> The Starlancer
>  by Monki
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1: The beauty of the night
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Warning: This fic does not follow the original timeline of the show, thus the “Alternate Universe” tag is used. Keep that in mind, please.






The Starlancer


by Monki








Chapter 1: Beauty of the night


It was only one moment. In only one moment her burning rage was replaced by confusion, only to be turned into fear and finally lonesomeness. That moment was the moment right before the might of the Elements of Harmony struck her and dragged her away to spend an eternity on the moon. Nopony could ever comprehend what it feels like spending one millennium in perfect isolation. Her life had changed in only one moment and she would have never been able to forget about that particular moment. One terrifying moment. And here she was, ready to get hit by the Element's power again. Luna wasn't sure what she had done wrong this time to enrage her sister. All she knew was that she didn't want to be all alone once again.

"You have failed me again, sister!" she heard her sister yelling, before the chromatic beam hit her. 


***


Luna suddenly awoke from her sleep. A loud scream had aroused her, leaving her sitting on the bed, breathing heavily. She then realized that she must have been the one who had screamed. She’d had that nightmare again, the same nightmare she had had the past several months, ever since her return from her banishment. That dream about her sister banishing her to the moon.

Thick curtains covered the windows and all candles had burned down. The room was dark and quiet. Luna was sitting on her bed contemplated about the dream she’d just had, when suddenly the doors to her bedroom flew open and a member of the Royal Guard dashed into her room. In a normal circumstance Luna would have been freaked out by the sudden invasion, however, her night horror had already taken too much out of her. Amazed she watched that Guard burst into her bedchamber, his pole-weapon ready to intervene any hostile action.

"Your highness, are you alright?!" he called with an alarmed voice, while looking around for intruders. "I heard a scream, is something wrong?" 

"No... No, it’s nothing, we are fine," Luna replied. "It was just..." Luna hesitated for a moment. "A bad dream - yes, a dream!" 

"Are you sure your highness? Do you need something?" he asked with a concerned voice.

She could tell that it was still daytime because of the sunlight illuminating her room coming from outside of the door. It must have been somewhat around afternoon. Blinded by the sudden light, she couldn't directly see the face of the guard. Being still flustered, she didn't even care about that random Guard though.

"No thank you. We... We wish to rest now. Please leave us alone." she ordered. 

"Very well your highness, rest well." he said, casting one last glance to make sure that there wasn't any danger threatening the Princess of the Night. He then turned to leave the room before gently closing the door behind him.

Luna slumped back into bed, reflecting on the recurring dream. It was the same dream as always but somehow it felt much worse than before. So intense and so unbelievable real. While her sister rose the sun and ruled during daytime, her duty as Princess of the Night was to raise the moon and darken the sky during night time. During the daytime, she was usually asleep or spent most of her time alone in her room. Although she had missed her sister dearly, she also avoided her presence as much as possible because she was afraid of being banished again. Her sister had welcomed her with opened arms, yet there was still that nagging fear in the back of her mind.

The next night she awoke from the dream again. She looked around and realized that she was in her bedroom, shaking and sweaty from her night terror. The dreams were getting worse every night and she didn't understand why. A quiet knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. A member of the Royal Guard silently opened the door.

"Are you Okay your highness?" the guard who had just entered her room, asked her.

"Yes, yes, of course," the Princess replied. 

"Was it the bad dream again?" he asked sympathetically.

"Yes... Wait, how do you know? You are the same guard we talked to yesterday, aren't you?" Due to her nightmare and her confusing thoughts yesterday, she didn’t pay much attention to the random guard she had talked to the day before. But now she recognized his voice. The day before, his voice sounded more concerned than today. He spoke in a gentle but respectful tone and the way he addressed her sparked a feeling of safety in her.

"Yes, your highness, it is my duty to guard your room this week," he told her with a slight hint of pride in his voice. The Princess sighed, shaking her head to dismiss the remaining fog in her mind. After she had calmed down enough to carry on the conversation she asked: 

"So, you are not guarding it all the time?" 

"No your highness, there is a schedule that determines what everypony should do, so the ponies that are guarding your room changes every week," he replied. 

"Tell us, guard, why are you guarding our room?" she asked him, fiddling with her blanket nervously. 

"To prevent any danger, your highness," the young stallion quickly replied.

"But are you protecting me from danger, or are you protecting Equestria from me?" 
The armored pony remained silent not knowing what to answer. The question had obviously flustered him. 

"Well.. Err... I don't know..." he muttered, looking at the ground. 

"Answer your Princess's question and please be honest!" she commanded in a stern tone.

"Both... I guess," he replied nervously, not knowing what else to say. 

"Are you afraid of me?" the indigo alicorn asked saddened, looking down on her blanket. 

"Um... Yes..." the armored guard answered hesitantly. The Princess looked away and tried to suppress her tears. She had known the answer before he even spoke. The kingdom still thought that she was a threat and the ponies were still afraid of her, afraid of the monster she once was. Of course, why would anypony forget the horrible things her other side had done a thousand years ago. 

She tightly wrapped her blanket around her shivering body. Ever since he entered the room he had looked at the floor. It wasn't forbidden for royal servants to stare in the face of their lords without permission, as far as Luna knew. Yet he had dodged her gaze the whole time. What she didn't know was that he didn't know how to behave around royalty. He believed that it would be inappropriate to blatantly stare at his ruler... in her bedroom. Then, however, he gathered as much courage he could muster, lifted his head and for a moment he looked directly into the mare’s eyes.

"I was..." he continued after a short pause. "But not anymore." 
The royal mare then turned towards him surprised.
"You see, I have been guarding your door for some time now and I sometimes see you in the palace. Ever since you returned, you always seem so tense, so sad, so lonely. I’ve never seen you doing anything wrong. I didn't witness the evil deeds I have heard about you from old pony tales. To be honest, I refuse to believe that you could harm anypony. Instead it pains me seeing somepony suffering like that.”

She looked at him, eyes wide opened. Today, the pegasi had scheduled a thunderstorm to water the crops and flowers of the earth ponies. The dark gray clouds blocked out the bright shine of the sun that had blinded her the day before, so she had no problem inspecting him for more detail. He was a unicorn with a coat of dark silver gray and wore the alloyed plate mail of a low rank royal guard. The armor was built of a dark metal with the royal crest of Equestria branded on the chest. On his head he wore a matching metal helm with a bright blue plume of feathers. 

She wasn't that familiar with military ranks but she recognized the insignia of a corporal on his left pauldron. The most remarkable thing about him, however, were his golden eyes. His eyes looked rather unique and were mesmerizing her. She could tell that he just spoke the truth because his eyes left no doubt about that. He still stood there in the doorway holding a standard guard lance with his right hoof. Taking a step towards her, he said:

"Sometimes when you are asleep you cry as if you are in agony. Judging by the sound, I'd say today was by far the worst of it. I find myself wondering, what troubles you that much. I feel sympathetic but I doubt I would understand, even if I knew the reason," he continued while still gazing into her face.

The armored stallion spoke without thinking, but then he remembered to whom he was talking to and quickly lowered his head, looking back at the ground again. 
"Err... I mean, I was worried about your safety your highness," he stammered, blushing, and took a few steps away from her.

He knew that he wasn't allowed to speak out his thoughts that directly, especially not to a Princess like Luna. Ashamed, he stepped further backwards to flee from the situation.
He then cleared his throat, saying:

"Well, if no danger threatens you, I will leave you to your rest your highness," he said and reached the door, quickly stepping outside and closing it silently. Still wrapped in her blanket, she lay on her bed. She was amazed that he had spoken his thoughts without hesitation and she was even more amazed about what he actually said. It was true, ever since she returned, she felt lonely and sad. She felt as if nopony cared that she had returned or not and she was asking herself what her destiny would be. The indigo mare felt like the young stallion just stared deep into her heart for that short moment their eyes had met.

"Somepony does care about me," she thought to herself not knowing how to feel. She couldn't tell how long she laid there, thinking about what he said to her. Lying there for what felt like ages, the sleep eventually caught up with her and she dropped into peaceful slumber. She didn't have the nightmare that day nor did she feel as lonely as she did the days before.

When she woke up that evening, she got back to work on her royal duty by raising the moon and protecting the night. Like usual, she met with her sister on a white balcony on the highest tower of Canterlot.

"Did something special happen today?" Celestia asked her younger sister shortly after landing. She smiled at Luna, obviously being in a good mood. 

"No, why do you ask?" the Moon Princess replied, baffled. 

"Well, you look much more relaxed than yesterday."

"I do?" Princess Luna asked, surprised. 

"Well, yes, I think so. I am glad to see you happy again, little sister," Celestia gently replied before she slowly flew away towards her room.

As she raised the moon she welcomed it just like an old friend. She also sent a few clouds away that had remained from the storm earlier that day. The lazy pegasi didn't clear the entire sky like they should have, however, Luna’s mood was way too good to vex about bagatelle like that. She then covered the dark bluish sky with tiny sparkling gems and started to rearrange the star signs that seem to have gotten out of place during the millennium of her absence. She’d never felt so much joy since her return she noticed.

Standing on that balcony, she smiled at her beautiful night for quite some time, satisfied with her work. It would still take her several nights to neaten the sky though, she thought to herself. 

"Oh my, the night looks exceptionally good today sister!" a voice sang behind her. Luna turned around startled, seeing her sister standing behind her looking up to the stars.

"You made quite an effort tonight," Celestia remarked. 

"Tia? What are you doing here? What time is it?" Luna asked confused. 

"Almost dawn, my dear," the older Princess said, smiling at Luna. 

"Already?!" she gasped. Luna couldn't believe it since it felt like she’d just raised the moon. She wished her sister a good day and flew off to her private chambers.

As she entered her room nopony was in sight. While Luna was up at night and watching over Equestria the guards tended to other duties because “There is no reason to protect an empty room,” as her sister had once said. "Those guards must sleep now and then too." she thought to herself, trying to imagine a bunch of sleeping guards.

Shortly after, she heard the sound of hooves on the stone floor and metal clanking in front of her door. The royal guard just took his position in front of her bedroom, she realized. 
"Guard, your Princess demands your presence." she called. A familiar stallion knocked and entered the room looking at the ground.

"You called, your highness?" he asked politely with his particular voice. 

"Yes. I want to talk about what happened yesterday..." she began. 

"I - I can explain - I didn't think about what I said - I give my most grievous apologies for insulting you, your highness. I deserve any punishment you deem necessary," he interrupted her and bowed down before her.

"Then I shall punish you now!" she bellowed in her Royal Equestrian Voice, while stepping forwards. He gulped. 
"As your punishment, you shall tell us your name, guard!" she said in a faked angry expression. 

"Your highness?" he asked, astonished.

"You do have a name do you not?" she asked him, still in her false angry Equestrian Voice.

"Yes, I do, but no noble pony ever asked for my name before..." he slowly replied. "My name is Diamond Sky." 

"Well, Guard Diamond Sky, you said confusing things to me yesterday. Were you serious about what you said... and don't even dare lying," she continued as she slowly approached him. He gulped again.

"Yes, your highness," he answered, expecting the worst. 

"You said you felt sorry for us, because you think we feel lonely, is this correct?" she stopped just in front of the crouching guard. 

"Yes, your highness, this is the truth," he replied, honestly. 

"Then you may call me Luna from now on," she said, softly abandoning the angry expression in her voice.

He remained motionless for several moments still looking at the ground. 
"Your highness?" he asked in disbelief. 

"Rise loyal Diamond Sky. It is true, I've been sad and lonely ever since I returned. But yesterday I wasn't anymore..." 

"You were not?" The gray stallion didn’t understand.

"No, you were the first pony that cared for what I feel. You were the first one that wasn't afraid of me, except my sister, of course." Diamond Sky remained silent, not knowing what to reply. 
"Please get up. You are allowed to look me in the eyes and you may speak freely, without punishment," she told him with a bashful smile on her face. He didn't move. 

"Do you not take me serious?" she asked him raising her voice again.
He rose his head and looked into her eyes. It was the first time he was that close to her. Stunned, he got lost in her beautiful turquoise eyes. 
"So tell us... Err, tell me, what do the citizens think about me?" the royal Alicorn asked.

"Equestria was overjoyed at the return of the Princess of the Moon," he quickly replied as if rehearsed. 

"I said be honest!" Luna rebuked him, with a grave expression on her face. 

"Well, this was the case, however some citizens don't know how to handle you. You were gone for thousand years. They are afraid of Nightmare Moon, because of all of those old pony tales and malicious gossip they've heard. But almost nopony knew who you were back then and almost nopony knows who you are today. In other words you are a complete stranger to them. Ponies fear the unknown."

"Nightmare Moon was - I mean, I was a monster - " she said ashamed, avoiding his eye.

"Just like I said, almost nopony knows how you were centuries ago and only a few ponies witnessed your return as Nightmare Moon. Every other pony in Equestria is glad to have their beloved Moon Princess back."

"Is it really that easy? How can time just undo the terrible things I have done?" Luna sighed. 
"To be honest, Nightmare Moon was only a disguise. When the Elements of Harmony hit me in those ancient ruins, they destroyed that disguise, but they didn't change the way I feel." He lifting a brow, knowing that something important might come up. After a pause she continued: 

"I still feel jealous about my sister. Everypony loves her. Everypony loves her sun. Nopony ever cared for my night sky. Although I've always put quite the effort into my night, nopony ever said, ‘Oh look at the soft shades of moonlight over there’ or ‘Look at that beautiful constellation’. Why can’t anypony see the things, like I do? 
Why can’t anypony love me like they love my sister?!"

She turned around. Diamond Sky shouldn't see the tears of anger and frustration she cried. However he could tell, just by judging her desolated tone. He wanted to touch her shoulder or even hug her, just console her somehow... but he hesitated since he didn't want to push his luck too far. She was a Princess after all - and he was just some random low rank guard.

"But would you do it again? I mean, the actions Nightmare Moon had done, would you ever do that again?" he asked her empathetically. 

"By the moon, of course not!" she yelled resolutely. 

"See, there is the difference. Nightmare Moon did what she did, but you refuse to do it, so in that sense, you are in no way similar to Nightmare Moon." He gently smiled at her.

She gave him a short glance over her shoulder and faced away again, while she continued to speak. 
"I really disliked the ponies back then, you know? I wanted to show them the beauty of the night, by letting it last forever. I thought that someday, somehow they would accept and even love it just like I do," she explained.

"Maybe you can show the ponies how you feel about it in a different way. Not everypony hates the night you know? Ponies sometimes take a walk with their special somepony in the starlight. Once a year there is a special event called 'Nightmare Night'. Ponies cherish the night, wear costumes and fillies beg for sweets. There are things that aren't possible without darkness. For example you couldn't see a shooting star without darkness... and remember, how could anypony cherish something if they don't know the opposite? Imagine if there is only nighttime, how could anypony cherish it if they take it for granted? Personally I’ve always liked the night. It’s calm and quietness is a welcome change to the daily stress and tension, at least im my opinion."

He finally took one step towards her and lay his hoof on her shoulder. Although being flustered she turned around and slightly smiled at him. 

"Thank you for your kind words..." She took a deep breath and changed the subject. "So what is it like to be a royal guard? I mean, if there is no Princess to comfort? Why did you become a guard in the first place?" she asked with a shy smile.

"Well, all the colts in my family served the Royal Army for ages. Some of my ancestors were high-class commanders, but most were simple soldiers or guards like me. It felt like it was my duty to join the Royal Force, as well." 

"So what do you do all day long?" she asked him curiously. 

"Most of the time it's just boring. Standing there at my post or patrolling all over Canterlot. There’s rarely any excitement going on. Well, maybe I should be grateful for that." he chuckled.
"However, the training is fun. We meet every morning at the Canterlot Plaza for training. I only wish I was as good as my comrades, however my friends keep telling me that my skill will improve with experience. Some joke that I just need the right incentive..." he sighed heavily, "Even so, it is still fun."

"What do you do during training?" Luna wanted to know. 

"Well, that changes constantly. We frequently do physical exercises to stay fit. There are also field days were we go through different scenarios to be prepared for any emergency. There is of course basic combat training, being armed and unarmed… oh and archery too. You can even do additional special training if you choose to specialize in a certain type of weapon. If you do your chances of being promoted increases."

"Do yo do that kind of training?" she asked. 

"Yes, in fact I do," he replied honestly. 

"What are you specializing in?" 

"Well, as you might know every Palace Guard needs to wield a pole-arm. When you apply as a Palace Guard you are asked what kind of weapon you want to use. Some prefer pole-axes, halberd and so on... Well I like the lance best."

"The lance? Why?" Luna asked, baffled. She never showed any interest to such topics before, but somehow she liked it when he explained it to her. Or maybe she didn't want him to leave just yet. He took his lance in both hooves and showed it to her. She craned her neck to have a closer look at it. To her it was just a pike on a long stick.

"A lance is a versatile weapon, if you got the right expertise. In my opinion it is a very elegant weapon which is light, fast and agile, but very deadly if the user knows how to wield it."

Luna lifted a brow and inspected the weapon once more with his explanation in mind. 
"Isn't it tiring when you have to carry your lance around all the time?" she wondered. 

"Well, yes it sure is. You must always hold it with either hoof or put it down. I guess it is intended so you always be ready in case of an attack, yet it is kinda unpractical if you need both hooves."

"Did you kill with it before?" she suddenly wanted to know, instantly regretting her question. 

"N- No, I didn't kill anypony yet and I hope that I will never have to... Did you?"

She pursed her lips and remained silent for a moment. 
"Unfortunately yes. I did when I was Nightmare Moon. I am not very proud of my actions."

Why she was that plain with him, Luna wondered. Not even her sister knew her deepest thoughts and secrets. But with him it felt like she could be the pony she was without holding back. She had showed him her ugly side yet he was still there, seemingly unafraid. He didn't judge her nor despise her even though she’d just told him the blunt truth. All she knew was that it felt good to talk about it with somepony. And awkward silence followed before he could change the subject.

"One day, I was patrolling in the royal library when one of your sister’s pupils came in acting like a spy! It was Dusk Shimmer... No, wait, was it Dawn Glitter?" he looked up to the ceiling, trying to remember the mare's name. "No, no, wait, Twilight Sparkle is her name... Yes, that’s it."

Luna's facial expression changed for a moment but he couldn't tell the emotion behind it.
"She wore a black suit," he continued, "and had that really crazy hairdo. My comrades and I still laugh about it when we see her. But please don't tell her or your sister."

"Of course, I won’t," Luna promised. Both of them began to laugh. He then looked out of the window and realized that it was almost afternoon. 

"Oh look at the time. You should get some rest now your high... I mean Princess Luna."

"Oh, yeah, I guess I have to." Luna sighed after looking at the clock. She rather wanted to continue talking to him but she knew that she had to get some sleep eventually.
"Will I see you tomorrow then?" she asked shyly. 

"If that's your wish it shall be my command," he replied, while bowing down.

Blood rushed into her cheeks but he didn't seem to notice, though. 

"Rest well, Princess Luna." 

"You too, Guard Diamond Sky." He hesitated for a moment before slipping out the door and closing it silently. Luna lay on her bed smiling. She never felt so happy for ages. Within only a few hours most of her doubts vanished and she didn't feel lonely anymore either. Finally, she’d gotten a friend. Still grinning, she fell asleep and got up later that day to do her duty.


*****


The next day, he was already waiting in front of her door as she entered the building. They conversed about many different things and Luna enjoyed every second of it.
"What is your goal in life?" she asked him. 

"Well, I've always dreamed to be somepony memorable. A hero ponies will remember even if I am long gone. I want to do something important so somepony will create an effigy of me. I know that sounds really childish..." he trailed off embarrassed, dodging her gaze. 

"No it really doesn't," Luna assured him smiling. He looked up at her again and continued:
"When I was a little colt, I wanted to become a knight so I could rescue a princess from a dragon... or something. Well, that is one reason why I became a Guard, I guess," he explained sheepishly. "Maybe someday I'll become the captain of the Royal Guard, just like commander Shining Armor. He truly is the best fighter I know and a very good strategist as well. He knows all the tricks and he is the most caring commander I've met so far. If I could be half as good as he is, it would be a dream."

"Is he really that great?" She only knew him by name and only saw him from afar a few times. She didn't know much about military operations, anyhow. 

"And what about you, my Princess? What is your goal in life?" he asked her curiously, looking at her face.

"Well that's the thing... I am not Nightmare Moon anymore, but I am not a filly either. So what should I do? I was gone for a thousand years. During my absence, my sister took over my duty of rising the moon and bringing night without fail. Taking over this job seems like a token gesture. If I vanish for another thousand years would anypony mind? Would anypony miss me? Celestia would raise the moon without flaws, like she did before."

"Well, at least I would miss you," he told her, delivering a soft smile. She looked into his golden eyes and chuckled. Somehow he always found the right words to cheer her up again. 
"Did you ever try to raise the sun by yourself?" he asked. 

"No, I didn't even try that once. Why do you ask?"

"I am only guessing here and I can hardly imagine what it's like to raise the sun or moon, but I guess it wouldn't be that easy for anypony who isn't used to it, would it?" 

"Well I don't know..." Luna’s voice trailed off. 

"Then, if I am correct, it must have been hard for your sister as well," the guard assumed.

"Hmm, it isn't that hard..." she slowly explained. 

"Not for you, because you are used to it. You have done it for ages. You are the Princess of the Moon, are you not? I can imagine that it must be very stressful for somepony who isn't used to it, even if she's as powerful as your sister."

"I don't know, maybe you are right...." Diamond Sky couldn’t overhear the doubt in her voice. 

"I don't think that she can stay up the entire day and night.. at least not for very long. Although being an Alicorn, she is only a pony, too. So either she went through a lot of trouble or she left the night unprotected. There hasn't been a single night court in like forever, as far as I can remember. I think both options weren't that great, but now you are back to lift half of the burden off her shoulders. And if that is the case, she certainly is very grateful that you’ve returned," he assumed.

"Maybe you should ask her how she felt back then," he suggested. Luna wasn't that sure about that though. She was still afraid of her own sister. She sighed. Of all those ponies, she as her own sister knew Celestia the least. She decided to speak with her as soon as they meet, so she could get to know her... again.

They kept talking about different things, until Diamond Sky left her room so she could take her afternoon nap. Later that night, she did her duties as usual and continued to clean up the mess her absence had created. When Celestia approached, Luna said to her:

"Big sister, can I try to raise the sun today?" 

"Well of course, but I’ll warn you, it isn’t as easy as it sounds," her sister replied, lifting a brow. 

"Please, let me try!" Luna begged.

"Well, okay then, go ahead," the older mare just said. Luna concentrated. She tried to do it like she would raise the moon, but nothing happened.

"You must focus more on the sun, my dear," Celestia told her encouragingly.
Luna tried her best and focused even harder. The sun felt extremely heavy and sluggish to her. Although she had managed to move it a bit above the horizon, she couldn't move it any further. She intensified her effort trying to get a good grasp of the sun with her magic. Sweat was on her forehead while she concentrated as hard as she could, but the sun just didn't budge. So Luna simply let go. 

"I - I can't do it!" she finally cried.

"Yes, it isn't that easy," Celestia lamented, nuzzling Luna. 

"But while I was gone, you raised the moon... how did you do it?" Luna asked, looking toward her with questioning eyes. 

"Well at first I couldn't. It took me several days to figure out how to do it. During that time the sun shone over Equestria for whole days straight. In the end, however, I managed to do it."

"Is raising the moon hard for you?" the indigo mare wanted to know. 

"Well I got used to it eventually, but still it is very stressful and exhausting. The moon feels that much different from my sun and also has quite a bit of stubbornness. I also tried to keep your stars in place, but as you might have noticed, I couldn't do it as good as you can. I guess I just don’t have the right knack of it, even after all those years."

"You mean you are glad that I returned?" Luna asked, teary-eyed. 

"Yes, yes of course. But not only because you move the moon with ease, but because you are my little sister and I love you. I missed you through all of these years, and I’m very glad to have you back, my dear," the Sun-Princess gently said.

"I felt very lonely as if a piece of me was missing. I really hated myself for banishing you. I asked myself many times if it was the right thing to do, but your other self left me no choice. Even after all those years I never found a less extreme solution," she said gloomy. She then looked her little sister in the eyes and hugged her.

"I am so sorry, Luna. I am so glad to finally have you back. If you are unhappy about anything, please speak with me. I promise to give you the attention you need and deserve. I am so happy to have you back."

Celestia's embrace became tighter as tears streamed down her cheeks with her sister hugging her back. Luna felt as if her heart got released from rusty shackles. Ever since her return, she feared that Celestia might send her back to the moon again. Hearing this, however, she was utterly convinced that this was unlikely to happen. Nightmare Moon was gone and with her went all the reasons for a second banishment. In addition Celestia couldn't move the moon with ease like she had always thought.

"I am very happy to be back myself, big sister. Do you think I can raise the sun someday by on my own?" 

"Well, yes, I think you can, with enough practice... but remember, the sun is much bigger than the moon, so it won't be as easy as you might think."

This was such a relief. Diamond Sky has been right all along. She decided to tell him the next time they meet.


***

> Chapter 2: The old wound
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 2: The old wound




"Today I tried to raise the sun, but I failed," Luna told the armored colt as he entered her room. "You were right about my sister. She had problems doing my job. She admitted, that she is glad to have me back and she told me that she loves me. I am so happy now."

"That's good to hear, Princess," he said. He was really delighted for her and he loved to see her smile. He leaned his lance against the wall near the bulky bedroom door and followed the princess's motion to sit next to her on her king-size canopy bed.

"By the way... I wonder what it was like to be banished to the moon?" he asked himself loudly his legs dangling in the air. Suddenly her joyful smile faded. Her face turned ash-gray like his coat.

"I - I do not wish to talk about it," she mumbled. "Please don't ask me again."

"OK, OK, I am sorry. I promise I won't ask again," he quickly added. He knew that he had hit a nerve and made a mental memo to not talk about that subject again.

"So you said your ancestors served the Royal Guard for ages?" she asked him after some time of silence.

"Yes, it's all true," he answered in a raspy voice to cheer her up. It seemed to work since she tilted her head and smiled.

"Even back in the days before I got banished?"

"Well I don't know... but I would assume.. yes," he mumbled unsure while scratching the back of his head.

"I wonder if I knew your ancestor, back then."

"Possibly." He went silent as he looked up at the canopy of her bed. It was a bluish purple fabric embroidered with stars and planets of different sizes and colors.
"So what are you doing during daytime when you are not sleeping?" he asked her after a moment.

"Hmm... not much. I brush my mane, listen to music."

"All day long?" he asked lifting a brow.

"My mane doesn't look as shiny and sparkling all by itself, you know," she winked at him.

"Now that you mention it, it does look very shiny and beautiful," he remarked, giving her mane a scrutinizing look. She blushed, turning her face away.
"Are you meeting other Ponies too?" he quickly asked, to make her feel comfortable again.

"No I am not. Most of the palace staff is still afraid of me and avoid my presence. You are in fact the first pony I can idly chat with beside my sister," she replied with a frown.

"So you never left the palace during the past few months?" he asked her frowning.

"No, I've never tried to leave this place. I am scared that the ponies won't like me. Also I am scared to go alone. What if they want retribution for the things I have done in the past?" Luna pursed her lips and stared at the polished marble tiles of her bedroom.

“No wonder that your subjects don’t know you,” he chuckled lightly.
"I don't think that anypony wants to harm you, Princess. I even dare to say that they would like you for who you are, if they just get to know you. See, this is even  more evidence that you and Nightmare Moon have nothing in common. She intimidated whole cities as far as I know..."

"Yes she did," the Princess mumbled, ashamed.

" - Without caring for anypony or being scared of anything," he continued.

The Princess remained silent. Then she bit her lip before saying:
"Still, I was gone too long. What if I make a fool of me. Much has changed and I am afraid I forgot how to get to know ponies..."

"Well if you ask me, I think your shyness is kinda sweet. It reminds me of a pony, a friend of mine mentioned. She is very shy too, but it is said that she is the most caring pony in Equestria. However I never met that mare, personally."

Her cheeks reddened again. They kept on talking about random stuff and after some time, Luna said Goodbye and the gray colt left as quietly as usual.When she met her sister on that tower like every evening, Celestia only smiled at her.

"Did you sleep well, beloved, sister?" the older Alicorn asked.

"Why yes, yes I did!" Luna answered, delivering a broad smile to her sister. The sun Princess returned the smile delighted.

"That's good to hear. It will help with your royal chores tomorrow."

"Chores?! What chores?" Luna asked, alarmed.

"Well tomorrow is Court Day. Our subjects are allowed to request or suggest things and we mediate disputes and so on. It is your duty as Princess of Equestria to be present. Also, this is a good chance for our citizens to get to know you better." She nodded and flew away.



Luna was shocked. How could she forget audience day? She won't be able to meet up with Diamond Sky, because she would be in the throne room all day long. She raised the moon, like every evening since her return, but she was very disappointed.

The next day was as boring as expected. There were two ponies who couldn't agree on a name about something with cherries. "Cherrychanga" or "Chimmycherry". So they decided to let the Princess chose a name. Lucky for Luna it was her sister who had to choose a name, since Luna thought that both names sucked. 

There were countless nobles she had to greet. Then Shining Armor, the commander of the Royal Guards, stated his weekly report. Boring stuff about numbers of ponies who got sick lately and the general morale of the troops and so on. Luna always peered over at the guards and hoped to see Diamond Sky somewhere among them, but she knew that he was probably guarding her room right now. Hours of hours she spent in the throne room, doing her duty. To pass the time, she inspected the Guards standing next to the doors and what weapons they carried, but that couldn't distract her very long. It felt like ages, before the last visitor left the palace and it was almost nighttime and time for her to do her nightly job. She was so pissed.

She did her job, without much pleasure and returned to her room. She then heard the sound a guard makes when he takes his place in front of her door.

"Hey Diamond Sky," she called in anticipation. Nothing happened.

"Diamond Sky come in, please," she called a bit louder.
A knock and the door got opened. An unfamiliar guard in the familiar dark metal armor entered

"Do you request something, your highness?" he asked starchy.

"What about that other guard, who was here yesterday?" she asked the stranger.

"It is Monday, your highness... he was displaced to the outer walls as far as I know."

"When will he be back here?" she asked disappointed, but tried her best to hide her true feelings from that other guard.

"Next week, I think, your highness. Do you need anything, your highness?"

"Bring me a glass of water, please," she waved a hoof, quickly losing any interest in that guard.

"At once, your highness!" he replied starchy saluting her before he turned to leave the room. She only ordered it to not draw any unnecessary attention. He came back with a glass of water and put it on her bedroom table.

"Anything else you need, your highness?" the guard asked, trying to be gallant.

"No, that would be everything. Please let us rest now," she told him with a beckon with one hoof.

"Of course, your highness!" he said, then turned around and marched to the door.

He slipped out the door and shut it loudly. Luna didn't like that guard, she decided. He acted so starchy and he shut the door like a castle gate - not half as gently as Diamond did. She didn't like him because he wasn't Diamond Sky. She was very tired because of the long day in the throne room and her night shift, so she just slept through most of the rest of the day and did her job in the evening.

The next day, she took only a short nap and got up much earlier than usual. The indigo-coated mare prepared herself and then left her room, flying to the Canterlot Plaza. Diamond Sky said that they train there every morning. The place was crowded with guards who all looked the same. 

Some hit wooden training-dummies, some practiced one on one combat and some marched in formation across the plaza. She saw Shining Armor in a corner, instructing his officers. He was the only guard she knew by name except Diamond Sky. He wore a violet armor and a big helmet with blue feathers. She flew some circles but couldn't spot her friend. Frustrated, she returned to her room, and the starchy guard saluted her as she walked by.

She wasted some time doing nothing. She was bored but couldn’t think of anything to do. She then had an idea. Diamond Sky told her that all his ancestors were members of the Royal Force by some degree, so she went to the royal library for some research. Another unfamiliar guard equipped with a pole-axe was standing before it.

"Take me to the wing with ancestral charts and pedigree files," she ordered.

"Of course, your highness. Please, follow me," the guard replied politely. He wore a golden armor with the crest of her sister on his chest.

"Are you a private guard of my sister?" she asked the golden armored guard, while walking.

"Yes I am, M'lady, I am a proud member of the 'Solar Flares'. I was promoted for outstanding discipline. See that sun crest? It's the crest of the Solar Flares, Princess Celestia's elite guards.

"Can I have a special elite guard too?" she asked the golden one.

"Err... I don't know. Maybe you should talk to Commander Shining Armor about it," he suggested.

"But why does a Solar Flare like you guard the Royal Library?" she asked him irritated.

"Princess Celestia said, that wisdom is the most precious good in Equestria and this library contains thousands of unique books and scrolls. Her highness ordered that this library should always be protected, no matter the cost".

She thanked the golden one for his guidance and dismissed him after entering the library wing. The room was huge. Long lines of high wooden bookshelves covered the place. Those shelves contained ancient looking tomes, stacks of scrolls and countless files of different thicknesses. She noticed that everything was very tidy, since she couldn’t find any dust on any shelves. The caretaker must be a very pedantic keeper. Some ponies are just obsessed about books, she thought to herself.

She spent some time, looking for a book that shows the list of guards over the centuries. She looked in different books, but couldn't find a hint of a relation to Diamond Sky. After some hours of searching, she had to take a break and follow her daily duty. She told the library caretaker, an old and wise pony with a long, gray beard wearing a red robe, that she will return the next day. She returned to her room, still with that other guard in front of the door. Again he saluted as she entered her room.

She hadn't had any bad dream ever since she met Diamond Sky but that day she had one. It was different from the one where she got banished to the moon though. She was in a huge room crowded with ponies and she sat in the middle on a golden throne in a spotlight. She tried to talk to the other ponies, but they ignored her. She even saw Diamond Sky among the other random ponies. One after another the other ponies vanished and she was left alone on her throne. Even Diamond vanished... She was alone.

Luna awoke with tears in her eyes. She didn't know if she had made a sound but the other guard didn't seem to make any move. She was glad, because she didn't want that other starched pony to see her tears. Later that day she did her job as usual, finally finishing the rearranging of her constellations. Satisfied she glared at her nightsky and smiled. 
That satisfaction, however, didn’t last that long as she realized that she hadn't anything else to do anymore. Standing on the tower balcony she looked down at Canterlot. It was the middle of the night and there wasn’t anypony on the streets anymore. The last light had been switched off hours ago since almost everypony was sleeping at this hour. Staring down at the desolated city Luna felt the old wound again. The pain of being redundant and not wanted. In the end nothing had changed, she thought. 

She spread her wings and jumped off the balcony. She flew some circles over the empty streets, but nopony was in sight. She spotted some Royal Guards standing at their posts along the walls but they either didn’t see her or pretended to not see her. She flew a curve and crossed the city’s border now flying towards Ponyville, but the general picture remained the same. Nopony was in sight, all lights were switched off and she could hear the snoring of the ponies inside the houses when she swooped past their windows. There was a lonely lamppost standing on the Ponyville plaza, trying its best to fight off the darkness. Its attempts had attracted a couple of moths that swarmed around the artificial light source. Luna landed quietly next to that lamppost and watched the insects for a moment. 

Luna felt strangely connected to those insects. Like herself they were trying their best, reaching out for something they can see, but never reach. Kicking off and flapping her wings she then moved on towards the Apple Family’s orchard. Even the animals were sleeping, she noticed. She then spotted a fox lurking in the high grass. Interested she flew closer and landed on a nearby cloud. Keeping her distance to not startle him she watched him from above how he prowled the orchard, looking for a late night snack. It wasn’t hard for her to keep track of him since her moon illuminated the area with a pale white light. She spent a while watching the fox, but soon he decided that he wouldn’t catch anything at this late hour and called it a day. Luna’s eyes followed him to his den where he vanished in a hole under a tree.

She looked around, but couldn’t spot anything else of interest. With a mixture of loneliness and boredom she returned to the balcony in Canterlot. Even the wind seemed to avoid her presence it seemed. Luna felt lonely again. A couple of eventless hours later she saw her sister approaching her. Celestia’s smile was replaced by a concerned expression as she saw the sadness on Luna’s face.

“Luna, my dear, what is the matter?” she asked caringly. Luna slowly turned towards her and replied in a saddened tone:

“I am happy to be back, sister. I truly am. But tonight I noticed that even after one thousand years, nothing has changed.” Luna turned her head away casting her glance over the desolate streets. Celestia followed her glare and frowned.

“I rule over the night, yet there isn’t anything to rule. What sense is there being the protector of the night if nothing needs protection?” Luna swiftly pulled her head around and stared into her sister’s eyes. The worry in Celestia’s heart deepend seeing her sister’s unhappiness in liquid form.

“You asked me to tell you whenever I feel unhappy.. right now I feel so redundant, Tia.” Celestia took two quick steps towards her and pulled her into a tender embrace. 

“Oh, Luna you are not redundant. You are the co-ruler of this beautiful country and you are my sister. You are loved by many, especially by me...”

Luna pulled away from her and yelled:

“That is not enough! What is a pony without a purpose? What is a pony without a goal in life?”

Celestia tried to hug her again, but Luna turned her head away defiantly. Celestia sighed before she whispered:

“I know how it must feel to you. It is only natural for ponies to sleep during the night..”

“I know, but still!” Luna interrupted her.

“... but there is a way you can still influence them, shape them, protect them even when they are sleeping,” Celestia continued. Surprised, Luna turned her head towards her sister again and whispered:

“How?”

“Starswirl the Bearded developed a spell a couple of years after your - ” Celestia hesitated before she spoke the actual word, “...banishment. It was intended as a way to talk to you during your time on the moon but it turned out that neither his nor my magic could reach you. The moon was just too far away, however, the spell worked just as intended on other ponies in Equestria. He was able to shift his spiritual presence into the realm between realities… in other words he was able to enter other ponies’ dreams while they were sleeping.”

Luna’s eyes widened. 
“The ability to see and even manipulate other ponies dreams.. their deepest desires, their suppressed emotions… It is a power beyond anything else,” Celestia continued. “It can change a pony entirely and that is why it is a forbidden magic. Neither Starswirl nor I had the necessary sensitivity to use that power properly, thus that spell was never used again. But Luna, I think that you do have the necessary sensitivity that I lack.”

“Ponies are vulnerable in their dreams. They need peace during their sleep or something bad might happen to them. They might need protection and guidance in the realm of dreams. I could teach you that spell. You could watch over them, making sure that they rest in peace. You could encourage shy ponies to use their talents, or you could convey comfort to sad ponies, or even lecture them or inspire them… all in their sleep. Moreover, you could enter the dreams of criminals before they actually commit their crimes and show them better ways of handling their lives. You’ll have more insight of our subjects and become more powerful than any other pony in Equestria, including me. It is a great responsibility and you may view it as my proof of how much I trust you, little sister. 
Do you want this responsibility? Do you think you can handle it?” Luna’s throat was dry. Celestia looked at her with a stern expression. Hoarsely she replied:

“I need to think about this…” Celestia’s stern expression softened and turned into a smile. “That is a very mature answer, Luna. It shows me that you are aware of the responsibility.” 

Luna remained silent pondering about Celestia’s offer. Should she really accept and learn how to spirit walk other ponies’ dreams, she wondered. She wasn’t sure if she could handle such responsibility. Celestia thought that Luna was the right pony, having the right traits for that job, but she wasn’t that sure about it. On the other hoof she would be given a purpose. Luna always wanted to be someone that influenced and inspired her subjects, more than anything. If the chips were down she could simply not do it again if she couldn’t handle that pressure.

“Do you really think that I got what it takes?” she asked Celestia, unsure. Her sister only nodded as a respond. “OK, then teach me that ability, please...” Celestia smiled at her. Since not everypony had gotten up at that early hour, the both of them spent some hours practicing that spell. Realizing what great impact such an ability bears, Luna decided to only spectate other ponies and to only interfere if necessary. Her night shift and the complex spell training took their toll though, so Luna had to give in to her tiredness eventually. 

The next day she got up later than normal and spent her free time in the library again. Around afternoon, she found an ancient document about a guard named Stronghold, who apparently lived about one thousand years ago. According to the text, he had been a commander or one of the higher officers. The document was very old and dusty and at some points she couldn't even read the writing. A drawing was attached to it though: the pony was a proud male unicorn wearing an old-fashioned armor, but his eyes looked like Diamond Sky’s...


***


The following day, there was a party in the Canterlot Gardens for a noble count who was somehow related to her, but Luna didn't know in what fashion nor did she care. Apparently he’d gotten married to another noble pony she didn't know either. She, as a Princess and his relative, had to be present and just as expected, it was such a bore. Some noble colts tried to dance with her, but she refused politely, being not in the mood. During the party, she saw Shining Armor in his celebration suit, a red vest with many medals attached to his chest. Luna thought that she liked his purple armor better, because purple and blue had always been her favorite colors. She trotted towards him and greeted him.

"Oh, your highness, Princess Luna, what a delight meeting you," He was such an apple polisher, but she liked him somehow. He was indeed like Diamond Sky described him: tall, brave, clever, charming. He looked good too.

"You are the Lord Commander of all Canterlot troops, is this correct?" she wanted to know. 

"Yes indeed, your highness," he replied being in a good mood. 

"I recently learned that my sister has a special guard team, the 'Solar Flares'. Am I allowed to have one too?" she asked him, while examining his medals.

"Oh yes, I guess, If your sister has no objection of course. But I doubt she would." He laughed winsomely. "By the way, the Wonderbolts are another special team of your highness's sister." he added, trying to do some conversation. 

"Ah yes, I met Soarin and Spitfire at the Galloping Gala," she explained, still distracted by his badges.

"May I suggest ponies for your new team?" he offered. 

"Did you suggest ponies to my sister too?" she asked him warily. 

"No, Princess Celestia picked her team personally. However, I would have agreed with her choice, if she had asked me. She picked very fine ponies."

"Then I will pick my champions personally too," she decided. 

"As you wish. However, you will need a crest to award your champions with."

"Thank you, commander. I will think about it. If you will excuse me, I need to talk to my sister now."

"Always a pleasure M'lady." He smiled at her and stepped out of her way.

She trotted away, finding her sister surrounded by noble unicorns, having a conversation. She could see that it must be a very boring one because her sister used her faked smiling face. She saw it dozens of times... the last time at the "Grand Galloping Gala", where she had to greet countless ponies. The Gala itself must have been a blast because when she returned from her daily duty the whole ballroom had become just smoke and haze. She heard that a pegasus accidentally kicked the pillars of the ballroom, which then crashed down leaving a terrible mess. An earth pony disturbed the band and another pony chased animals in the Canterlot Garden... it sounded like a lot of fun. Too bad she had missed the best parts.
She greeted the noble ponies around her sister as she approached.

" - and that’s why I love Manehatten so much, it has the best fashion show in all of Equestria..." a female unicorn with an orange coat, wearing an expensive-looking dress had just said when Luna stepped near. 

"Excuse me, fillies and gentlecolts, may I have a quick word with my sister?" she politely interrupted the conversation.

"Princess Luna, a pleasure meeting you again," another male noble Unicorn said.
Luna knew that pony from the Court Day when she greeted him but she couldn't recall his name. "Of course you may, Princess," a third noble pony said. The group of noble ponies moved over to another group and quickly started a chit chat with the newlywed bride. Luna and Celestia, however, walked some steps in the other direction.

"Luna, my dear, are you enjoying the party?" Celestia kindly asked. 

"Well yes, it's a blast," her younger sister replied with a remarkable tone of sarcasm in her voice.
"I met with the Lord Commander of the Royal Guards and he told me I need your allowance if I want to form my own special group like your Solar Flares. Am I allowed to recruit ponies for my own private team?”

"Oh Luna, you don't need my allowance to form a team or any other things you deem wise since we are both equal. You are a ruler of Equestria just as I am. For your request... well, I don't know, leading a team brings some major responsibilities you know? You have to chose wisely and you need to promote and lead them all by yourself." Luna nodded. “Why do you need your own team anyway?" Celestia asked curiously.

"I think it is bad that the guards around me change all the time and how should I trust a pony I never spoke to before? Even if so, they are replaced or absent on a regular basis. I would feel much safer with guards that stay at my side. Also they could protect me when I travel to different cities or meet with the local citizens."

"So you are planning to travel around, meeting our subjects?" the elder pony asked, lifting an eyebrow. 

"Well... maybe not right now, but someday I certainly will..." she answered raggedly.

"That is great news, little sister. I was kind of worried that you spent all your time in your room alone. It is not good for a pony to be all alone you know? And I support your decision, meeting our subjects, so of course you are allowed to form a team if it helps you feeling safe," her sister said, hugging her. 

"Oh thank you big sister," Luna happily yelled, returning the hug.

"Well I guess I have to get back to the party now - " Celestia said craning her neck and taking a deep breath. 

"Aren't you enjoying the party, my dear?" Luna asked, imitating Celestia's voice. 

"Well yes it is a blast..." the Sun Princess replied, with the same sarcastic tone Luna had used before and they both laughed.

"It is good to see you laughing again, my dear. Lately you seem much more relaxed than a few weeks before. Whatever you are doing, keep on doing it, please," the white mare cheerfully said while going back to the group of nobles she was talking to before "I will try..." Luna whispered to herself.

The blue Princess returned to her seat. Another stallion asked for a dance, but again she politely refused with a charming smile on her face. The party lasted into the night so Luna rose the moon and left the party to take her place. When she returned to her room she felt so tired. She lay on her bed but couldn't sleep at the moment. She was very excited thinking what Diamond Sky would say when he returned to her.

"But what if he refuses?" she suddenly thought. "Maybe he doesn't like me at all and only talked to me to kill time or to gain certain advantages..." 
Her happiness faded and was replaced by doubts. She eventually fell asleep shortly after, but the doubts didn’t disappear. She had the same dream she’d had before, with the ponies who ignore her, but this time she begged Diamond Sky to stay at her side. He refused her pleads and told her that he didn't like her and he only used her so his job wouldn't be that boring anymore. Then he vanished as well, just like the other ponies did.

She spent the next day in her room, singing the blues. If somepony had asked her what she did all day long she couldn't answer that because she didn't know herself. Time rushed by in a flash and she got herself ready to do her job once more. When meeting her sister on the tower she asked her:

"Did you know a Guard named Stronghold? He lived about one thousand years ago, back when I became Nightmare Moon." The smile of her sister’s face faded for a moment, but returned shortly after. 

"No, I don't know anypony with that name," she replied, while her gaze wandered into the far distance as if she was inspecting something behind Luna’s shoulder.

Luna could tell that she lied to her because she used her faked smiling face. Other ponies couldn't tell the difference, but she knew her sister better than anypony else. "Never mind..." she quickly added, "I wish you a good night, big sister."

"Good night, my dear," Celestia said still with her poker face up, when she flew away. 

"There must be a secret she doesn't want me to know..." Luna thought to herself. The next day Luna visited the library once more. She wrote a letter and asked the caretaker to deliver it for her:

Dear Ms. Sparkle,
I have heard that you are very familiar with the ancient history of Equestria. I need you to give me every piece of information you can find about a member of the royal guard named Stronghold who lived about 1,000 years ago. This is a very important task and I hope you do your best to serve your Princess. I command you to not speak about it with anypony, not even my sister.
Luna, Princess of the Night.

She sat on a chair in the library and waited. After half an hour of waiting for an answer, the old caretaker walked over to her and silently handed a book to her. Surprised she blinked at him, but he only smiled. It was a Daring Do novel: ‘Daring Do and the Starlight Lance’. Luna had heard about Daring Do before, but never read her novels. 

Luna read the story’s summary printed on the back of the cover. Obviously some villain named Ahuizotl had managed to obtain an ancient artifact that enabled him to summon evil nightmare spirits into the realm of ponykind. Daring Do’s mission was to find a holy weapon that can dispel the nightmares to save the world. Luna decided to start reading while waiting. A few hours later, Luna being riveted by the book, was gently touched on her shoulder by the caretaker again and he delivered a letter from Twilight Sparkle.

Dear Princess Luna,
I did as you asked me and looked up several books of ancient history. Information about him isn't easy to find, but a guard with the name of Stronghold did actually exist. He was the right-hoof of the commander and second in command of the Royal Guards back then. As a guard you must swear an oath, to protect the Princess of Equestria in any situation of danger. 
But it is not said which Princess you have to defend if there would ever be a rift between the two Princesses. When Nightmare Moon rebelled against Princess Celestia almost everypony sided with Celestia. Stronghold, however, was the only pony that sided with Nightmare Moon. He faced his comrades and even defended Nightmare Moon against Celestia’s magic. He then was accidentally hit by a ricochet and suffered a mortal wound when Celestia used the Elements of Harmony to banish Nightmare Moon to the moon. He was marked a traitor and most records about the incident were destroyed. I'm afraid this is everything I could find out about him.
Yours faithfully,
Twilight Sparkle

She read the letter again... and again. 
"Diamond’s ancestor got killed because he was trying to defend me," she thought, feeling a deep sorrow. She remembered that there had been that one pony who had jumped in front of her to shield her from her sister's magic. Back then she didn't care about him since to Nightmare Moon he had been just another peasant that needed to be sacrificed. Thinking about that incident, it felt like a half forgotten dream to her. She felt bad because he lost his life because of her but she was touched that he had chosen her over her sister.

"So Diamond Sky and I already had a connection before we even met." She burned the letter in a chimney fire and left the library. She also rented the book she was reading before, so she could read the rest of it another time. Back in her room, she drew several sketches of a crest her guard should receive using her horn. She didn't like most designs she drew but in the end she came up with one she was very pleased with. It was a winged crescent moon, upside down with elongated white star above it. She was going to call her new team ‘Starlancers’, inspired by the holy weapon Daring Do was sent to obtain. 

> Chapter 3: Fealty with love, valor and honor
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 3: Fealty with love, valor and honor


Looking at the clock, Luna noticed that it was time again. She left her room to bring the night once more. When she returned to her room the next morning, she put on some music and threw herself on the bed. Somepony knocked on the door, but she didn't hear it because of the loudness of the music. It knocked again.

"Excuse me, am I allowed to enter?" a familiar voice said. She winced as she heard somepony talking to her and quickly turned off the music. A well-known guard was standing in the open door way.

"Diamond?" she asked unsure. 
"Eeyup, it's me," the stallion replied in a goofy way.
"Where did you come from all of a sudden? You startled me."

"It is Sunday, silly. I thought I let you know, that I am guarding you once more. I am sorry I startled you, Princess," he said smiling. 

"So... you missed me then?" she nervously asked, curling her mane around one hoof absentmindedly. 

"Duh! Of course I did. I really enjoyed our time together. Did you miss me, too?" he asked her with a slightly alarming sound in his voice.

"Yes - yes I missed you too," she replied shyly, her cheeks slightly reddening.
She was very relieved to hear that he had indeed missed her. An uncomfortable silence followed for a few moments until he asked:

"Sooo... What were you listening to before I entered?"

"Just now I was listening to Octavia's “Suit number 7”..."

"Octavia? That Cellopony from the Royal Orchestra? I met her once... she seems nice, but a bit stuck-up." He lifted his head, rising his nose as high as he could, obviously trying to imitate the pony in question. Luna chuckled lightly which caused him to beam at her.
"Yes, she does music on her own and often collaborates with other ponies. She even wrote a song for me..."

"She wrote a song for you? Wow! But I guess this happens all the time to a Princess, doesn't it?"

"No, she was the first..." Luna started but trailed off. 
"But of course there will be more soon." Diamond finished her sentence with a smirk. "The beauty and grace of a Princess are always a popular topic of songs and art," he told her and grinned. She turned away so he wouldn't see her embarrassment. "So what else?" he asked.

"If I am up to something faster, I enjoy songs of Vinyl Scratch, I even got the newest album."

"Vinyl Scratch? Never heard that name before," he scratched his head with his hoof. 
"Her alias is ‘DJ Pon-3’," Luna added lifting a brow. How couldn’t he know about Vinyl Scratch? It was one of the first names she got to know after her return.

"Ohhh her... yes I know her. She did a concert in Canterlot, about a month ago, didn't she? Isn't she in a relationship with a stallion, what was his name again?"

"She was, but they broke up recently for whatever reason. I don't know why. She seems to be very close friends with Octavia though." So the chit-chat she had picked up at the wedding had its use after all. 
"I guess he couldn't stand all the bass wubs all day long," he said, grinning. Both ponies burst into laughter.

"It's good to have you back, I was very lonely the last week. Err... I mean... that other guard annoyed me, being so starchy - " she said turning her head and watched him out of the corner of her eye. 
"Ah, he isn't that bad.. just a bit over the edge every now and then," he tried to defend his comrade.

"That reminds me... I have a surprise for you!" she yelled and jumped onto her hooves. She trotted to her desk and showed him her drawings. "It looks nice... what is it?" he asked, while viewing the pictures.
"It's a crest for my new private team," she proudly said.

"A private team?" he asked while taking another close look at the drawings, clearly amazed.

"Yes, like my sister’s Solar Flares... you know those with the golden armor."

"Oh yeah, I know those. I always admired their splendor - " his eyes became dreamy for a moment. 

"I am very proud to say that I want you to be the first member of the 'Starlancers'," she said, beaming brightly.

“Yeah right… Wait what?!” He looked at her in shock and his mouth dropped open. Luna continued to stare at him, still smiling. "A - are you serious?!" he asked speechless.

"Well yes of course. If you accept, I will get you a new armor and you have to wear my crest. You will be my private champion and you will have to obey all of my commands and protect me from any danger and stuff."

"But why me?" he suddenly wondered after a moment of thinking. "You’ve only known me for a few days. How do you know that you can trust me with bearing such a position if you don't even know about my capabilities? It is safe to say, that you don't know me at all."

"It is true, I haven't seen you in action, yet. However, you were the first pony who cared about me and you were the first who wasn't afraid of me. You gave me some very helpful advice and made my life much more pleasant than it has been before. So that makes you courageous, sensitive and smart on my list. I know that I can trust you and that you will always support me, because I've seen it in your eyes. Even if it turns out that you aren't the best fighter, I know that you will always strive to get better."

She noticed the confused expression on his face and quickly explained:
"The way you spoke about your lance and why you've chosen it showed me your devotion and determination. It may sound strange, but I've got a feeling that the two of us are bound by fate."

Several moments passed with him just standing next to her, staring in her face flabbergasted. "It seems you actually DO know me... maybe even better than I know myself," he muttered slowly regaining his composure again.

Luna gave him a winning smile. "In this case it would be an honor, M’lady," he bowed down effusively in front of her. 

"Then come, we shall inform Shining Armor about it," the Princess decided. He followed her through the doorways into the yard. On their way he asked:
"Why Starlancer?"

"Well, I’ve read that book and... I just like the sound of the name. It sounds so brave and noble. The white star on my crest... it actually represents you. I remembered that you liked lances and I imagined you charging an enemy with one."

"So you put a lot of thought into this, didn't you?" he smirked at her. 

"Well yes, of course," she said, while trotting next to him through the long castle corridors. 
Diamond looked at the old paintings that decorated the walls of the corridors. Seeing the heroes and knights displayed on those paintings he thought to himself: “Soon I’ll be one of you, too…”

After a quite long walk and after leaving the castle’s main building via a side entrance, they stopped in front of a durable building with wooden training-dummies alongside the wall. The crest of the canterlotian guard has been painted onto the sturdy wooden door. Diamond Sky chivalrously opened the door to the barracks for her, using his magic. They met Shining Armor in his office, while he inspected several maps on his desk.

"Commander Shining Armor, I have a request to relate," the noble pony said gracefully. He looked up from his maps, slightly bowed down and replied:

"Your Highness, what a surprise. I didn't expect you to come here. How can I serve you?"

"I want you to know and acknowledge that this guard here will join my newly formed team 'the Starlancers'," she said pointing at Diamond Sky. 

"Him? But he is quite young, has not much experience and lacks combat expertise. May I suggest you other ponies that are more suitable for such a position?" the commander replied in surprise.

"No, we want him!" she said in her Royal Equestrian Voice. 

"Do you agree with this, Corporal Diamond Sky?" he asked, turning to the stallion. 

"Yes, Commander!" Diamond replied forcing himself to remain calm and collected although he was bursting with happiness on the inside.

"Well congratulations Corporal. It seems you got promoted by no other than the Princess herself. How could I refuse your request, your highness?" Shining Armor said smiling, turning back to Luna. "Did he swear his oath yet, your Highness?"

"No, he didn't." She turned around tensing up. She then looked at Diamond with a stern gaze. Diamond Sky took off his helm and knelt down before the Princess. This was the first time she saw his mane, she noticed. He had a dashing hair cut and his mane was silver colored with purple streaks, resembling his tail. Focusing on the actual vow she cleared her throat.

"Guard Diamond Sky, do you swear fealty and service to Princess Luna? Do you swear to speak and to be silent, to do and to let be, to come and to go, in need or plenty, in peace or war, in living or dying, from this hour henceforth, until I as Princess of the Night release you, or death take you, or the world end? Do you swear that you will always be faithful, loyal and honorable towards me and the ponies of Equestria?" she asked him in a serious tone.

"I swear!" he solemnly whispered and Shining Armor nodded his approval. 

"Fealty with love, valor and honor. Night bless you, Diamond Sky. Now raise and be reborn as first of the Starlancers," she ordered him with a gesture of her hoof. He got back on his hooves and smiled like he never smiled before. He looked his new mistress into the eyes, grabbed her hoof kissing it while bowing to her. 
He had never felt that happy before. Shining Armor stepped near and patted his shoulder, felicitating him, but he didn't even notice, since he was in a trance of perfect satisfaction. His new mistress beckoned him to follow her, which he was very keen to do.

That smile still stayed on, while Luna and he left the barracks and crossed the yard. After a short while of silent walking they heard the rhythmic sound of hammering as they approached the Royal Forge. The sound got louder with every step before they entered the building. This was the first time Luna visited the forge and she was quite surprised to see a minotaur working on a glowing piece of steel using a hefty iron hammer. He didn't seem to notice their arrival, so Luna cleared her throat and addressed him saying:

"Excuse me, are you the Royal Blacksmith?" Slightly startled, he turned around and blinked as he noticed who had addressed him and bowed to her. 

“Oi! Yer grace whata pleasure. Aye, Ah'm the Royal Blacksmith. Iron Fist's the name. Well, what can ah do fer ya, ya grace?" He stepped near  after he put away the hefty hammer he had used before.

He was indeed a Minotaur. A bulky bovine walking on two hooves almost twice the height of Luna. He had a dark gray fur, long curved horns and a golden ring in his nose. He wore a brown dirty leather apron and his arm muscles were almost as thick as Luna's head.

"Don't mind me asking, but why is a minotaur like you working in the Royal Forge?" Luna asked curiously. 

"Heh, nah ah don't mind at'all," he replied with a chuckle, cleaning his massive hands using a rag he had taken from a pocket of his apron. He had a foreign accent, sounding almost like growling and he rolled the R exceptionally strongly. Obviously he wasn't from around Canterlot.

"Ya see, ever since ah was a lil' calf, Ah wanted ter become a blacksmith, but back in Glasscow there wasn't any ter teach me. No sir, so me an' me brother Iron Will came ter Canterlot ter make a fortune ‘ere."

"Iron Will? I've heard that name before. Isn't he a popular trainer offering assertiveness seminars?" Diamond piped up. 

"Aye lad, he is. He's always been more skillful with 'is tongue than 'is arms. In fact, it'as him who encouraged me ter come here in the first place. Ah then took over the forge, when master Sledge Hammer retired. Oi, but enough of me, yer certainly didn't come ter hear me life story, eh?"

He burst into a short hearty laughter sounding like an avalanche. Luna knew that Glasscow was one of the major cities in the Minotaur Empire overseas. The city was well known for its crystal glass and general glass art made by local glassblowers. Luna was frequently awe-struck whenever she saw the marvelous mosaic windows the minotaur had created for the Canterlot palace. It astonished her that such bulky creatures could create such delicate and filigran masterpieces. She cleared her throat again and spoke up to the minotaur as his laughter faded:

"I need you to craft an armor for this stallion. And you need to craft this crest for him too. He'll also need a new lance. Here are the designs." She lifted her wing and several rolled up scrolls with her drawings fell to the ground. Iron Fist stepped near to pick them up. He then unrolled them to have a look at what she was talking about. She watched his eyes fly over the drawings and his slight nodding. He then quinnied his eyes, probably to measure Diamonds body size. She gave him another moment to go over all the designs before she asked:

"How long will it take you to craft those items?"

"Ah shall be finish'd by tomorro’, yer grace," he replied in his funny accent. 

"Excellent, you may begin, Blacksmith!" Luna said pleased. She bid Iron Fist Goodbye and left the forge, closely followed by Diamond.

Back in Luna's room he couldn't hold on to it anymore:
"Wow, I can't believe it. You just promoted me… just like that, I am important now. You are so generous - how can I ever repay you? Ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh! Did you see Shining Armor's face? Priceless!" he jumped around in excitement.

"Behave yourself Starlancer, remember you are an important dignitary now," Luna said faking an angry expression.

"Herm... Of course you are right. I am just so excited. Forgive me mistress. What will happen next?" he asked curiously after taking several deep breaths. "Well tomorrow we will get your new set of armor. You will officially come into office, once you are equipped properly," she yawned "but for now I am tired. I need to rest now."

"Of course mistress, rest well"

"Please stop calling me that, it makes me feel old," the blue mare said sulkily. 

"OK got it, I won't do it again, Princess," he said still beaming. He didn't dare to say that she was much, much older than he was. Like a whole Millennium older. He left her room, closed the door silently and took his position in front of her door.

"I am her private champion.." he repeated to himself over and over again still smiling. 

The next day was a very sunny one. Luna and Diamond Sky visited the Blacksmith again to pick up his new gear. 
"Did you finish the Armor yet loyal Blacksmith?" Luna asked the sturdy minotaur.

"Aye, yer grace may hav' a look..." the Blacksmith said after greeting them. He went into another room and returned with a dark bluish and purple body armor. In the middle of the Chestplate, he had embedded her crest, just like Luna imagined. While Diamond Sky and Luna inspected the polished armor, the blacksmith fetched the corresponding helm and a saddle cloth. The helm and the saddle cloth were colored in a lighter purple and on top of the helm there was a discreet plumage attached matching the body armor’s tone.

"I've used the finest metal which 's light but durable," the blacksmith explained. Within minutes Diamond Sky changed into his new outfit. He looked fabulous and hunky and his chest measurement increased by a remarkable amount, just by wearing such a fine piece of craftsmanship.

"This armor is great, but what is that thing for?" Diamond asked Iron Fist, pointing at a leather mounting on his back.

"Oi, almos' forgot. That's the sheath fer ya new weapon, lad." Once again he went into that other room and returned shortly after holding a pole arm. It was a lance with a plated wooden shaft and a shining metal tip that looked like a crescent moon upside down. The shaft itself had two colors being cobalt blue and bluish silver. The tip of the lance looked very elegant. The crescent moon, which had quite sharp edges, merged perfectly with a longer spike. Iron Fist handed the weapon over to Diamond and he accepted it reverently. Iron Fist watched smiling how an awe struck Diamond Sky carefully stroked over the cold, smooth surface of the weapon. He then explained:

"Those leather bands on yer back are a mounting so yer don't hav'ter carry it all day long."

"Wow that's awesome. The armor is much lighter than my old one and the lance is perfectly balanced. You do understand your craft, Iron Fist," Diamond called enthusiastically after doing some testing moves. The giant bull only chuckled and chummily slapped his shoulder as a reply, which caused him to stumble a few steps.

"You did a very good job Blacksmith.. you shall be generously rewarded," Luna said to the Blacksmith smiling. 

"Yer too generous, yer grace," the Blacksmith replied while bowing down.

After saying Goodbye, they left the forge and walked across the yard back towards the main building of the castle. On their way back, they met other Guards and ponies who examined Diamond Sky's new armor with curios and envying expressions on their faces. While entering the hallway they met Shining Armor who just left it.

"Your highness .... Starlancer Diamond Sky" he said nodding his head towards both of them. Diamond watched him walking away when he remembered something.

"I guess I need to return my old gear to the supplier at the barracks. It would only be fair to do so. Princess, could we meet in your chambers in ten minutes? I will pick up the old armor and drop it at the barracks. I'd like to do it personally."

Although Luna seemed unhappy about that plan she nodded her approval. "Don't worry Princess, when I am back I won't ever leave your side again," he beamed at her. She giggled and nodded again. 

Smiling she made her way through the seemingly endless corridors of the palace. She could have flown to her place of course, but she was in no hurry since she'd have to wait for him to return anyway. 

She also noticed a change in her attitude while wandering through the corridors. After her return the marble corridors of Canterlot had seemed dark and cold to her. It felt like the eyes of the ponies depicted on the countless portraits which hung alongside the walls were following and watching her with disgruntled expressions. That day however the corridors hadn't that threatening vibe they used to have. Instead they seemed bright and friendly and those ponies seemed to be happily smiling back at her. 
> Chapter 4: Twist of fate
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 4: Twist of fate



She waited a little while in her room when she heard muffled voices from in front of her door. Perking her hears up she listened to that conversation between a female and a male voice.

"Oh my, such a shiny equipment. I have never seen stuff like that?" the female voice asked. 
"Heh, yeah that's because I am the first to wear it," the male voice replied. 

"The first? Where do you get it then?" she asked him curiously. 

"You see, I am a Starlancer now..." he started.

"A Starlancer, what is that?" she wanted to know. Luna carefully opened her door without making any sound. Right in front of her chambers there was Diamond Sky talking to one of the palace maids. His lance has been stored away on his back so that he could use both hooves. The filly, he was talking to, wore the standard maid uniform, but unfortunately Luna noticed that she had a cute face. That girl fluttered her eyelids at him to charm him, but he didn't seem to notice.

"Princess Luna formed a new private team and I am the first one she had chosen to follow her call," he explained with his chest swelling up in pride. "I knew at first glance that you are something special..." she stepped near him delivering a seductive smile.

"Starlancer, your Princess demands your presence!" Luna called out to him.
Startled the maid gazed over at the Princess, taking a few steps back from her. Luna couldn't tell if it was because she was interrupted in her flirting or because of whom she was interrupted by.

"Please excuse me, duty calls... literally." He chuckled while the maid only nodded and scurried down the corridors into a different direction. Luna watched him entering her room with an annoyed expression on her face. After closing the door with her magic she yelled:
"I promote you to be my personal servant and the first thing you do is using my generosity to flirt with the palace staff?!"

"Whoah what? I didn't flirt with her," he replied confused, but she didn't calm down. 

"Sure you didn't. I bet that maid thought so, too!" she yelled sarcastically.
"A minute later she would have jumped on your lap!"

"Wait what? No, no, no... she asked me a question and I only answered. Believe me, I didn't even know that she had such intentions. How did you know?" he asked lifting a brow not understanding the problem.

"As if it wasn't obvious enough," she said, upset and faced away from him. He stepped near her and hugged her by embracing her neck. Softly whispering into her ear he said:

"I am sorry. I didn't meant to hurt you. I just wanted to be polite so your team has a good reputation right from the start." She craned her neck to look at him and he could clearly see the jealousy and fury in her eyes. He maintained her gaze delivering a soft apologizing smile. She stared in his golden eyes and for a moment she got lost in time. Her fury got swept away in an instant. She turned around and hugged him back.

"You are my only friend... Promise you'll never leave me," she said with a quivering voice resting her head on his shoulder. 

"Hey, I've sworn an oath to you remember? Didn't I swear to always be there for you and that I'll always do as you say? Of course I promise."

They hugged again and remained in that position for several moments. Luna couldn't tell how long they stood there before he asked:
"Do you have to be in Canterlot to raise the moon?"

"No of course not. I can do it anywhere I want. Why do you ask?"

"I just like to make it up to you and to honor your generosity. I just got an idea..."

"What do you have in mind?" she asked him curiously.

"It's a surprise, so I won't tell you just now. I have to plan some stuff first"

"That's mean, I want to know now... please!" the Moon Princess begged

"No" he said while, grinning. 

"Pretty please - " she asked again trying to imitate the expression the maid had used before. For a moment he got stunned by the beautiful expression. 

"Um... no" he blushed and turned his head away. "As I said, I need to manage some things first."

"Daaw..." she said pouting. A moment of silence followed. 

Way too soon, Luna had to dismiss him to take her nap. While she was asleep, Diamond Sky worked out his plan. When the time came to rise the night the purple armored colt put his plan into action. When she returned the next morning, he said to her:

"You said you didn't meet many other ponies from around here because you were afraid how they react, didn't you?”

"Yes - " she slowly answered. 

" - And you said that you are afraid of their retribution if you go alone, right?" She nodded not knowing where he was getting at.

"Well, you got me to protect you, so today, we will visit Ponyville. I will help you to get to know ponies and later that day we will have a picnic in a nice place" he said cheerfully.


"Ponyville? ... Meeting other ponies? .. I don't know.." she answered anxiously. 

"Oh come on it will be fun, trust me!" he said even more cheerful. "So get ready and I will pick you up in an hour..."

He came back an hour later just as he promised. Meanwhile the Princess took a bath, brushed her mane and prepared herself to meet her subjects. She wanted to leave a good impression on the citizens of Ponyville.

"Are you ready? Come on let's move out!" he said assertively. 

"Wasn't I the one in charge here?" she answered chuckling to cover her nervousness. She followed him to the train station of Canterlot.

"We - we are going by train? I can just order us a Pegasi-carriage to take us there," the Moon-Princess anxiously whispered. 

"Duh, where is the fun in that? Besides how are you going to meet ponies in a two pony carriage?" he asked and rolled with his eyes.

He opened the door with his magic and let her enter the coach. They sat on a train bench, on the opposite side of other random ponies, who were looking out of the window. It seemed like none of those other ponies had noticed who they were traveling with just yet. After a few minutes the train began to move. Luna looked out of the window, watching the landscape fly by.

"I have never ridden a train before," she whispered to Diamond Sky and he looked at her in surprise. 

"In all your years, you never rode a train before?!" he whispered back baffled and she shook her head.

"There are other ponies around. See that yellow coated pony with the pink mane right over there?" he whispered back after a short pause. 

"Yeah..."

"You are going to talk to her," he said grinning. 

"What?! No, I can't! I don't know her," she whispered, strained. 

"Yes you can, just try it. I don't know her either but isn't the point in getting to know ponies to get to know them?" he said encouragingly.

"Oh, OK..." She turned to the yellow pegasus pony. "Good day to you, dear subject. How are you doing, today?" she called that other pony maybe a little too loud.

The addressed pegasus-pony, who had been looking out of the train window a second before, turned her head towards her, recognized the Princess and mumbled something in a very high pitched voice while trying to make herself as small as possible.

"Aren't you feeling well, dear subject?" Luna asked nervously. The yellow pony replied something unrecognizable in an even higher pitched voice and dashed off into another coach. Diamond Sky grinned gleefully.

"Well that was interesting all right..." Luna said, bugged. "No, you did it all wrong. Much too starchy. Next time just say 'Hi'. See that gray pegasus-pony over there? That one with the bubble cutie mark?. Try it again and don't be so tense this time."

Luna turned to the mare in question and just said: "Hi!" The pony turned her head, weaved at them and said:

"Oh, hi there Misses! Wow your hair looks so shiny!"

"So what's next?" she whispered to Diamond Sky. "Ask her something to keep the conversation going," he whispered back. 

"So are you traveling to Ponyville too?" Luna asked, not knowing what else to say. Diamond Sky put a hoof on his forehead hardly suppressing a laugh.

"Yeah, oh wait, did I switch up trains again?" the pegasus wondered strained. 

"Um.. I think there is only one rail connection to Ponyville.." Diamond Sky explained.

"There is? Thank Celestia! My boss wouldn't like it if I am late again." That pegasus seemed very relieved. 

"Ask her why she visits Ponyville." Diamond Sky whispered to Luna. 

"So what business are you up to in Ponyville?" she redirected the question to that mare.

"Oh, actually I live there. I had to deliver a parcel to somepony in Canterlot, but I forgot to bring it along. Now I’m going back to fetch and deliver it," the pegasus pony said joyfully.

"You are a pegasus pony.. wouldn't it be faster if you just.. um - fly?" Luna suggested. 

"I guess so, but I often switch up directions and end up somewhere else. So I am using the train so I can't get lost. Wait, this is the train to Ponyville isn't it?" she asked, still joyfully.

"I guess so - ." Luna just answered, not knowing what to reply. 
"Next Stop: Ponyville main station" a male voice on a speaker said.

"Oh that's my final destination. It was nice to meet you Mrs. Shiny Hair and Mr. Shiny Suit," the gray Pegasus pony said, got onto her hooves and left the train as the doors opened.

"She didn't recognize me, did she?" Luna asked, irritated. 

"I don't think so... But you did good back there, Princess" Diamond Sky said patting her shoulder.

"I did?" she asked doubtfully. 

"Of course.. see it isn't that hard, is it?" Diamond Sky smiled. They left the coach and trotted down the cobbled street leading to the town center. Ponies ogled them and started whispering as they walked by. They obviously recognized the Princess and of course they never saw an armor like Diamond Sky's before. Luna looked at their faces. Some ponies had a curious expression, some a more fearful one and some just smiled in their direction.

"So we need to get some things first. I ordered some food at the shop my friend is working at," Diamond Sky explained.

They stopped in front of an old-fashioned half timbered house. A sign above the entrance stated: ‘Sugarcube Corner’. The decorum seemed a bit extravagant though. It turned out to be a bakery. She entered a larger room with some displays offering cakes, cupcakes, muffins and different sweets. A pink earth pony with curly mane was cleaning the counter when they entered the building.

"Hey there Pinkie! " Diamond Sky called. 

"Hey Diamond!" the pink mare answered beaming widely upon recognizing him. 

"Did you get what I ordered yesterday?"

"Yes indee-dee!" She said wound up. "Who is your marefriend?" Diamond Sky and Luna both blushed and dodged each others gaze. The pink pony jumped over the counter, examining the blue mare intensely. Then she inhaled a large amount of air.

"You are Princess Luna, aren't you, aren't you, aren't you?" she jumped in circles around the two of them. 

"Err.. yes this is indeed Princess Luna. Princess this is my friend Pinkie Pie. I mentioned her before..." the stallion introduced them to each other.

"Weeee, a new friend!" Pinkie yelled in excitement. 

"F - friend? ... Nice to meet you!" the royal pony said intimidated. "You know her?" Luna asked Diamond Sky.

"Well yeah. Actually, I don't know anypony who doesn't know her. She's cool."
He looked at Pinkie and they both grinned. "Pinkie could you please get us what I ordered yesterday?"

"Oki-Doki-Loki!" She left the room bouncing like a ball. She then returned in her bouncy way with a big basket which looked quite heavy to carry with that ease. Diamond Sky used his unicorn magic to let it levitate in midair.

"Oh, I forgot to get a blanket, but you could ask at Sweet Apple Acres and borrow one there." she jumped around the room. 

"Thank you Pinkie, I owe you one!" Pinkie stopped right in midair and stayed like that for a few moments.

"Well duh! We are friends remember?" the hyperactive pony replied rolling her eyes.

"Sweet Apple Acres is to the south, isn't it?" the Starlancer asked unsure. 

"No. It’s to the west, silly!" Pinkie giggled. 

"Ah anyway we better get going. See ya Pinkie!"

"It was nice to meet you, Pinkie Pie," Luna said to the earth pony. 

"You gotta come again another time Luna! Friends are always welcome here..."

"It's 'Princess Luna', Pinkie!" Diamond Sky said strictly. 

"I don't mind..." Luna giggled.

"Have Fu-hun!" Pinkie yelled as they opened the front door of the shop and stepped outside. They turned to the west, just like Pinkie Pie told them. Soon they reached a huge hilly area covered with lots of apple trees everywhere. After walking on the sandy street for several moments they saw a red coated stallion leaning on a wooden fence while chewing on a straw of hay.

"Hello there mister, are we interrupting you with something important?" Diamond Sky asked politely. 

"Nope" the red stallion replied tersely. 

"Are you the owner of this farm?"

"Eeyup."

"OK. You see Pinkie Pie sent us. She said we maybe could borrow a blanket from you. We’d like to have a picnic."

"Eeyup." Diamond Sky and Luna exchanged a glance while he slowly moved over to the barn. After several minutes he returned with a red rolled up blanket made of cotton. 

"We will return it as soon as we are finished with our picnic, OK?"

"Eeyup," the farmer stallion just replied. 

"OK, thank you my friend. See you later then." Diamond Sky said irritated and turned to leave. 

"He doesn't talk much does he?" Luna whispered to Diamond Sky as soon as they were out of reach.

"Eeyup!" Diamond Sky replied copying the red stallion’s voice and Luna giggled.
They walked a while alongside the wooden fence that defined the property of the Apple Family, enjoying the surrounding nature. They found a nice place among apple trees not far from the forest edge of the Everfree Forest. Using his magic Diamond Sky spread the red blanket they’d gotten from that apple stallion and lay it on the grass right under an apple tree. He then put the basket on top of it.

"This is the Everfree Forest isn't it? I’ve heard there lives several deadly creatures within it. Isn't it dangerous to rest here?" Luna asked nervously. 

"I doubt so. Those deadly creatures you mentioned live deep within the forest at the very heart of it and normally don't come close to the town without reason." Diamond Sky explained remembering his lessons.

They lay down on the blanket. Diamond Sky then looked into the basket Pinkie Pie had gave him. He found several plates and handed one over to Luna using his magic horn. He then sliced the cake and put two pieces onto the plates. There was a bottle of applejuice in the basket too. While eating the cake and drinking the juice, both of them leaned back against the trunk of the apple tree enjoying the view. After she had finished her slice of cake Luna asked:

"So where did you meet that Pinkie Pie?"

"I met her some years back, when I was still an apprentice. I was allowed to come along and learn from the more experienced guards of Princess Celestia, when she visited Ponyville for Summer Sun Celebration Day. At our arrival at the Inn, she just popped out of nowhere, introduced herself and offered her friendship. However, I refused at first, cause I didn't want to socialize with ponies of a town I rarely visit. She kept on appearing out of the blue and in the end I accepted her as a friend. Your sister stayed several days and so did we of course. Pinkie showed me around the town in my leisure time. We had some fun together and stayed in touch when I returned to Canterlot. I visited her several times during my vacations, too."

It was a warm and sunny day. In fact Diamond Sky had asked a Pegasus pony when and where the best weather would be around here. Luna yawned. She didn't take her afternoon nap and all the exciting new events today got her tired.

"You may take your nap here now, Princess. I don't mind at all," Diamond Sky said to her as she yawned again. "Thank you Diamond, it’s been a great day so far. Thank you for bringing me along..."

She rested her head against his shoulder and dropped off to sleep shortly after. He enjoyed her presence and warmth, avoiding any unnecessary motions to not wake her. This whole day turned out even more perfect than he had imagined.

He just sat there under the apple tree, listening to Luna's silent breathing, the singing of the birds and enjoying the sun. He looked up at the apple trees. They had thick, long branches and looked quite old. He then turned to the forest.

"This place doesn’t seem that dangerous at all. In fact the trees and bushes look quite beautiful in the sunlight," Diamond Sky though by himself, but of course he knew better.

Inside the forest, it is dark and dangerous. There were living many kinds of animals and beasts, some yet to be discovered. You shouldn't underestimate the unknown. He learned all about it in theory class when he was younger.

Buried within his own thoughts, the time lapsed away. The sun moved further to the west and he spent most of the time watching 'his' Princess sleeping peacefully. It must have been late afternoon, when suddenly a loud "Zapp!" occurred near them. Luna instantly awoke, while birds escaped the area.

"Did you hear that noise?" Diamond Sky whispered to the Princess. 

"Yeah, what the hay was that?" she asked, drowsily. 

"I don't know, but it was somewhere around here...." he replied, while looking around to spot the source of the noise.

Luna looked up into the apple tree. "Look, the apples changed their appearance. Aren't they much more colorful than before?" The apples had indeed changed their appearance into a multi-colored rainbow. "I have never seen something like that before" Luna said, fascinated.

"Neither have I," Diamond Sky agreed. "How is this even possible just like that?" he wondered. He picked an apple to have a closer look. He then heard a growl from somewhere behind him.

"Diamond, look!" the Princess screamed. Three pair of yellow eyes appeared in the bushes on the forest edge. Slowly both ponies got up on their hooves. Three creatures jumped out of the shadows.

They looked like big dogs but much more feral and they didn't have fur... instead their whole body seemed to be made out of sticks and branches. The creatures slowly drew near.

"Quick! Get behind me Luna!" Diamond Sky yelled, pushing her behind himself with a hoof while taking up his combat stance. He used his magic to detach the lance from its sheath on his back and levitated it in front of him to block a possible attack.

"You start running while I will distract them. Try to escape!" Diamond Sky ordered her in a stern voice. 

"No, I can't leave you here..." she cried. 

"I've sworn to protect you... Damn, too late, we are surrounded!" Diamond Sky cursed like a sailor pony.

Another wooden wolf jumped out of the bushes behind them. Keeping his princess close to him, Diamond eyed those wolves with a grim determination. The wolves just stared back at them growling, but a few moments passed when none of them moved. It was like the calm before the storm. Suddenly one of the wolves burst out from their formation and charged at Diamond Sky. He jumped to the side and the wolf missed its target. 

A second wolf ran towards him, baring its fangs. With a swift motion diamond did a sidestep, knelt down and swiped his lance in a sweeping circular swing towards the wolf's legs. The result was, that the wolf lost its balance, like stumbling over a tripping wire. Being at full speed it was too late for the wolf to stop or jump over it, so he clumsily landed in the dirt. Meanwhile the first wolf attacked again, trying to strike with his claws. Diamond used his weapon to parry the swing and then pushed its arm away to open up its defense. Diamond then used the opportunity to thrust his lance into that wolf’s shoulder. By ripping it out of the wolf’s body again, he opened up a wound and several smaller sticks and branches fell to the ground. That wolf yowled in pain and backed off.

The third one hesitated before jumping at him. It glared at Diamond, now knowing that it wouldn’t be that easy to overpower him. So instead he tried to circle Diamond before he attacked, but Diamond was well aware of its presence. He did a sidestep while spinning around, lunging out to deliver a concussion strike with his lance handle towards the wolf’s temple.

He then turned around and saw the last Timberwolf, which had appeared behind both ponies and was charging Luna. Eyes wide opened, she just stood there paralyzed. It was obvious to Diamond that she was shocked in surprise. The charging wolf jumped into the air and nearly hit the Princess's head with his fangs, but it got blocked and repelled by a purple force field. Diamond Sky had quickly summoned it around the royal pony using his magic. The wolf stumbled and rolled on the ground before it regained his balance again. The same wolf then tried to burst the bubble by repeatedly beating on it with its large claws. Although Diamond was able to keep his protective shell active, he winced with every hit that wolf dealt to it. The wolf then got hit by a large rock. Diamond Sky had lifted it up with his magic and threw it like a shot putter at the feral creature, which temporary dazed it.

Meanwhile the first wolf rushed towards him again, lifting its gigantic claws to strike at him. Diamond whirled around, noticing his approaching foe. But it was already too late to dodge the swing entirely. 

Although Diamond did a sidestep to prevent being hit that wasn't enough and the claw of the wolf hit him in the flank, knocking him to the ground. The blow managed to knock him back a couple of steps and pushed the air out of his lungs. Fortunately, Diamond's new armor was a brilliant piece of craftsmanship that absorbed most of the damage.

With Diamond now lying on his back, the second wolf, which happened to be the nearest to his current position, used its opportunity and jumped on top of him. It used its front claws to hold him down and opened its jaws to bite him. Using his magic again, Diamond quickly lifted up his lance in front of him and shoved it oblong into that wolf’s jaw so that the wolf couldn't close his jaw around his head. The wolf tried to bite through its gag bit by force but the plated shaft was durable enough to resist the pressure and the tip pierced into the wolfs wooden mouth the more it tried.

Yowling in pain the wolf took a step back trying to get rid of the thing that was stuck between his fangs. Supported by his now free front hooves, Diamond secured his pole arm that was stuck in the wolf's mouth. The wolf then flailed his head around wildly so that Diamond struggled to keep hold of his weapon. Another wolf stepped near and tried to bite him. Dangling in mid air, Diamond used his hind legs kicking it in the face. The wolf backed away but Diamond also lost hold of his lance as a result. The wolf was still flailing his head around and the lance finally detached from its mouth. Diamond watched how his weapon got hurled far away, deep into the heart of the forest, making him unable for him to reach it with his magic.

The wounded first wolf quickly recovered and then furiously tried to slash Diamond Sky with its claws, but the swing got deflected by the purple chestplate again. Diamond Sky quickly jumped beside the creature and with another move, behind it.

Luna, still within the magic shell, Diamond Sky had summoned around her, watched in awe as the gray coated stallion used his hind legs to forcefully hit the creatures hip. The wolf howled in agony as his wooden bones broke.

The wounded creature limped away and Diamond Sky, now unarmed, backed off next to Luna breathing heavily. He used that short pause to take a breather. 

"Release me and I can help! Just let me out of here..." Luna plead desperately. 

"Can't do that! Can't allow anything hurting you! If somethings happen to you I'll never forgive myself..." he replied between breaths. 

The second and third wolf now attacked together trying to hit him with their claws. Diamond Sky jumped back and grasped a branch of the apple tree that he and Luna had sat beneath earlier with his unicorn magic. It was one of those long and thick ones Diamond Sky had examined before. He pulled it back and let go of the purple glowing branch and it swept both wolves of their feet. He turned his head and saw how the fourth wolf rushed towards him, knocking him to the ground. Diamond Sky quickly tried to roll aside but got hit by another slash of the claw. He suffered several scratches on his face which started to bleed.

Still within the force field, Luna witnessed how another purple glowing rock hit the side of the wolfs head, stunning it for a moment. Diamond Sky turned around and delivered another kick in the face of the beast.

Luna was impressed at how skillfully her Starlancer fended against four Timberwolves twice as big as himself. She cheered for him inside her purple sanctuary since she couldn't do anything else. Diamond Sky once told her that he wasn't as good as his comrades, however, she really doubted that now. How can anypony be better than this? His moves looked elegant. It was almost like dancing, how he dodged the wolves, fighting back when an opportunity struck. What Luna didn’t know was, that Diamond finally had found a proper incentive to fight.

The two wolves got back onto their feet and quickly tried to bite Diamond Sky. He dodged their attack but meanwhile a fifth, much bigger Timberwolf jumped out of the shadows. Luna assumed that this must be the leader of the pack. The Alpha Wolf quickly rushed towards Diamond Sky.

"Watch out!" Luna screamed, but it was already too late. 
The Pack leader caught Diamond Sky off guard, delivering a mighty backhand swing with its paw, which forcefully hit the pony. The powerful strike sent Diamond Sky flying through the air before his body hit the apple tree’s trunk, making a horrible cracking sound. Even the best body armor couldn't absorb that amount of damage.

The purple force-field around Luna shattered as the brave unicorn lost consciousness. Luna melted into tears as she saw that the Starlancer couldn't move anymore. The Timberwolves gathered around the badly injured pony to deliver the final blow.

"Diamond!!.. Diamond Sky please, get up!!" Luna screamed, crying. 

“No, get away from him! Please! Please don't be dead! Diamond.. My poor Diamond!! No.. no.. this can't be real... Diamond Sky get up!"

Tears covered the ground beneath her head as the Princess shivered in terror.
"No Diamond Sky... NO!"
"No, I can't let this happen... I WON'T let this happen!!" her voice changed and got colder and more aggressive. "I won't lose another loyal pony!!"

The Sky instantly turned pitch black. Out of nowhere a wall of clouds quickly covered the entire sky. 

"YOU SHALL SUFFER! YOU SHALL PAY! YOU SHALL BE ANNIHILATED!" the Princess screamed in an unholy voice.

The Princess levitated in mid air with her eyes glowing in an unnatural white color. The air around her body blurred due to the heat of her burning rage. The sky turned even darker while lightning flashed around the clouds. Loud thunder rolled across the sky. The Alpha Wolf raised its claw to kill the fallen pony, when a mighty bolt of lightning struck its body, knocking it to the ground, leaving a black steaming crater.

The remaining wolves turned around to see the princess levitating in the air holding up both hooves above her head. With a fanatic manic expression, she moved her hooves, pointing at them and several bolts of lightning emerged from the sky, smiting down all the remaining Timberwolves at once.

Barely alive, the steaming scorched wolves whined and crawled away, trying to escape. They were never confronted by such amount of power before and Luna’s terrifying appearance utterly convinced them to run for their lives. She knew that another direct hit with a bolt of lightning would evaporate the still living creatures since they were made of wood after all.... But she didn't mind at all. Yes they deserved it! They need to be obliterated! Especially the pack leader who had hurt Diamond Sky. She was ready to turn the Alpha Wolf into dust when all of a sudden a silent voice said:

"No... don't... kill them..." Diamond Sky moved and tried to get up but collapsed immediately. He coughed up blood and groaned in pain. The Princess, still with her hooves above her head, ready to finish off the creatures froze in midair and turned to the crushed pony. Sparks of energy streaked around her body overcharging the air with furious electricity.

"Remember... who.. you are - " he mumbled, before he lost consciousness again.
She looked at the pony amazed, then she turned to the crouching Timberwolves and turned back to the pony. Thunder rolled threateningly. Another streak of lightning enlightened the clouds as she slowly lowered her hooves. The white unnatural glow in her eyes vanished, leaving her normal turquoise eyes filled with tears.

She zestfully moved one hoof and a strong wind squall blew the badly damaged Timberwolves back into the heart of the forest. That was when she heard the yells and sounds of the group of ponies who were running towards them as fast as they could. Help was on its way, it seemed.



*****


Pain..... so much pain...... pain everywhere.... He slowly opened his eyes. His whole body hurt. He saw a white ceiling and white walls while looking around without moving his head. A frequent beeping could be heard somewhere next to him. A white blanket covered his body. He then realized that he was in a hospital. He saw the blue Princess sleeping on a chair next to him with her head leaning on his bed. Her mane was untidy and her eyes were red and swollen as if she had cried a lot lately. He tried to touch her but he couldn't. A sudden pain made him stop. Luna instantly awoke as he groaned. "Diamond Sky!" she yelled anxiously. "No don't move! You are very badly injured!"

"What... happened?" he slowly whispered. "We got attacked by the Timberwolves. You managed to fend off four of them at once, but another one caught you off guard and knocked you against that tree. Almost every bone in your body broke when you hit the trunk.” 

"I .. am .. sorry..... I failed..." he croaked hoarsely. Tears dripped from her face onto his blanket as she started to cry. She actually had used her new ability and entered Diamond’s dreams while he was out. Her initial intention was to keep his sleep safe and peaceful, so his body could recover. What she had seen was not what she had expected though. She assumed his dreams would be all about him being a hero or becoming the leader of the Guard or something like that. What she found instead were images of herself. Saying that she was surprised gazing at her own image  would be an understatement. In his dreams he had also whispered to himself: “Make her smile, make her smile…"” Comfort her, comfort her” and “Protect her, protect her...” As if it was his very own mantra that he should not forget about. 

It was obvious that all his thoughts were about her. She felt his pain, yet it seemed to be only a secondary concern of him. She also learned that he blamed himself for not being strong enough to protect her. ”All my fault, all my fault… Not strong enough, not strong enough...”

He blamed himself for taking her there and for ignoring her concerns about the dangers of the Everfree Forest. She blinked, pushing her spirit walk experience away. 
There he was, wounded, broken and still he was only worrying about her wellbeing, her safety and blaming himself for his own weakness, she realized.  "What?! No - no you didn't! You fought against four of those beasts twice as big as you are, you saved my life using your force-field, but more importantly you stopped me from losing my mind... I - I - I almost lost myself.... Seeing you there... suffering." 

She embraced him gently accompanied by sobbing. "The Nightmare Moon inside of me wanted to kill all of them.. but you stopped me. You brought me back to my senses. Because of you, I remembered who I am... You saved my body AND my soul not only in that forest. I was so full of doubt, shame and fear before we met. You showed me how to live my life and you showed me how to be happy. You helped me forget my horrible past and you helped me in finding some friends. Because of you I was given a purpose…" her voice quavered.

She barely couldn't see anymore, because her eyes were drowned in tears.
" -All because of you..." she repeated whispering. "Diamond Sky! I.. I love you!" she yelled and then she passionately kissed him on the mouth.

When their lips touched it felt a like a spark of electricity jumping between both ponies. It was a long and passionate kiss, lasting several moments. The incredible agony he felt a second before vanished in a flash. He closed his eyes and devoted himself to the warm sensation spreading his body now. After a long while of sweet sensation she pulled back.

"I........u......too..." he whispered barely audibly. She didn't understand what he’d just said, but she knew it inside of her heart. And within her embrace and with a smile on his face... 

...he passed away.



***




Luna cried like she never cried before and probably never would again. She cried for hours... she cried until there were no tears left to shed. He had always been the pivot of her emotions, but now he was gone for good. Although the nurses and doctors were silently watching the scene from the hospital hallway, they knew that it would be best to leave the Princess of the Night alone. They had known that Diamond Sky would have never made it, but seeing their last farewell broke their heart a little. One of the doctors, having tears in his eyes, silently closed the door to give Luna time to grieve. 

"I will never forget you.. I shall always remember what you taught me.. Your actions shall never be forgotten, just like you’d always wanted." she whispered. She looked outside of the window into the darkness of the night. The moon shone with a pale white light through the hospital window. A swarm of shooting stars fell from the sky as if the heaven was mourning too. The stars began to move and aligned, forming a new star sign:

The Starlancer






THE END




Thank you for reading.