Knight's Nightlight V

>Day Fed to Wolves in Equestria

>Be Nightlight the Satisfied

>You awake to an empty bed sometime in the afternoon and look around for Anon

>As expected, he is up earlier than you and you are starting to wonder how he creeps out of bed so easily

>Approaching the bathroom, you find the door open and Anon sitting in a half-filled tub

>"Morning, Night. How are you feeling?"

"A little sore in a weird way, but good overall."

>"Yes, well, excellent. We are heading out after breakfast again."

"Yes, Sir!"

>You salute smartly and stand tall

>Your butt aches a bit on either side as you pull your tail in to stand like a guard

>Anon looks at you with a bit of a grin

>"Why don't you climb in with me? I'll clean you up."

>His smile disarms you and you decide a bath cannot hurt

>Climbing in, you find the water to be a little colder than usual

>"It is hot outside today, so I like to enjoy a cool bath before the morning routine."

>That is almost crazy enough to make sense, you think

>Anon washes you down and runs his fingers through your mane casually as he speaks

>"Today, we will be running for half the length..."

>You sigh happily before Anon continues

>"... In our armour."

"What? Isn't that heavy?"

>"Yes, I want you to be able to ready up on my command and take off down the same obstacle course we first travelled."

"Are we going through the jumping areas?"

>"Of course not, I want you to swim the ravine this time before turning around."

>You crane your head over your shoulder and see Anon barely containing himself

>"Alright, alright... yes, do the jumping section as well, but the reduced course only has two areas you will have to jump."

"What if I fall?"

>Anon stops for a moment and his face closes in on your own

>His eyes sternly hold your attention as his hot breath caresses your nose

>"As is the righteous way; I will catch you."

>Anon's overpowering gaze strips you and his very presence seems to both bolster and shake your confidence

>It is as if he has practiced his whole life just to command

>Without another word, he pulls himself from the tub and walks off

>You breathe suddenly, realizing you haven't been, and steel yourself for the trip ahead

>A guard is the finest soldier and you plan to live above and beyond Anon's expectations

>With renewed vigor and a love for duty that could only come from proper molding, you spring from the cold bath

>Anon is wearing his light undergarments and stands sharply by his armor rack

>"Sentry, what is our duty?"

>You proudly announce in your bravest voice

"To watch and protect the Castle against all her enemies, Sir!"

>"And what do we as night guards value most?"

"Speed and stealth, Sir!"

>"And what is the punishment of those who should disrupt our noble cause?"

"Uncompromised attack, Sir!"

>"Now, prepare yourself, Sentry Nightlight. For the night comes on swift wings!"

>Anon grins and suddenly begins donning his armor with a preternatural speed

>You squeak as Anon is nearly ready and you only have half your gear on

>Without looking to you, he lightly jugs in place with a small rattle of metal and heads out the door

>You fumble around for another moment as you slip on your shoes and helmet and try to catch up

>Exiting your small room finds the day sunny and warm

>Few clouds hang in the sky and you imagine the sun is your best motivation to pick up the pace

>As you begin to run, you make a metallic clatter of tossing a trash can down a flight of stairs

>It makes you wonder how Anon hardly sounds like keys jingling, but you push the thought aside

>Your are moving a little slower than yesterday and you sore flanks rub uncomfortably, but your legs feel a little better than before

>The course twists ahead as you push on and you see Anon jogging effortlessly in his gear

>"Don't fall behind again! I'd hate to see you working so hard tonight on shining my gear again!"

>You grit your teeth and dig in your hooves

>Your powerful legs kick off the dirt as you begin charging towards him

>Anon smiles before moving again and you finally manage to keep pace

>Sweat streams on your face and your chest burns from the exertion, but you don't quit

>You come to a low hurdle and watch as Anon leaps over it in an awkward, two-legged manner

>Without hesitation, you keep your speed and leap clear across before landing with a sound of pots falling to the ground

>"Excellent! Keep it up and you might just make catch me!"

>Anon suddenly speeds away with a previously unseen enthusiasm and your mouth hangs open

>It takes all of your energy to even continue on and you come to the small gap from yesterday

>Anon watches your approach as he effortlessly hops the gap and lands with a soft thud

>He stares away from you into the fading sun as he speaks

>"Fear... doubt... we know not these words..."

>Your legs beat and pull you closer to the edge

>"We are the night watch... we are the silent guardians..."

>The edge approaches and you lower your head with your neck

>With a strong push from your back legs, you kick off the very rim and hurtle through the air

>You straighten your body as you sail across the gap and touch down as neatly as you please on the other end

>Anon doesn't say anything as he turns away to continue running, but you swear you catch a smile on his face

>A puff of dry air slips from your mouth as the heat begins to get to you

>It doesn't take much longer to complete the course now and you find yourself coming closer to Anon's speed

>You stand smartly before your cool and calm teacher and salute

>"I do so long watching you polish my armour."

>You do not give Anon the satisfaction of a reaction

>He quickly drops his smirk and leads you over with a wave of his hand

>Without slowing, he takes you to a clear area with weapon racks lining either wall

>You recognize Anon's spear resting on side and take note of the finally polished blade

>Anon himself must have cleaned the gleaming metal as you do not recall ever polishing weapons

>"Alright, sentry, today is the first day of weapon handling..."

>Anon sweeps his blade from the wall and spins it in his expert hands

>He twirls the wooden shaft above his head before digging the wooden end into the ground

>A wide smile crosses his features as he looks to you

>"Bring your weapon to the front..."

>You notice your blade is resting behind you on a shorter rack and you quickly retrieve it in your mouth

>Anon points to a white line on the ground

>"Stand at that point."

>Again, you follow the command quickly and await further instruction

>Anon stands across from you on another line and his grip tightens on his spear

>"The first rule of combat is to learn when and where your opponent seeks to strike. If you learn the subtle movements of the enemy, you will learn how best to survive an encounter."

>You watch Anon as he shifts his legs into a wide stance and brings his spear level with his waist

>"Rule one, expect all enemies to act with lethal force."

>He smiles to you and his eyes light up

>"Rule two, act with nothing less than -that-!"

>The wooden stick of the blade suddenly sweeps before you and you awkwardly stumble away in time

>You drop your weapon from your mouth and look up at Anon with scorn

"Hey! You didn't say we were starting!"

>"The enemy will never announce when they are going to kill you, I promise! Now, prepare yourself!"

>Anon moves quickly with the wooden side of his weapon aimed at you

>You scramble for your weapon again as Anon closes the distance

>A swooping noise echoes above you as Anon barely misses your head and you cringe a little

>With a quick spin, Anon is at your side and you feel a stick prod your gut

>You stumble over and attempt to readjust yourself only to see the mad human bearing down on you with a malevolent grin

>"It is imperative that you not lose your footing!"

>You raise your stick in time to stop Anon's from ringing your helmet

>"Excellent work..."

>You smile around the wooden handle

"'Ank 'ou..."

>A quick sweep of Anon's long leg trips you to one side

>"Do not let compliments distract you."

>You growl now as your side aches and your hooves throb

"No fair!"

>"All is fair in love and heavily armoured combat!"

>You look up from your laying position and quickly kick out at Anon's foot

>He jumps over you with incredible grace and slaps your helmet with his hand

>You are momentarily blinded by your own protective gear and doubly frustrated

>Yanking your helmet off, you see a stern looking set of eyes in your space

>"Nightlight... a guard does not take off their gear until their shift is over. Ten push-ups!"

>You look up at Anon with a mixture of fear, anger and sadness as you start

>He sits beside you with his legs crossed under himself and glares at you

>"I see you really have little experience in fighting... we will correct this, do not worry."

>You do your final push-up before wearily rising to all four hooves

>Anon passes you your helmet and you don it with as much nobility as you can

>"Hmm, it has been a few hours... I think you have earned a small break. Come with me..."

>You slowly plod along to Anon's merry steps and find yourself by a tree in the courtyard

>A basket sits easily on a white blanket in the cool shade and you eye it carefully

"Is this... some kind of test?"

>"Yes, in fact, it is!"

"What is expected from me?"

>"I expect you to sit down and eat, or course."

>Anon flashes a smile before restiong beside the basket

>He reaches in and pulls out a few fruits, including your favorite red apple, before taking his glove off

>"Hard to feel anything with these on."

>He chuckles as he retrieves a small loaf of bread next

>You stroll easily to him and sit down on the other side of the basket

>Anon passes you and apple and you take it quickly in your jaws

>It takes little to eat and you find yourself ravenous

>"How are you doing so far?"

>Your body aches, your mouth hurts, your hooves throb painfully and your head aches lightly as you think

"Feeling great."

>"Excellent, I expected as much! You have a certain look to you when you are determined. I like that..."

>You stop chewing as loudly at the compliment and carefully turn to see Anon

>He removes his helmet slowly and you eye his mane slicked back with sweat and his soft lips smiling lightly at you

>His eyes take on the look you have seen so many nights before and you cannot help but think that Anon is two creatures in one

>On the one side, Anon is strong and fierce and will stop at nothing to have his way

>Than again, he has a charming quality all to his own where he yields just enough for you to get nearer

>It confuses your already pounding head as you finish a third apple

"You move really fast..."

>Anon looks to you with raises eyebrows

>"Not all, I am one of the slowest guards in the night watch."

>You think Anon is being overly critical about his abilities and shrug

"So what does that make me?"

>He doesn't speak for a moment as he thinks

>With a wide grin, he closes his eyes and smiles

>"Some form of pony-shaped tortoise..."

>At once, the world is quiet and you hear everything around you

>Your ears ping left to right as a strange sense of unease overtakes the grounds

"Anon... do you hear that?"

>"Hear what?"

"That..."

>Anon listens fully before shaking his head

>"I hear... nothing..."

>His face curls a bit with intensity as you both stand to your feet and put on your armor

>Quietly, follow my lead."

>You trot as softly as possible with Anon in front as you round a corner

>The entire castle seems to be empty as you move from place to place and your stomach knots up

>You whisper to Anonymous as best you can

"Sir, what is going on? Where is everyp0ny?"

>"I... do not know..."

>You enter the barracks to see two guards slumped to the ground in their posts

>Looking around reveals another hoof-full of guards seemingly asleep in the same manner

>"This reeks of magical foolery."

>Anon suddenly moves with a great speed as something else moves on ahead

>You start a run only to slow down as your armor rattles loudly

>The figure ahead pauses before turning and you catch a glimpse of two glowing blue eyes

>A hood obscures the face as the pony turns and flees towards the castle

>You look around for Anonymous, but he seems to vanish

>No choices left, you decide to give chase

>You make enough noise to wake the dead, but not your fellow guards, as you enter a wing of the castle

and see a black cape disappear around a turn

>The sound of hooves beat ahead of your own as you work further and further inside

>You round another corner to find the mysterious being standing idly

"You there! Cease and desists! You are in violation and will be punished to the highest extent of the law if you do not surrender immediately!"

>The figure looks back at you before casting off its hood

>You see a unicorn that looks not unlike you with slightly sharper fangs and a red mane

>She lets go a small laugh that rings in the halls as she begins speaking to you

>"So, it appears they are hiring all sorts of riffraff these days..."

"Who are you and why are you here?"

>"That's really not important to you, why don't you take a nap?"

>The unicorn's horn glows an eerie blue before she aims it at you

>Her mouth opens and you see a blast of air distort with magic

>A sonic wave breaks upon you and tosses you back a few feet with a clatter of metal

>You look up at her as your ears ring, but you do not stay down for long

>"Hmm, you must be used to this high pitched noise... no matter, there's always lightning!"

>Another charging of energy cackles across the room as the unicorn's horn grows with an angry hum

>You cringe as you await the painful discharge

>"Death to the enemy!"

>A voice rings out from behind the unicorn and you see Anonymous with his spear in hand

>He swings quickly at the unicorn and her eyes go wide

>The magical pull fades very quickly as a grey stub flies across the room and lands near you

>A little blood drips from the dismembered horn at your hooves and you back up with a sick feeling in your throat

>The interloper and you stare at the monster in the hall as it smiles a bright smile

>"Foolish creature... what is their to gain in death?"

>"My horn! You cut off my horn!"

>You hear a pained crying in the darkness as the unicorn stumbles more towards you and away from the beast

>"You would have kept it had you not attempted such a stunt."

>The hear the unicorn fall and then the sound of metal stomping on flesh

>A gleaming blade rises quickly, slicing the very air with a swooping noise

>"No, wait! I-I surrender! I...!"

>The last sound you hear is a wet sort of thud in the darkness and your throat dries out

>A metallic step presses lightly forward and your hooves suddenly panic

>You race from the dark hallway, not wanting to see what might be waiting for you

>As you flee, the rattling of your gear wakes the unconscious guards from earlier

>They begin rising, but you pay little attention to them as your mind clouds with terror

>The next few minutes are surreal as you make it to your room and barricade yourself inside

>You strip your armor off and stack it quickly on your rack before you tuck yourself under your bed

>It takes a few minutes, but you catch your breath and try to think about what just happened

>Anon saved you and you should be thankful to him

>You could have died, you know it, and he came to stop the unicorn from hurting you

>The sound of the door opening slowly catches your attention and you freeze in place

>Barely breathing, you listen as the sound of heavy, two legged steps enter and begin to slowly pace around

>The sound comes closer to your bed before fading and you look on either side to see where they are

>Your whole bed lifts from the ground to one corner as a tall, armored figure with blood stains on them stares at you

"Oh please, oh please, oh please..."

>You weep lightly as you close your eyes

>"Nightlight... are you alright?"

>The light, concern sound of Anon's voice rings in your ears and you look up again

>Anon looks casually at your shaking form and his large, soft eyes grip you

"Y-you killed her..."

>"Nightlight... please..."

"S-she was b-begging... y-you k-killed her..."

>"She was a threat to the castle..."

>Your chest heaves quickly as you whine like a lost foal

>A hand slowly reaches towards you and you jump in fear as it touches your hoof

>Anon retracts quickly and he wears a depressing expression for the moment

>"Nightlight... I do not think you belong here..."

>You want to argue with Anonymous right now

>You want to tell him he is wrong, that you can do this, that you are stronger than you appear

>Right now, all you can do is cry weakly and huddle into a ball

>"This is life in the guard. We protect our Princesses and her interests."

>The sound of pleading rings in your ears again

"I-It was so fast..."

>Anon lays the bed back in place and you hear the sound of armor piling on a rack

>"Do not worry about polishing it tonight... You are dismissed, sentry."

>With that, you hear the door close and you find yourself alone

>You spend the next few minutes under the bed until you can steady your legs

>The night air is cooler as you rise to your hooves and you look around

>Anon is certainly gone and his gory armor shines a duller shine than you recall

>A slick, red splatter marks the face and arm and you grimace at the sight

"Anon... how could you..."

>He is probably right, you think

>What if that unicorn stole something powerful from the castle and threatened the ponies of Canterlot?

>You shake the thought away as a more pressing horror comes to mind

>What if they had endangered the Princess?

>Anonymous may have saved the world tonight

>You feel terribly conflicted as you think about Anon

>It is not fair, you believe, that he could so easily kill somep0ny and act so indifferently

>You think he must have killed others before to be so cold to it all

>It takes a little while, but you manage to leave the room and you begin searching for Anonymous

>Some guards passing by smile and you stop them for an answer

"Hello, sorry, but could I bother you?"

>"Certainly, what's the problem?"

"I am looking for Anonymous. Have you seen him?"

>"Oh, you know Anonymous?"

"Yes, but, do you know where he is?"

>The two begin talking amongst themselves before looking back to you

>"Well, last I saw of him, he was filing a report about a break-in."

>You smile widely

"Great, where is that?"

>"Report filing? Beats me, I saw him leave there with Princess Luna though."

>You tense up a bit at the name

"And then where did he go?"

>Both guards look at you and shrug before one finally speaks

>"Probably with Princess Luna?"

>You scowl and thank them before walking off

>Princess Luna could be anywhere at anytime, but you decide the most likely place would be in or near her bed chambers

>It does not take long to find her quarters, but you sadly find a lack of Princess

>A servant catches your eye and you call to her quickly

"Excuse me! Have you seen the Princess?"

>"Oh, she just left."

"Was she with Guard Anonymous?"

>"Um, I don't know who that is."

"Tall guy, something called a, 'human'? Seen him?"

>"Ohh, yes! He was talking with Princess Luna."

"Great, where are they?"

>"They were heading to the courtyard... I think I overheard them talking about flashlights."

>The servant resumes her duties and you try to figure out the last sentence

>Not too concerned for words, you race off to the courtyard

>The moonlight easily illuminates the nightscape and you make excellent time

>Entering the court, you spy Anon and Luna sitting beside each other on a tall hill

>You can make out from there that they are discussing something, but not exactly what it is

>Summoning up all your night guard training, you tip-hoof your way across the field and to the base of the mound

>Again, you listen closely and finally pick something up

>"Dear Princess, I was only doing what I must..."

>"I understand, Anonymous, you are ever valiant."

>Princess Luna rests a hoof over Anon's shoulder

>"Do you know who she was?"

>"We do not, but time will tell what her plans were."

>"Ah, so Princess Celestia is already..."

>"Yes, exactly, my sister never misses an opportunity."

>Anonymous chuckles quickly and you are growing more and more confused

>A loud voice bellows over the still night

>"Dear Nightlight! Why do you insist on spying on us?!"

>You nearly leap from your skin, but do your best to try and speak easily

"Oh, uh, hello! I was just looking for you, Anon."

>He turns slowly and you watch him carefully in the moonlight

>Anon's skin shines almost as much as when he is wet and his soft gaze lays calmly on him

>It is disconcerting, you think

"I... I just wanted to tell you that I am sorry."

>"For what?"

"For um... For... being afraid?"

>You here a deflated sigh from Anon as he looks to Luna

>The Princess turns her attention to you and smiles lightly

>"Fear is a universal constant, dear Nightlight. Sometimes, a pony has to face these fears. I see you are uneasy this night and I am worried about you."

"Do not worry about me, Princess. I am fine! Really!"

>"But, you are not. I can see that deep within you is doubt."

"No, no, I love this! Please do not kick me out of the night watch, Princess! I will get better."

>Luna looks to you with a quizzical stare and then to Anonymous

>Anonymous just shrugs in turn before the Princess returns her gaze on you

>"Little Nightlight, I am not going to make you leave. You have barely even begun training! No, the doubt I see in you is for your mentor."

>You do not answer out of fear that Luna is correct

>"Is it true, Nightlight? Do I scare you?"

>You cannot speak as you look at Anon's face

>He looks so much like you remember from the long nights you cared for him

>You walk up the hill slowly until you are in front of Anon

>"I am sorry for today. I did not expect this to happen."

>You continue to look at his face and watch as he grows miserable before you

>Tears well in your eyes as you stagger towards Anon

"I can't wait to train tomorrow, Sir. It's an honor learning from the best."

>You press against Anon's body and hold him as tight as you can

>Tears stream down your face and into his shirt as you press your muzzle against him

>"Nightlight..."

>You feel Anon's hands rest on your back and wrap around your wings as he returns your hug

>Princess Luna looks on with a little smirk playing on her regal muzzle

"I-I like y-you better l-like this..."

>"And I don't like to see you crying."

>You tilt your face up to Anon and see his beautiful eyes through a blurry lens

>His face lowers just a bit and, without care for watchful eyes, you pull his mouth to your own

>You share a quick peck with the Anon you know and care for

>"Oh, my... Anonymous, is there something you did not tell me?"

>Princess Luna smiles a little wider than you think she should

>"It is just..."

"... Love."

>Anon's expression twists into surprise and Luna lets out a soft giggle

>"It is just love?"

"It is just love..."

>Anon turns to look at Luna

>"It is just love."

>Luna titters a bit before covering her mouth with a pearly hoof

>"Well, I suppose this talk was productive! I shall leave you two -alone-."

>Luna turns and begins to walk away

>She stops for the moment and looks over her shoulder at Anonymous

>"Anonymous, always the martyr..."

>Luna's giggle turns into a laugh as she magically breaks apart into a hundred bats and whisks away into the night

"Hey, Anon..."

>"Yes, Nightlight?"

"Can we... try that again, but slower?"

>He smiles before holding you by the chin and petting one side of your face

>"Sometimes, I wonder about you."

"Will you kiss me or not?"

>"Well, when you put it -that- way."

>You hold each other tight under the bright moon and kiss once more

>The duty of the night watch is a welcome burden so long as you have him

>No more fear or doubt, you think, you love Anonymous