Wow, what a day for a tournament today! Clear skies, a gentle breeze, and a nice, warm Sun. I'm going to have to thank the Lieutenant again, for letting me have this day off so that I can be with my family and my brother. There's just something about this that makes me feel...alive! The sound of honest combat, metal on metal, the sound of hooves scraping for purchase on the area floor. The smell of sweat, oil, and blood. The inner warrior sings to this song.

I heard rumors of Princess Luna attending this years tournament, which is odd. Most of the Royal Guards have no interest in guarding "Nightmare", as some say in the locker room, they just check in for their shift and stay in the guards lounge. Many claimed that it should be the Solar Guard guarding her, but we don't see a reason that a "Solar" should be guarding the "Moon", she is a Princess in name only and has no power over us.

It is then I hear Luna call out loudly. “Solar Commander Steadfast Ray. I am sorry to say that we will have to interrupt the scheduled fight you have prepared for us next.” Well, well, well, she did attend, and hiding in the shade no less. What is she up to?

“Is there a problem, Princess Luna?” I can just make out what Commander Ray just said, being he is facing the side of us, and up to the Royal box. The bearers of the Elements of Harmony are up there with our Princess too.

“Nay, my good sir,” Luna continued to announce loudly, “but an announcement has to be made. My sister has long been served by the Solar Guard, a military force devoted to her protection. I have decided to follow her example and so I proclaim now, before all of you, the formation of the Lunar Guard!”

When she finished speaking you could hear the Royal pennants fluttering in the breeze. I looked over to my brother. "Did I just hear she wants her OWN guard?"

"That's what I heard. I thought you Solar guards provided security for the both of them."

"We were supposed to, but many, if not all, feel that they owe her no fealty, so we delegated this to the Royal Guard. We lived without her for over a thousand years, what's another decade or two.”

"What the Tartarus is that supposed to mean? Did we not take the same oath as guards to protect them, and other ponies, or did something change when you left to become a Solar guard."

I looked him straight in the eyes "Do YOU want to guard that NIGHTMARE"

He looked between me and Luna a few times, then to my family, and back to me. "I really don't know. If it was my job, perhaps. She may not be a nightmare, she IS one of our Princesses, you do need to respect her"

"By the holy light of Celestia, are you daft? You would guard the moon. It only brings out the wicked in ponies, those that can not stand the light of Her love. Look how she shies away from the light. LOOK!!!"

Damn that Canterlot voice....

"This newly formed group will have to work hard to gain your respect to the same degree of the Solar Guard, so in order to begin on that long, hard road, I present to you my first initiate, to challenge in honored combat one of the members of the Solar Guard so he may prove himself.”

“I bring before you, Raegdan, First Guardsman of the Lunar Guard!”

"WHAT THE BUCK IS THAT!" Oh, you should have heard the arena. You would have thought that Discord himself just walked in. Everypony in my section was stating their displeasure of this Raegdan standing before us. This oddly shaped creature, standing erect on two legs. Covered in what appeared to be plate armor. Fool, how can you even move let alone fight with all of that bulk.

"Klang"

"Oh my Sun, that was hilarious. a rock, a simple rock nearly brought it down."

Now why is it waving at our Sun, and not bowing? This Raegdan thing has no respect for our princess! Now what is it doing? Oh, finally bowing to the Sun. Bucker, it just picked up the same rock that hit him. Why is it holding the rock like that, is it praying or something, offering up the rock as a-

"thud"

There is a very distinct sound of a pony in their armor when they collapse. Luckily, the sounds of many hooves came to the aid of that stricken guard. I could see from my seat the dent in the chest plate of his armor. It was the size of my hoof. Can that thing have magic after all? it just looked like it was doing an offering dance with the rock in its hand, then bang, the guard goes down. I've just about had enough of this animal. First you disregard the Sun, you look like midnight incarnate, and then you attack a guard for no reason. Please Celestia let me get my hooves on it, and remove it from your beauty.

“How dare you dispute the efficiency of my personal entourage! This will not stand! My Lunar Guardsman is twice as good, NO, thrice as good as any of your pitiful excuses for warriors! And we shall prove it here and now.”

"Choose three of your best, one of each tribe. Raegdan shall face them in combat, all three of them against him at the same time.”

I could almost make out the smile from Commander Ray, he knew what a chance he was being offered. I could see him scanning the arena for ponies. When he was rounding one side, I saw him signal another unicorn from the crowd. In a flash of light, the unicorn was three feet from the commander and saluting.

He made is way over to the arms tables and began looking over the selections. He was nearing my seat and signaled my way, but above me. I turned around to see a pegasus mare in her Solar armor standing at attention. She nodded her head, saluted with her wing, and took off from her spot, only to land next to the unicorn at the arms tables.

Damn, they passed me by. He signaled a earth pony about two sections to my left, one of last year’s initiates. The pony stood to salute but slipped on some hay fries, and slid down four rows of seats breaking a leg. I could hear the Commander’s face hoof from my seat.

He shook off the incident and was about to move on, but he stopped. He snapped a one-eighty, and marched back my way.

Our eyes met. He could see the desire of victory in them. I rose to my hooves, saluted. I turned to my mare and foal to give them a kiss.

"Daddy will be back soon."

“Ok, daddy,” my little angel says. “I love you.” My wife just nods, and smiles at me. She knows to trust me.

"Watch your flank out there, Heavy."

"I will, bro. I always do."

Commander Steadfast Ray was waiting at the tables when I arrived. He looked at all of us. "Kill it! This "Lunar Guard" ends here, today, under Her Sun with our Princess watching. Show the Nightmare the error of her ways!"

We all snapped to attention. "Sir, yes sir." No words were exchanged between us, just silent gestures, and nods of either acceptance or disagreement. I didn't know these ponies all that well, but we are the Solar guard. We are one.

It was a odd choice for the unicorn, for he chose not to get any armor or weapons. He went over to the Commander and looked to mention something, which I could not hear. I guess the Commander agreed, and they saluted each other. My teammate then found a clear spot with some grass, sat down on all four legs, and closed his eyes. What a time to take a nap.

It's then that I feel it in my hooves. He's meditating. I could feel his magic. This stallion must be good. If I can feel the vibrations from here, this Raegdan stands no chance.

Hmm, what for me. Sword, no. Flail, nope. Warshoes, oh good, a full set. Let me just, Oh Yes, Daddy likes. Nice sharp edge, good weight. Yep, these will work. I can really feel the earth, that warm soothing feeling of trust. Something you can hold on to, and become a true pillar of strength to support the nation, a plinth, just like my mark.

"Shlink, Shlink"

Oh very nice! Our air support just chose a pair of what they call "slicers". Those shoes are made just for pegasi. Light, strong, and very, very sharp. I've seen what these things can do to manticores with a fast dive. Decapitation. They make griffin talons look like butter knives.

I glance behind us to see it sitting back in the shade of a cloud talking to Twilight Sparkle before moving to the center of the arena. How does it know the Sun’s student, and the Elements? I can feel the throb of anger in my hooves and the earth responding, filling me with calm determination. 'Soon, my pony. Your time comes'.

"Oh, hello lovely"

I pick up a solid pickax, in my mouth. I give it a few test swings. Feels good. I trot over to a sparring dummy with some old Royal guard armor. Rearing back, and with a downward strike, I pierce the helm of the dummy. All six inches of the pick are embedded in the head of the dummy.

Perfect.

"Very nice, lets get to work"

The pegasus came up beside me, admiring the number I did on the dummy. The unicorn was nodding his agreement on her right.

"Yes, let get this over with."

I turned so I was looking at the other two, we all nodded in agreement. A hoof was thrust out. "The Sun will Rise"

Three hooves met together, in a sound of metal clop.

"THE SUN WILL RISE"

We moved as a unit to the far side of arena putting it between us and our Princess.

I took up the center spot with the unicorn and pegasus as my flankers. Standard formation, as if taking down a manticore or some other beast. We had all been drilled in those extremely well those last few months.

We were ready. It's time!

We all looked up to Her beauty and bowed in unison. She is pure in her radiance. It will be an honor to remove this darkness from her sight.

It stood there in its inky darkness looking like a spawn of Tartarus itself. It felt as if all of Her glorious light was sucked into the nothingness around it. I could not see its expression with that demonic helmet it wore, but it reeked of cockiness. The foul imagery on its armor sickened me. It proclaimed its evil allegiance for all of us to see.

It was raising its upper legs, limbs perpendicular to its body, almost as if trying to summon another beast from beyond. The pegasus next to me smirked at the sight for some reason.

Our Highness nodded, time to begin...

By the time Her head came to a stop, the pegasus launched nearly vertical and was already preparing an attack run. I marveled at her speed. With just a few wing beats she was already behind it and coming down fast with the sun to her back. It suspected nothing.

I nodded to the unicorn. He would stay back and snipe it from here with his magic. I gripped my ax in my mouth and charged into the fray. One from behind, and myself closing in from the front. We will mash it in middle.

I slowed my run. I didn't want to chance those slicers getting into me. I wanted to time my hit just right. If she could stick it in the back and knock it down, I can come in and pierce the helm.

All Glory to the Sun.

With a sudden movement of its legs and arms, as if teleporting in place, I heard a loud "WHAP". How in the buck did it knock her out of the sky, it should have been blindsided! Dark magic. It has to be dark magic, nothing on Equis can move like that. The Nightmare had granted her creature with evil gifts.

My turn...

I rose up on to my hind legs and took a swing at the center of its body, only for it to step back, making me miss my mark. I pressed the attack on all four hooves. Damn that cursed metal disk, hiding behind it like a foal or moving like back like a coward. How does it move like that, was that armor enchanted to be as light as fabric?

After my third hit to that disk, I felt the earth whisper "turn". On my next swing he dodged the ax, but I turned around on my front legs, and with all I could pull from the earth, I bucked it as hard as I could with my rear legs.

I felt my shoes hit solid metal, and I pushed HARD, fully extending my legs as we were taught to, and followed through the buck.

I looked over my left shoulder to see I hit that bucking disk again, but it was stumbling, trying to right itself on those two pathetic legs only to fall to the ground.

I raised my head when I heard the cracking sound of a spell, only to see a beam of energy released from the horn of the unicorn. From the way the air was crackling, it was a strong spell.

Seeing another opening I charged at it again behind the spell. I saw that the spell tore open a deep fissure in the dirt. The unicorn had missed. How did that thing move that fast? This abomination has got to go.

It looked dazed. Good. With every hoof fall, I pull as much energy I could, to deliver the strongest blow my body would allow. Huffing, panting, the taste of varnished wood in my jaw, nearly biting it in half from exertion, I turned and made a text book buck of both rear hooves.

"DING"

Nice, solid contact, Celestia be praised.

I spun back around to face it, ready to charge in, and deal a heavy blow with my axe, only to have the pegasus drop in and nearly skewer it on her blades. She hit only dirt as it rolled to its side once again, barely avoiding them. She hit the ground so hard that she got stuck in the earth. Well, you don't see that every day.

The unicorn shot another spell at the moving darkness, causing it to get down on hooves and knees, after almost getting up right. Its movements were getting desperate. I charged in, seeing a perfect opportunity to land a blow to its side. I swung as hard as my neck could, feeling the spiked end of the axe pierce the armor. I twisted the pickax just so, and pulled it out, trying to take as much fur and flesh as I could.

I was rewarded with a loud cry of pain when I pulled the axe free, spraying its blood all over its metal and my face. I drew first blood. May the Sun shine on my ancestors for their aid.

The sounds of clashing metal, more grunting of pony effort, and shouts of pain from a foe brought me back to the now.

Pain, the cries of pain from the darkness, the sight of hoofblades piercing that disk of metal, and the flow of the enemy’s life blood. We will cleanse the world of this thing. We all knew the tales, we had all seen it strut in her home. We all knew of its sin.

With its free hoof it knocked the pegasus off of him, rose up, and like a drunk pony, he staggered a few steps back. It had lost track of all of us in the heat of the moment. It could not keep up. I glanced back towards my family, giving them a quick nod. A minute more, and this would be over. My sweet filly would live in a world that was a little brighter for my actions this day.

It stood there looking at us, standing straight for its kind, I guess. The metal disk lied on its left leg, with the war hammer on its right. Just standing there.

Blood, still dripping from the wounds it has just received started to pool in the dirt. Silence, the only sounds to be heard were those of the short quick breaths of the three Guards. But it, its breaths were long and steady as if preparing. Though we could see the eye slits in its helm, we could not see the eyes of the beast. This was worrisome.

We all glanced at each other as to say "what's it doing". Something was wrong. Something had radically changed here.

The two of us backed off, to form up with the unicorn.

Suddenly it charged. Using its disk as some sort of battering ram, it raised it to the front of him and ran at us. It roared something, a strange word that gave me shivers. More black magic?

The pegasus launched back into the air, feeling that the sky may be a safer place to observe, and strike again.

I lowered my head and charged to meet it. Running all out, each hoof grabbing the earth to propel me faster, to make me hit harder, to...

"Crunch"

Where the buck am I? Why do I taste copper? I, I can't breath through my nose. I can't feel my legs. Oh, hello pretty blue sky, umm, nice, warm sun. For a few moments all I know is darkness, broken apart by her light, before it returns again.

I return to her Sun for good when I hear the tortured screams.

What was that? I flop to my side and what I see is horrific. That beast has the pegasus down beneath him. Grinding his metal knees in to her wings. I can hear the bones grinding on metal and dirt. My teammate is the one who is screaming, her torment echoing in my ears. It’s enjoying itself on her pain. Stop. Stop. STOP.

I get to my hooves, and try to shake the last of the blood from my snout, clearing the tears from my eyes, and bellowing "NEIGH" I make my challenge known. I've lost my axe, I can't move my jaw, but I still have my hooves. I am dizzy, but I can stand. This monstrosity will fall. This is what I do. This is my life. I am the rock on which my family and teammates stand. I am a defender of her Grace. I am a Solar Guard.

I charge yet again, chanting "The Sun will Rise". I run straight at it, to end this nightmare. For my family. For the Solar Guard. For the Sun. I focused my blurred sight on its legs. Where the legs go, it goes. I will not miss. I have him.

This is going to be the end of......

The stallion was launched sideways. One of his forelegs got in the way of the hammerhead and it shattered like dry twig. His ribcage caved in. He landed with another of his legs leading the way, snapping as he crashed and slid on the dirt. Over where the Guards family members sat, there was a loud shriek.