spotted massive stone columns peaking out of the trees and beyond them, a decrepit old castle over grown over what seemed like a thousand years. Hestaria slowed down and landed in the highest room of the main building.
“Who does he think he is!?” she shouted to no pony in particular. “Telling me what I’m suited for. I’m the strongest flyer on that stupid campus.”
“He has no right to even tell you these things.” A distorted mare’s voice said.
Hestaria looked around the small room she was in only to find it empty. “Who’s there?” she asked ready to kick somepony’s teeth in.
“Do not be afraid young bat pony, I only wish to speak with you for a moment.”
A tall dark mare stepped out from the shadows in front of Hestaria. She had a long, pail purple mane, a tall misshapen horn and bat wings. Her voice was smooth and regal. From the top of her head, a small crown sat in her mane. Her eyes, those, piercing green serpant eyes stared straight into Hestaria’s soul.
“What are you?” Hestaria asked slowly settling into a fighting stance.
“I am Queen Chrysalis, and I think we can help each other.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I have an army ready to destroy this cursed land. Everything you resent could be destroyed in a matter of days, if you do me this one favor.”
“What?” Hestaria said confused.
“My army isn’t as you would expect. They are outcasts, just like you.”
“You really know how to make a mare feel better about herself don’t you?”
“You know you are. You have been one since the day you were born. We are like you, and we can make him pay for his impotence. If you are to join us, you must kill your Captain.”
“Kill The Captain?”
“Only then can we strike unopposed. He is the nexus force in Canterlot. His death would me the division between the two sisters and therefore a weak city waiting to be crushed beneath my hoofs. Will you accept this offer?”
Hestaria hesitated. An entire army of bat ponies? She said that they were like her didn’t she? Acceptance, but at the cost of all of Equestria. Hestaria weighed the risks and came to a decision.
“What? You would give up everything you ever wanted? Acceptance, ponies that would think of you as family?”
“Regardless of what you’re offering me Queeny, regardless of whether this world accepts me for what I am, I won’t turn my back on it. I may not have many, but I have friends, and they have my back no matter what happens. There’s always going to be a tomorrow and I can only hope it’s a bright one.”
“How dare you defy me you little foul!” a green fire enveloped the Queen and her form changed. She was pitch black, her mane and tail now resembling oily fish fins and her legs and horn looked like rotted black Swiss cheese. Hestaria didn’t have time to escape; Chrysalis’ magic enveloped her and held her in place.
“Like it or not you will join us. And you will-” She was suddenly cut off by a bright flash and a loud explosion, almost like a thunder storm. Chrysalis backed away and Hestaria felt the magical field around her drop.
“And you will buzz of you little insect.” A familiar, commanding voice bellowed from behind Hestaria.
“This is not over young one; I will have my vengeance on you both!” Chrysalis shouted as she disappeared in a mighty flash of light.
Hestaria wheeled around to see The Captain flying just beyond the window she was in.
“Hestaria, would you meet me in the court yard bellow you?”
“O-Okay.” Hestaria said a bit shaken by what just happened.
The Captain slowly lowered himself down and waited for Hestaria to follow. She waited a moment before making her way to the bottom of the tower she was in. When she landed, The Captain was standing loosely looking up at the night sky.
“Are you okay Hestaria?” The Captain asked.
“You followed me again… Why did you follow me?” Hestaria said hoping to keep him from shouting at her for being so stupid.
“Because you didn’t let me finish my statement.” The Captain turned and looked her in the yellow eyes. “I said you weren’t right for Celestia’s guard, but you’re exactly what I’m looking for.”
“I’m sorry?”
“I am Commander Lunar Nexus of the Evening Guard, Head of Luna’s Evening Guard.”
“You think I have what it takes for Luna’s army? Why?”
“Well you have the mark of the Luna’s First Pegasus Platoon.” Nexus said pointing to her flank.
“Platoon?”
“Luna had hundreds of platoons of Pegasus soldiers. Her General knew that they were versatile in battle and more than bomb droppers. And from the looks of things around here, you’re the last one in existence.”
“What does this have to do with what you want me for?”
“I want you to join the Evening Guard. Unlike Firebrand, I’m not looking for ponies to mindlessly follow orders. I want soldiers that can act individually and still follow orders to the letter when the situation calls for it. I want somepony like you Hestaria.”
“And if I refuse?”
“I’m not telling you. I’m asking you. But-”
“There’s always a catch.”
“I want to make a proposition. Behind you are two lances; I want you to fight me.”
“You want me to fight you?”
“Yes, sounds like you’re more of a parrot pony. If I win, you consider joining up.”
“And if I win?”
“Then you can do whatever you want. All I ask is you at least consider this proposition.”
“And you need to fight me in order for you to get me to consider this?” ‘What’s the writer thinking here? Does he just want another fight scene?’ she thought to herself.
“I want to see your fighting abilities first hand. What do you say?” Nexus said levitating a lance into his own hoofs and one in front of Hestaria.
“Deal.” Hestaria said taking a firm hold of the killing tool.
“Here’s the rules, first to draw blood from the body wins.” Nexus stood on his hindlegs with his metallic wings spread and held the lance against his right foreleg with the tip in the stone floor.
The tip of the lance was similar to a regular spear, but at the base of the tip, the metal was forged into a crescent moon curved up towards the tip. The edges of the moon were razor sharp and arching with electricity. Wait, electric lances? Hestaria spread her wings and stood in her fighting stance. It was odd that it mirrored Nexus’ almost perfectly.
“Ready?”
“You’re not going to use your horn are you?”
“No, I won’t use any magic so long as you stay in or above the plaza.”
“Okay then. Go!” Hestaria said launching at her commanding officer.
Nexus however was ready and threw he rover his head with the shaft of the lance. Hestaria flapped her wings and hovered over him.
“You’re quick.” Nexus said launching himself into the air. “But let’s see just how quick.”
Nexus was the first to make a move this time; he charged towards her faster than she had ever seen a pegasus fly from a standing start. The Iron Icarus’ on his back must be supercharged or something. The tips of the lances met in a shower of sparks and electrical arcs. Nexus locked the crescent moons together and threw her over his shoulders back towards the tower she had just come out of. Hestaria recovered and rebounded off of the stone tower.
She was going faster than Nexus had anticipated and instead of parrying her attack, Nexus simply leaned left and let her pass. That didn’t stop Hestaria from holding the lance at its base and swinging it as she went past. That, Nexus was able to block. Hestaria didn’t need a lot of room to pull a full one eighty and get back at Nexus’ level. She held the lance like an ax and swung it over her head. Nexus blocked the blade with the shaft and spun it to get it free of Hestaria’s lance.
As fast as she could, Hestaria thrust the tip at Nexus’ side, only looking to cut into his side instead of impaling him. The Captain was able to easily push himself to the right and dodge the attack. Nexus then preformed a quick front flip and planted his right hindleg into Hestaria’s left shoulder. The force of the kick wasn’t his full strength, she could tell. But it was still enough to throw her towards the ground.
Hestaria was able to land on all fours and Nexus brought himself down around fifty yards in front of her.
“Why do you want me to join you!?” Hestaria shouted in mild anger.
“Because.” Nexus lunged at her with his wings wide and glided at full speed towards her. When their lances made contact, he locked them together again and held pushed back on her. “You’re not like the others. You’re strong.” Nexus released her and she unleashed a barrage of attacks, all Nexus either dodged or parried before locking them together again. “You’re cunning.”
This time Nexus released his inner Brave Hoof and started to strike at her with great speed and accuracy. Hestaria blocked as much as she could and only let two hits from the shaft get through to her “You don’t give in. And more over…” Nexus pushed her back about five yards and took his stance. “Your heart is never void of hope.”
Hestaria locked their lances together this time and went nose to nose with Nexus. “What do you mean!?” She shouted.
Hestaria forced Nexus’ lance into the stone floor and watched as the heads of both snapped off in a shower of splinters and sparks. Nexus was shocked (metaphorically) and stumbled back. Hestaria took the chance and picked up the head of one of the lances and used it as a knife. Nexus saw this and narrowly escaped having his chest slashed open. The “dagger” only nicked his dress shirt and cut the left lapel on his coat where his captain bars were pinned.
Nexus was weapon less, he did his best to try and keep Hestaria at a distance with her dagger. But when he caught her right hoof with his left to bock a strike, she dropped the dagger to her left and slashed Nexus across his chest. The blade clanged off of a metallic plate and sparks erupted from the metal on metal contact.# Hestaria was shell shocked as she saw the large metallic plate under his dress cloths. She dropped her weapon and backed away. “Well, it seems you’ve won.” “What?” “If I were normal, you would have opened my ribcage and I would be dead. You’ve won.” “Wait, so that’s it? You’re just gunna to walk away?”
“Yep, I’m a man of my word. And my word is the best thing you could have next to a written agreement. You’re free to do whatever you want.”
Nexus turned and began to walk towards the steps leading away from the ruins and into the dark overhang of the forest.
“Wait!” Hestaria called.
Nexus was nothing if not three things, a patriot, honorable and a gentleman. If somepony called for him he would answer. He stopped in his tracks and turned to face her, his metal plate still visible under the hole in his shirt. “Yes?”
“Tell me more about the Evening Guard.”
Nexus smiled lightly and started back towards her slowly. “We’re a group of highly trained soldiers, all of whom act on their own. You never apply for the Evening Guard, you’re chosen. You have to be born to be a part of Luna’s army. You and I aren’t so different.”
“How’s that?” Hestaria said sitting back on her haunches.
“We’ve lead very similar lives.” Nexus replied sitting in front of her. “Social outcasts, born fighters, strong characters and even our lineage.”
“What’d you mean?”
“The only bat ponies that lived were in Luna’s Armada a thousand years ago. And my great ancestor was the General of her forces. Our lives have been crossing since before we were even conceived. We were meant to be a part of something greater; something that could be used to make the world a better place for us all to live for generations to come.”
“That’s a bit much don’t you think?” ‘I’m starting to have second thoughts about having this guy as my boss.’
“You’re free to have your opinion but you’re made for something greater than what you would never know.”
“What ever you say weirdo.”
“That’s not something you say to your boss.”
“What?”
“You want to join right?”
“Well, yeah. But I haven’t yet.”
“You accepted when you wanted to know what we were. And I think you’re not the least bit upset about me knowing that.”
“I’m more just surprised.” ‘How did he know?’ she thought.
‘I’m more than just a normal unicorn.’ his voice said in her head.
Hestaria jumped not seeing his lips move with the words. “How did you?”
“Telepathy. I do much more. So, you in?” The Captain said holding out his right hoof.
Hestaria looked to it and saw that it was made of shimmering metal as well. He didn’t just have Lunarus Corp. wings, he had his legs too! She looked back to him and smiled. “I’m in.” She bumped her hoof with his and watched the smile grow on his face.
“Well then. 0300, Lunar Building. Be there or don’t come back to base private!” Nexus shouted like the commander he was.
The waxing moon was bright as Hestaria took her place in the Lunar Building. The building on the interior was only a gym, but since no pony used the gym this early in the morning. Four long tables lined up in two rows with three packs set on them. She sat with nine other ponies in the dim lighting of the gym. She sat in the center of the room and waited for Nexus to begin.
Looking at the other ponies chosen for this program, Hestaria saw three Earth ponies, three unicorns and two other Pegasi. All dark colored accept for White Knight. ‘Why is he here?’ It was 0303 when a blood red unicorn with black stripes entered the room.
‘Hold it, stripes? What idiot made that thing in the OC generator?’ she thought to herself.
“Nice of you to finally join us Private. Please, take a seat.” Commander Nexus said motioning towards the desks.
With great hesitation, the dark red striped pony approached the tables and sat down at the far right corner.
“Now we can begin.” Nexus began. “I would like to be the first to welcome all of you to the first day of training for the Evening Guard. I am Commander Nexus, and will address me as such. Is that clear?”
“Yes, Sir Commander Nexus, Sir!” all but the striped pony shouted.
“Good. Now this isn’t going to be anything like what they told you in orientation. In fact, forget everything that the teachers have told you. From this day on, you all will be trained to counter anything that is thrown at you. Form every counter spell you can learn to how to work your equipment. Unlike the Celestian Guard, we have weapons, ranging from the Lightning Lance, to the standard issue Iron Icarus Mk. III that are sitting in front of you.
“For all but three of you, this will be your main piece of equipment. You will learn how to take every little component out of that pack and put it back together backwards. And that is after a ten mile run. For the unicorns here, I will be teaching you spells you’ve never even heard of; spells that no soldier will be able to counter. You will learn to bring out a ponies greatest fears and have hoofs as deadly as your horn. And that last part goes for all of you. Is that clear?”
“Yes, Sir, Commander Nexus Sir!”
“Good. You will all report here at the same time every day for the next two months. In the top flap of the Iron Icarus, there is a schematic of it. You will learn it and will also be ready to use it by the time. Now, line up five by five at the doors and wait for my go. Ten miles is a long run!”
“Yes Sir, Commander Nexus, Sir!”
The Commander wasn’t kidding either, the run took until dawn to complete the ten mile journey. When they returned, the pegasus were given a break while the unicorns and earth ponies were sent back to the gym to start work on their Iron Icarus’. After about an hour, the group was split into two groups, pegasus went to learn basic fighting with the Lightning Lance that Hestaria had already proven herself with earlier that night with Commander Nexus.
She surpassed everypony she went against and knocked the instructor off his hoofs. After an hour of training she was taken with the rest of the Pegasus to show them how to use the Lunar Guard’s bomblet dispensers. That lesson only lasted a few minutes and then they took a break for lunch. Hestaria was amazed that the Lunar Guard got their own tables. After grabbing her gruel and a mango at special request, she sat next to the striped unicorn. He was a lot stranger up close, especially the eyes, his blue-purple eyes looked like hers. Serpent-like.
“Hey.” She said to the unicorn. “I’m Hestaria.”
He looked up from his tray with a tired look in his eyes.
“Ephialtes. Just call me Ephi.” he said with a low voice.
“He doesn’t talk much.” White Knight said. “So what was with that little escaped you had the other night?”
“The Commander booted me from the Royal Guard and then before he could recruit me for the Evening Guard, I flew off the handle and then, well, flew off.”
“Well, that’s a short ass story. What about the Commander though. His legs.”
“I heard he’s from the future.” a bright red unicorn said.
“You’re an idiot. What do you think Ephi?”
Hestaria rolled her eyes and looked over to Ephialtes. “Hey, Ephi.” White Knight said, elbowing Ephialtes in the ribs. “You hear me?”
“Hu? Oh, no I was just thinking about something.” Ephialtes replied.
“How do you think The Commander ended up like he did?”
“I’d rather hear what you guys think.”
“Okay, I think he’s the son of the C.E.O. of Lunarus Industries and that he was run over by a train.” Hestaria said leaning in like it was some big secret.
“That’s stupid Hestaria. I heard he had a heart attack so strong it caused his legs to explode.” the black earth pony said.
“And you say I’m stupid?” Hestaria said shaking her head.
“I agree Hestaria’s theory, but I think he was kidnapped by marauders and held for ransom. As punishment for not delivering on time, they chopped off his legs and mailed them to his father everyday he was late.” White knight unicorn said.
“What about you Ephi?”
“I don’t know. I’ve only been here for three days and only talked to him twice.”
“Maybe he just thought they looked cool.” Commander Nexus said standing right behind the black earth pony.
He suddenly went ridged as Commander Nexus went to the head of the table.
“How’d he do that?” Hestaria whispered to Ephialtes.
“Quiet Private Hestaria!” Nexus shouted. “Now I don’t want to hear anymore of these conspiracy theories, or all of you will go hungry tonight. Saddle up, time for combat training.”
“Yes Sir, Commander Nexus Sir!” everypony, including Ephialtes said getting up from the table.
Once again, lined in two by two, they trot into the forest. Commander Nexus was silent and forced them to keep their eyes forward under threat of going hungry. After nearly an hours trot, Hestaria looked over her shoulder and saw Commander Nexus was nowhere in sight
“You want to know how I did what I did back in the chow hall?” Commander Nexus asked from the right side of the trail. “How a pony with metal strapped to fifty percent of his body could be so stealthy?” he asked from the left side this time.
The entire squad began looking around for him as his voice continued to emanate from all around them.
“It’s called The Art of the Shadow. Pioneered by zebras in the time before the Great Twilight War and was first used in combat against Celestia by the Evening Armada during the war. It was very effective against the forces of Celestia. If you want to be one of us, you have to master this art. And I suggest that you don‘t…blink.”
Suddenly Commander Nexus was standing amongst them with a smirk on his face. As soon as Ephialtes saw him, he swung himself around and tried to hit Nexus with a wide swinging kick. Nexus was quick and blocked the fast moving strike from Ephialtes. Nexus deflected the kick and pulled Ephialtes into another headlock. Ephialtes looked up and slid his head out of Nexus’ grasp. As he dropped down, he swiped Nexus’ legs out from under him and attempted to take hold of his left foreleg. Before Nexus even hit the ground, he had maneuvered himself away from Ephialtes. He rolled out of the formation and stood with his wings extended.
“I see somepony’s studied The Art of the Shadow before.” Nexus said glaring at Ephialtes. “We start with hoof-to-hoof combat then we move onto combat maneuvers. Sergeants!”
From behind the rest of the group, a black Pegasus mare and a gray earth pony stallion emerged from the bushes surrounding the path.
“Sergeant Midnight and Lumen here will be assisting in flight maneuvers for the Pegasi and combat maneuvers for the rest of you. The unicorns will be with me for Macabre Magic 101. You will listen to them as well as you listen to me or you’ll be working tomorrow night.”
“Commander Nexus, permission to speak freely, Sir?” Hestaria asked.
“Granted.”
“What’s tomorrow, Sir?”
“Tomorrow is the Winter Solstice. As with the Summer Solstice, those under the employ of Luna are given the day off unless otherwise told by the Captain of the Guard. So, unless you want to be cleaning barracks all day tomorrow, I suggest you do as I say. We’ll start with hoof-to-hoof combat then I’ll split you off into your separate groups. Form up, forward, march!”
They did as they were told with a Yes Sir, Commander Nexus, Sir!. It was another ten minute trot until they reached the fighting arena. It was a large stone smoothened down into a table with no legs. In white chalk, a circle running the entire circumference of the stone table and a white line splitting it down the middle. The top was smooth though still had some dips in the stone where others before them must have been slammed down repeatedly.
“This will be your training ground. We’ll be starting with holds and how to break them. Sergeant Midnight, if you would be so kind as to join me in the arena.”
“Yes, Commander.” Midnight replied stepping into the center of the stone table with Commander Nexus.
“Basic hold Sergeant Midnight.”
“Yes Commander.”
The Pegasus approached Commander Nexus and proceeded to force him to his hindlegs and put his right hoof behind his back from over his shoulder. Not only did this look extremely painful, but the fact that Sergeant Midnight didn’t restrain from pulling Nexus’ foreleg back stunned Hestaria. Did Nexus even feel it was the pain question. He didn’t show any pain on his face. Or was that part of the training too?
“From this hold, the easiest thing to do is to use their leverage against them. From this position you can do one of two things; you can toss them over your shoulders, or…”
Nexus bent his knees slightly, then, using Sergeant Midnight as a counter weight, vaulted himself over the Sergeant and touched down behind her with the Sergeant’s hoof still holding his.
“You could reverse the hold and turn the tables. Any questions?”
No pony spoke up as Nexus held the Sergeant in the same hold he had once been trapped in. While watching this display, Ephialtes noticed that the Sergeant wasn’t showing any pain either.
“Now, when you’re putting someone in this hold, you can force them to the ground by knocking their legs out from under them, or you can force them to their knees. It’s all dependent on preference. I like shoving their face into ground.”
He showed his preference by kicking the Sergeant’s legs out from under her and planting the side of her face firmly into the stone.
“Any Questions so far?” Commander Nexus asked once again. And when no one answered, “Good. Pair up and get to work. Start by throwing the other over your shoulder. I know there are eleven of you, so Sergeant Lumen will pair with the straggler. Sergeant Midnight, keep an eye on them. I need to report in with the Princess. I’ll be back in ten minutes max.”
Without another word, Commander Nexus spread his wings and took off from the clearing. Ephialtes was, unwillingly, paired with Hestaria. She didn’t hold back as she put him in the most basic hold in The Art of the Shadow. Something he had practiced with his father a long time ago.
“I hope that because I’m a lady that you don’t thing I’ll let you take it easy on me.” Hestaria said in his ear.
“I would certainly hope not.” Ephialtes said jumping over her and locking her in the basic hold. “’Cause I studied this since before you were out of diapers.”
Out of udder annoyance, Hestaria pushed her hips back and threw Ephialtes over her shoulders and into the dirt with a giggle. In between holds, Hestaria struck up conversation with Ephialtes. It turned out he was part zebra and he use to live in the Haystead Swaps but had to move for reasons that he wasn’t willing to go into. She could understand having a dark past. She even shared her experience with the changeling queen. Ephi seemed to get a bit more “interment” with her. She had cracked the shell of steel around this strange pony.
Around an hour later, Commander Nexus returned and split them up by race. Hestaria was taken to learn how to push her limits when it came to her flying. The next day she couldn’t move. That didn’t stop Nexus from putting her, White Knight and Ephialtes on guard duty during the Winter’s White Moon Festival in Canterlot.
In comparison to the Summer Sun Celebration, the tern out was very small. But those that didn’t come to see the raising of the winter moon, were missing one of the most beautiful sights in all of Equestria. Aura’s spread across the sky and giving way to oceans of stars, all lead by the full moon. The Captain was one hell of a stickler, but he recommended the strangest thing before dismissing them.
“Try the Neon Moon on base. They’ve got some of that Mango Flavored Beer.” he said before going with Luna to mingle in the festival’s attendees.
Hestaria jumped at the words of her favorite beverage and rushes back to the Academy for the beer she so desperately missed. When she got there, White Knight wasn’t too far behind her. The smoky atmosphere wasn’t unlike any other bar, but only dark colored ponies. The bar had a live rock band playing a lot of great songs from Bon Hoovie and Van Manelen. (Good god those hurt my head.). The other amenities that the bar held included various poker tables. The bar was already raging in the best possible way when Hestaria arrived. Everypony was drinking and/or dancing in front of the band or at the bar. Hestaria talked White Knight into a poker game with her and to pay for her first Mango Beer.
About an hour of playing cards and half a Mango Beer later, Hestaria noticed Ephialtes enter the bar. She stopped mid-chug and let out a belch before shouting to her friend. “Ephi! You zebra son of a bitch! Get over here!” Hestaria shouted over the music.
Ephialtes sighed seemingly annoyed and took the seat next to Hestaria.
“Wanna’ sip?” she said tipping the neck of her mango flavored beer towards him.
“Nah, I-I don’t drink.” the blood red zebra/pony hybrid said pushing the bottle away from him.
“You don’t drink? Sweet, Luna you’re as stuck up as The Commander!” White Knight said taking a pull from his Apple Whisky.
“I just don’t okay.”
“Whatever, deal ‘im in Ace.” Hestaria said looking over to the black earth pony with an Ace of Spades cutie mark at the end of the table.
“Wait, I don’t have any money!” Ephialtes tried to argue.
“Here,” She said sliding him five poker chips over to him. “Twenty five bits. More then enough to get you started. Each chip is five bits, starting pot at five bits.”
“Okay. Fine.” Ephialtes said as Ace slid him five cards.
“That’s the spirit!” White Knight said reaching accrues the table to punch him in the shoulder.
The other player at the table took his chips in his teeth and left the table as Ephialtes tossed his chip into the center of the table. He levitated the cards up to his eyes and looked them over for a moment before folding. Ephialtes cleaned out White Knight as he started coming back out of his shell. He talked told White Knight what he told Hestaria. They played for another two hours before one of Hestaria’s favorite songs came on.
“Oh my gosh I love this song! Let’s dance!”
“I don’t dance.” Ephialtes said over the music.
“Live a little Ephi.” Hestaria replied grabbing him by the neck and pulled him to the dance floor.
It took a bit more convincing but Ephialtes started getting into it and stayed standing for another song before somepony shouted from the door. “Captain!”
Everypony stopped, even the band as Commander Nexus walked in wearing a black baseball cap and leather jacket wearing his casual set of legs covering in blue fabric to look like his coat.
Nexus looked around the bar for a moment before grinning. “What are you lookin’ at? Blow Me Away!” he shouted to the band.
The lead smiled and the drummer tapped out the first three beats before the guitar started playing Blow Me Away. Nexus smiled and banged his head to the beat of the song as the first words started flowing. Everypony in the bar went back to partying except for Ephialtes, Hestaria and White Knight. Nexus noticed they weren’t rocking out and motioned them over to the bar. Nexus was the first to sit; Ephialtes sat to his right with Hestaria next to him and White Knight on Nexus’ left.
“What’s wrong with you guys tonight? We’ve got the night off!” Nexus said still rocking out to the band as he spoke.
“But you’re the Commanding Officer of the entire Lunar Guard. Shouldn’t you still be working, Commander Nexus, Sir?” Hestaria asked.
“Fuck that. I need to cut lose once in a blue moon too ya know. Bar keep! Beer me!”
With no delay, a closed bottle of beer slid down the table and to Nexus’ fabric cover metal hoof. Not waiting for the bottle opener, Nexus pried open the top with his teeth and spit the cap into the trash at the other end of the bar.
“So, what’ve ya’ll been doin’ since the raising of the moon?”
“Just rocking out here Commander Nexus, Sir.” Ephialtes said avoiding eye contact.
“Please, when I’m not in uniform, call me Nexus.” Nexus responded taking a sip of his beer.
“O-Okay, Nexus, what are you doin’ here?” White Knight said taking a hesitant sip of his Apple Whisky.
“Like I said, even I need to kick back once in a blue moon.” Nexus said taking another swig from his beer.
“Yeah… I guess.” Ephialtes said looking back to the band.
“You okay Ephi? You don’t seem happy.”
“I’m fine, Commander. I need some air.” Ephialtes replied getting up from the bar.
Nexus shrugged and went back to his beer as Ephialtes left the bar alone.
“Maybe I should go with him.” Hestaria said about to get up.
“Let him go Private. He just needs some time to himself.” Nexus said taking another sip of his beer.
Hestaria looked to the band and then back to White Knight and saw that Nexus was already gone.
“How does he do that?” she said taking a sip from her fruit flavored beer.
It was about thirty minutes before Hestaria started getting worried about Ephialtes. She liked him. He was a lot like her. ‘I know you’re thinking love triangle but keep in mind The Element of Fate’s ending’ Hestaria thought to herself taking the last sip of her beer. She stepped outside and was immediately greeted by a rumbling explosion to the east. She took flight and headed towards the forest as bight flashes continued emanating from the forest.
High above the trees, Hestaria flew towards the bright flashes of light and loud explosions emanating from the trees. She could feel something strange in the air; a static charge and a heavy weight pressed into her like needles. The flashes were getting closer but dimmer as she approached a clearing they seemed to be coming from. As the center of the clearing came into view, she was horrified by the sight. Ephialtes standing over Commander Nexus laying in a pool of his own blood.
“Ephi! What are you doing!?” Hestaria shouted as she landed behind him.
Ephialtes turned and smirked at Hestaria. “What I should have done the minute I met him.”
Nexus groaned and a flash of light shot from his horn. Ephialtes shouted in anger and stopped his hoof down onto Nexus’ throat. He gasped, trying to shout through Ephialtes’ hoof crushing his windpipe. He barely struggled as Ephialtes pressed his hoof down harder. His right eye was nearly closed as his continued to try and pull in another breath. After a few agonizing seconds, his metallic limbs went limp in a clatter of metal. His right eye still half open and blank, starring back at Ephialtes. Ephialtes released Nexus from his hold and his final breath escaped his mouth. Ephialtes turned again to Hestaria with a sick, sadistic smile spread across his face.
“Are you afraid Hestaria?” Ephialtes asked with great pleasure in his voice. “I can taste your fear, and it’s delicious.”
His horn glowed black and he threw Hestaria against the closest tree. He slowly approached her showing his teeth as shadows started swirling around to his right.
“Lunarus’ death was long and painful, I won’t give you the same luxury of wasting my time.”
Within the shadows a blade of ice formed. As he reached Hestaria, he put the ice dagger to her throat. Then, he hesitated, looked over his shoulders and then he fell to his side. Hestaria fell from the tree and the ice dagger shattered against its roots. She quickly ran to Ephialtes and knelt at his side.
“Ephi! Are you okay!? Wait here, I’ll get help!” she said franticly before flying back towards Canterlot.
The adrenaline coursing through her veins made her fly even faster towards Canterlot Military Academy. She burst through the doors of the bar and saw Princess Luna herself sitting at the bar talking to the troops.
“Help, Captain Nexus is being attacked!” Hestaria shouted.
The band stopped and everypony looked to the panicked bat pony.
“Lunarus? You heard her, to arms!” Princess Luna said.
All of the troops in the bar quickly rushed out of the bar and followed Hestaria and White Knight towards the armory. Luna selected twenty pegasus soldiers to follow her and told the rest to remain behind and keep an eye on the Academy in case something went wrong. Most were told to hang back and hold a perimeter with Luna while Hestaria and four other Pegasi were to engage anything hostile inside of the clearing.
As they arrived, Hestaria saw Ephialtes surrounded by at least six manticores. One of the pegasus troops threw his lance at the closest one to Ephialtes and watched it turn into golden dust. The troops landed and Hestaria quickly pinned Ephialtes to the dirt with her lance in his face.
“Tell me why I shouldn’t skewer you right now Ephi!?” the gray Pegasus demanded.
She looked into his eyes, his blue-purple serpent eye and noticed something. He was afraid. Hestaria’s expression softened a bit under her helm but she didn’t take the lance out of the unicorn’s face.
“Halt!” Luna called from above.
Hestaria looked over her shoulder and watched as Luna landed down near where Nexus lay dead. She could see the other troops she had brought with her land behind the edge of the clearing and take up the perimeter.
“Release him.” she commanded.
Hestaria let Ephialtes up but kept a close eye on him.
“Please, Ephialtes, step forward.”
Ephialtes nervously took a step forward. Before he could take another however, Hestaria stopped him and whispered in his ear. “I’m really happy to see you’re not insane anymore.” She meant it, she didn’t want to lose another friend today.
“Let him pass, Hestaria.”
“Yes, Princess.”
She moved out of the way and allowed him to stand face to face with her. Luna’s horn glowed lightly as she looked into his eyes. She sighed and looked back to Nexus.
“Lunarus.” she said.
“Princess!” a mare shouted in the distance. “Princess, what’s going on!?”
“Dust, stay back!” Luna shouted back as a light brown Pegasus mare with a long black mane swooped down into the clearing.
Upon entering the clearing the first thing she saw was Nexus’ battered and bloody body lying still under the moon.
“Lunar…Lunar! No, no, no! Get up, please!” she shouted kneeling next to him.
“Captain Storm, please, take her back to the castle.” Luna said looking to the Pegasus next to her.
“Yes, Your Highness. Come on Dust.”
“No, I’m not leaving him!”
She continued to shout and struggle as Strom dragged her out of the clearing.
“As for you, Ephialtes…” Luna said looking back at him.
Ephialtes gulped before speaking. “I didn’t kill him.” Ephialtes said standing tall.
“Oh, is that so?” Luna asked.
“Yes. I didn’t kill him. I wasn’t in control of my body.”
“Then what was?”
“Sombra.”
Luna seemed very taken back by the statement, but composed herself before continuing. “Sombra was defeated only a few months ago.”
“He can’t die. So long as fear and hate still live, so does he.”
‘Who the hay is Sombra?’ Hestaria thought to herself. ‘I did just see him kill Nexus but maybe he’s telling the truth.’
Luna’s horn glowed as she looked him over again.
“Should I arrest him, Princess?” a guard asked.
“No. He speaks the truth.” she said. “No matter how painful the truth is, he is honest. Sombra is still alive and we have to find him.”
“What about The Commander?”
“He died in battle as he would have wanted.” Ephialtes detected a note of pain and repentance in her voice as she said that. “He was a true hero.”
“I want to be head of finding him.” Ephialtes said.
Hestaria did a double take when she heard that.
“You want to what?” Luna asked.
“This is my fault. And I want every chance I can to make it right.”
“Princess?” Hestaria said a little afraid. “What if Sombra is still in him?”
“He is. As he is within me. There is always apart of him left behind once he is banished.”
“Only this time he has a body. He can’t hide forever.” Ephialtes butted in. “And may I try something?”
“What would that be?” Luna asked the blood red zebra/pony.
“It has to do with Commander Nexus.”
“As you wish.” Luna said letting Ephialtes walk to Nexus’ lifeless body.
He sat down and lowered his horn to Nexus’ chest. “I ended your life, but now I’ll make it up to you.” he said quietly. “By giving you a third chance.” Ephialtes said as his horn glowed brightly and enveloped Nexus’ body.
The metal plates on Nexus’ body reflect the light perfectly, creating a brilliant show as cascades of purple and white created an aurora in the sky above them. A clap of thunder, followed by a bright purple flash enveloped Nexus and a sharp breath shot into his lungs, followed by a blood curdling shout of pain from him.
“Lunarus!” Luna shouted in joy and surprise. “You’re okay!”
“No!” Nexus shouted back. “I’m not okay, get me a medic now! Celestia be damned, this hurts!”
One of the guards shoved Ephialtes out of the way and started treating Nexus’ still bloody eye.
“Not my eye, my left hind leg!”
“But that’s metal.”
“What did you do to me Ephialtes!?”
“Resurrection spell. It’s the only one I know. Brings dead tissue back to life.” he said in a matter of fact tone.
The field medic waved his horn over Nexus’ leg and Nexus’ pain fueled grunts lessened from the numbing magic.
“Then why do I feel like my leg was just now blown off?” he said through his teeth.
“It can’t be.” Ephialtes said getting closer. “Can you feel this?” he asked pressing his hoof against Nexus’ right hind leg.
“Yes, I could always feel pressure.”
“Can you feel anything else?”
Nexus was about to say he couldn’t, but then the feeling of a chilled hoof came into focus. “I can feel your cold hoof. I can feel the grass under me. I can feel the medics armored knee in my chest.” The medic re adjusted himself as he continued wrapping gauze around Nexus’ left eye. “You didn’t just bring dead tissue back to life, you brought nonliving tissue to life.” he said amazed.
“I did?”
Ephialtes helped Nexus stand once the medic was finished and they proceeded to help him back to the Academy. On their way back, Hestaria hovered next to Ephialtes and whispered in his ear again.
“Meet me in the court yard as soon as you can.” She whispered before flying back to the academy.
About an hour after getting Commander Nexus to medical, Ephiatles met Hestaria in the court yard of the academy.
“Took you long enough.” Hestaria said getting up from the bench she was sitting at.
“They had to give me a full psych screen to make sure I was okay. God.”
“Whatever. Are you okay Ephi?”
“I’m alright. You?”
“Yeah, still a little shaky but I’m better now.”
“How does that make sense?”
“I’m with a friend.”
“I’m your friend?”
“Well I don’t have many.”
“How’s that possible? I would have thought everyone would have been clamoring to know a bat pony.”
“They shunned me back home in Cloudsdale.”
“What’d you do there?”
“I made sure that the storm clouds were made right. I had to be sure that they had the right kind of lightning filling before putting getting them ready for the rainy season. What’d you do back home?”
“I read. I lived in a library with my mom. My dad wasn’t around too long after I was born.”
“Why?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“Do you not see the wings on my back?”
Ephialtes considered what Hestaria said for a moment before responding. “Okay, but you have to swear never to tell anybody.”
“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” Hestaria replied going through the motions of the school house swear.
“My dad use to be a normal pony, but when Chrysalis tried taking Equestria a long time ago, he was captured and converted into one.”
“Your dad was a changeling?”
“Yeah, he was. After I was born and they saw what I was, they petitioned to have him hanged. It didn’t go through for four years. Then they killed him. Nothing more.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be, he taught me everything I would ever have to know in life before they did. I’m more or less over the whole thing. Given there’s nothing left of my home to start with I don’t think I’ll have any bad flashbacks.”
“What?”
Ephialtes told Hestaria about his village in the Haystead Swamps and the Great Migration last year. How they burned down the entire village and his mother. He was forced to watch it all go down from the outskirts and then ran as fast as he could.
“Wow, I didn’t think that could happen.”
“Dragons are unpredictable.”
“If it makes you feel any better, Ephi, I really like talking with you now.”
“Why?”
“Well it’s nice to have somepony to talk to every now and again right? No matter what happens in our lives, it’s great to have friends to lean on and help you never lose hope in a new tomorrow.”
“When did you start sounding like a cheesy after school cartoon?”
“Shut up you zebra bastard.” Hestaria said kissing him on the cheek.
If Ephiatles wasn’t already red, his cheeks would have made him the color of the rising sun.
“You know,” Ephialtes said trying to keep himself talking. “I use to drawl a lot too.”
“No you didn’t.” Hestaria said.
“Yeah I did. I could drawl anything.”
“Anything?”
For the rest of the day, Hestaria made Ephialtes drawl everything she could think of until Captain Storm handed them a quarters assignment in the castle. The room was right below the two floors of the Tower of The Moon and had everything anypony would need in one room and somehow, Ephiatles talked Hestaria into modeling. Before she could even say no, he had her laying across the sofa with a mango in her teeth and sheets over her nether regions. There was a quick knock at the door and it opened to reveal Commander Nexus with gauze over his left eye.
“Hey,” Nexus said opening the door. “How are you two-”
Nexus stopped when he saw Hestaria laying across their couch with her nether regions covered by thin white sheets and Ephialtes sitting in front of a canvas with a pencil hovering next to him.
“I’ll…just leave you to drawl her like one of your French girls.” Nexus said leaving, his face redder then the twilight sky.
