There was a soft mumbling next to him. Nathaniel wasn't sure how long he had been asleep, nor could he tell if he was still injured. The man opened his eyes and hissed as light hit them, a window right in front of him. It took the human a few seconds to look again, his vision now more accustomed to the light. The room Nate found himself in was unknown to him. It reminded him of a hospital ward, with rows of beds to his left and right.

The ward had white walls and a white floor. It all looked very sterile to the young man who noticed a couple of figures standing to his right. One of them was Healer Nightingale, the hooded mare giving him a stern glare. She seemed pissed about the human being injured again. He tried to sit up but only hissed in pain, being forced to lay down by the healer.

"You're very lucky to be alive Guardian Sol. You were so low on magic that healing potions barely worked! Beyond that you suffered from more broken bones and bleeding wounds. I cannot be here to patch you up every time you run away to do something foolish!" She said and moved out of the way as a mare dressed in a white gown walked up to his side.

"I am the head mistress of this ward. You have been asleep for a few days honored guardian" The mare said with a smile and pulled off the blanket covering Nathaniel's body.

The man was covered in bandages, again. The worst part was his chest, the entire thing bound thing by the white straps. The teen had some on his arms and legs as well, the appendages looking very bruised. He didn't want to know how his chest looked after the kick Nightmare had delivered to his torso.

The thought about the corrupted mare made him fly out of bed, his body screaming at him to rest. Nathan needed to find Luna, he needed to make sure she was ok. Healer Nightingale stopped him before the man could take a single step, holding up a hoof. Her rainbow coloured eyes glared at him, Nate sighing.

"I need to see Luna, Healer Nightingale" The man said, the white robed mare shaking her head.

"No you are not. She will come to you, not the other way around. You will actually rest this time" His caretaker said and forced him back into bed.

For the next couple of hours the head mistresses and Nightingale checked the human's wounds. They removed the bandages from his arms and Nathaniel looked upon the marks left by the spell. The green eyed man had a chain pattern on his forearms, burnt into his skin by the spell. It looked like he had been branded like cattle, which was most likely what spell had been used for once. It was terrifying for him to see what the spell had left behind, just how much damage it could do to him. Nathan could feel his hands shaking at just the thought.

"Be calm Guardian Sol. Within the walls of Canterlot you are safe" The headmistress told him.

"Canterlot?" Nate asked her and she nodded.

"Our capital and greatest city" She smiled, backing away from the bed to allow Healer Nightingale to work.

The assassin looking mare grabbed a few potion flasks from a wooden table next to him, giving him a bottle with a yellow liquid inside. Her green mane and yellow coat fit with the strange liquids in all the flasks. The human raised his hand to decline the disgusting looking liquid, only for Nightingale to push it into his face. The bottle smelled horrible, like a mix of dead fish and rotten eggs.

"If you want your body to heal all that damage within a week you will drink that" She said, poking his chest.

"Fine I'll take it" The man hissed out and opened the bottle.

The smell hit him like a wall, making him gag. But with the stern healer watching him the man started to drink from the potion. It tasted better than it smelled, yet it still felt like his tongue was on fire as he drank it. Once he finished with the bottle his sore chest felt a little better, but the pain remained. The teen was then handed a glass of water by the mare by his bed, allowing him to clear his throat.

"We will leave and take care of the other patients. You were not the only one that got injured by the evil force sadly. While we're gone we advise you sleep honored Guardian, your body is screaming out for rest" The headmistress said with a smile and left the room.

"We will allow visitors once we're certain you do not show any signs of Corruption disease and when you're strong enough. Do not walk around alone, do not annoy any other patents that will be brought in here and for the love of Faust rest. We want you to be able to defend us again in the future Guardian Sol" Healer Nightingale said with a smile and followed the headmistress out a door to the left.

The man was left alone in the large ward, sun shining in from the windows. He laid his head back and closed his eyes, letting his mind wander. For the first time in a long while the young man started to meditate, feeling the creatures around him. The human could feel other patients below him, some feeling weak while others felt stronger. The words he pinpointed to most of them were things like: "bravery", "selflessness" or "valiance". Nate assumed he was in some sort of military hospital, which made him sigh.

Nathaniel just wanted to see his friends. The last thing he had seen before he passed out was Luna's tired eyes. The man wanted to stand up and just get out of the room, but for once he decided to listen. After so many days of constant fighting was his body to tired to go on. He needed rest, and so did his friends. Nate just hoped Luna was unharmed by the demon as it tore itself from her body. She had seemed to weak when she laid there on the ground. He suppressed a shudder and let go of his magic. Now it was time to rest, no need for him spy on others.

With a relaxed exhale the Lunar Guardian fell asleep, his calm breathing soon filling the room. What he didn't notice was the pony suddenly by his bed side, looking down at him. The pony had the built of a smaller stallion and a long white horn poked up from under a grey hood. The figure watched him for a good few seconds before nodding to himself, like he approved. Then the pony was gone, the sleeping human in the bed none the wiser.

Rose's POV

I walked down the halls of Canterlot castle with a frown on my muzzle. I could feel the bandages around my back and belly, holding my wings in place. Both of them had been broken, the bones shattered as I hit the ground far below the window. I had been in indescribable amounts of pain, only feeling better after a few minutes of calm breathing. I would have preferred to stay on the ground in those moments of pain, but Nathan needed me.

By the time I managed to drag myself into the garden it was almost over. Celestia had dispatched of the demonic entity, leaving princess Luna and our human friend passed out on the ground. The next few hours went by like a blur for me, being forced to sleep with a potion so the healers could work on me. I could only remember a few details before I was forced to take the red liquid, one of them being Celestia passing out.

It was hard to believe at first, but after the battle it seemed all our best warriors were drained. I was given more information after I woke up, one of the biggest news being that Celestia had skipped her royal duties for one day. I found it amusing how the nobles got so worked up about both our leaders needing time to rest. It was like watching frustrated crows, unable to dig into their favorite meal.

My eyes followed a leaf flying by outside the window, the green sign of summer making me smile. The day was peaceful considering everything that was happening in the world. For a moment I could forget about the griffins, my broken wings and the thousand duties that waited on me once I walked into the Guardian Headquarters. I wanted to go outside and feel the breeze, but I had wasted enough time.

I kept walking down the large hallway until I stood in front of a familiar wooden door, a wooden door that had been in Everfree castle a few days earlier. Nathaniel's mark was still carved into its middle, but now were all our cutie marks carved into the sides of the thing as well. I could even see Guardian Solstice and Guardian Xian's cutie marks on the door, one black sun and one white helmet.

"So, it seems we are no longer divided" I said and opened the door, looking at the large room before me.

There were many desks in the former medical facility, all of them having stacks of letters and unfinished reports on them. I saw how the Solar Guardians had organized their desks, all important papers sorted by date and value. I looked upon my own desk with a small giggle, seeing how chaotically it all looked. The tablecloth on the brown wooden table was blue with Luna's cutie mark on it, marking my workspace as the Lunar princess business. But all the papers on the desk didn't make it look lie the seat of power of a Guardian.

"Have they allowed us to talk with Nathaniel yet?" Osiris voice called out from behind me, making me turn around to the open door.

"No, not yet. Healer Nightingale claims he still needs rest, and I believe her" I told the golden furred stallion who nodded in response.

"All of this couldn't have come at a worse time. We have enemy forces so close to our borders, our leaders are tired, the soldiers are spread thin and the Lord Protector is missing" He said and walked to his desk.

There were seven desk in total. Three for each member of the Lunar Guardians and three for each member of the Solar Guardians. The last desk stood in the middle of the round room, the six others three meters away from it in a circle. That was Silver Wing's desk, the Lord Protector's seat of power. I could only marvel at the gold runes applied to the desk's edges, the shining metal making my eyes grow wide.

"Those are the runes of the princesses father. We should not stare" Osiris said and I shock my head.

"It won't hurt looking at them" I told him and looked over the desk in more detail.

The white wood contrasted sharply with our own brown desks. Yet it was the book that laid on it that drew most of my attention. I couldn't read the title, as the language was unfamiliar to me, but the thing just radiated power. What was thing thing? I reached out and tried to open it, Osiris grabbing my hoof.

"While I don't actually mind looking closer at the desk, that book is off limits" The southern stallion said.

"Can you read the title?" I asked him and he nodded.

"It's Desert Speech, old dialect as well. But yes, I can read it" He told me and shuddered.

"What does it say then?" I asked, letting my hoof touch the book.

"Applied magical theory in the dark arts" Osiris said with a frown.

"What!?" I hissed and backed away from the desk, the stallion doing the same.

"Sounds like a book our fallen king would read. Yet Crystal Sword wouldn't have been allowed in here, which means Silver Wing took this book here by himself" I heard Osiris mutter.

"For what reason? He can't cast magic, with or without his fancy spear" I growled and glared at the book.

Dark magic had almost gotten Nathan and Luna killed. Dark magic was the reason for the Corruption disease in our land. Dark magic was only meant for those with demon blood, nopony else could control it like a Shadow Pony. I only left the desk behind and looked over the reports on my own table.

"Silver Wing have always gone with the rule to fight fire with fire. Perhaps he just wanted to be prepared for the next time" Osiris said and walked to his desk.

"Perhaps" I admitted and started to write my names on a few papers.

An hour past relatively quickly after that. Our piles of works were soon smaller and the thoughts about the book was forgotten. I had never liked dark magic, not even in its controlled state. I knew that the trained mages could control it, that they didn't give into the corruption easily. But mages like Sombra? He had seen a way to gain needed power and become one with the disease, his body crystal. Becuase of his actions would the already tense relationship with Shadow ponies and our people come to a head.

"Oh the kid is gonna love this" I head Osiris say and I looked to the desk furthest to my right, the third Lunar Guardian belonging there.

The stallion held up a medallion with the Lunar Guardians mark on it. Finally, the real sign that Nathan was a Guardian. Celestia must have kept it from the human believing he would screw up. But now the monarch had proof, the medallion a sign of trust. I smiled and motioned for the stallion to follow me.

"We're giving this to Nate, now" I said and my fellow Guardian nodded.

Celestia's POV

The sun and moon had felt so heavy these last few days. I have always had a hard time controlling them both, but that was when Luna could help me if I felt tired. Now I was forced to move the Celestial bodies alone, my sister to weak to even get out of bed. I should have been angry, saddened or maybe afraid over the fact that she was so drained by the whole ordeal. But all I could feel was relief.

I had almost lost her. I had almost lost Luna. The mere thought made my stomach turn. How could I have been so blind? I had focused all my time on protecting her, protecting our nation. I had taken each step in a calm manner and never tried to agitate the other kingdoms. I tried to make sure that nothing would take another sibling away from me, yet I failed. Luna had fallen to the corruption and the human had managed to save her. The human saved my sister, not me.

That fact stung. Nathaniel hadn't been more than another possible threat in my eyes for a long time, a creature from a realm of war. I had hated knowing Luna was alone with the creature out on the sea, in other nations. Yet she kept sending home reports about his progress, about how she was starting to grow fond of "Nathan". It didn't help calm my nerves, if anything it made me more paranoid.

What if he was just pretending? What if he was just waiting for the right moment to strike? Would he try to force himself on her sweet little sister? Try to eat her with his teeth made to chew flesh!? I knew I had started to hyperventilate just thinking about those emotions again, but slowly I felt some kind of calm wash over me. It had not only been Luna's reports that made me slowly start accepting the human's presence near my sister. Guardian Osiris and Guardian Thorn had both vowed to watch over Luna, and by doing so they watched over Nathaniel. Osiris and Rose had spoken about the human like he was a friend.

I was slowly starting to believe it. Maybe I could relax, maybe the world wasn't after hurting my sister? It was then I got Silver Wing's letter. The Lord Protector's words had almost seemed to pass through me except for three of them. "Luna, Corruption, Dying". They stuck to my mind like glue, causing my world to come crashing down. I had failed to protect her. Not even the best warriors I had could push away the darkness.

My rage became directed to the human when they returned. I needed some sort of scapegoat, something to blame all evil on. I didn't want to hit an enemy that wasn't there. I didn't want to accept the fact that this was my fault. I had done everything in my power to protect Luna, which had lead to my baby sister dying in bed. I had felt so powerless in that moment, so angry. Why couldn't I get it right? We had lost our brother so I made sure nothing like that would happen to Luna. But by doing so I caused the very thing that transformed her into a monster.

Had I simply thrown Major Fury in a cell this would never have happened. I knew that all my distrust for the human came from a place of reason, or at least I thought it did once. I looked out my window as the sun shimmered down upon the world, making me smile a little. I had feared the human, I still did to a point. He had great power and his kind seemed to be masters of war. But I had been afraid for too long. I had let the nobles concerns and my paranoia get to me. It was time to finally stop being afraid.

"Guard" I said, a mare in golden armor poking her head in through the door.

"Your Highness?" She asked with a bow.

"Once Guardian Sol has rested he's allowed to see my sister. Make sure the guards near the medical wing knows this" I commanded her, the guard nodding and closing the door.

Nathaniel Sol had saved my sister life. I had to accept that and show him gratitude, or surely something worse would come from the skies. I knew that the griffins were on their way, but that didn't really matter. I had to fix my mistake before I could face Guto. I had to prove to myself that fear no longer controlled my actions. I growled at the thought of the griffin soldiers, having mercilessly tortured and killed the captain of the Golden Stallion.

Betrayal hurt. I had never even thought Guto capable of such an action, to start a war with the world. I had heard about the Dragon Lord's demise, about the green fire from the sky and about the Lord Protector's attempt to gather allies. It was inspiring how far that stallion was willing to go for my nation, how loyal he was. All of the reports scared me, made me uncertain to my people's future. But all I needed was to think of a human ready to die for my sister and those worries washed away. He would not fail her like I did, of that I was certain.

Nathaniel's POV

Nathaniel looked at the small campsite in confusion. The makeshift shelter stood there with snow piling up on its wooden roof. The wooden log he had dragged to the fire place was still there. In the ring of stones a small fire lit up the clearing Nate had called home for three months. Was he finally free? Had it all been some kind of dream?

No. This was not right. His campsite had been ransacked by the Equestrian soldiers, seeking for proof of some sort of crime. After months with Luna and the others there would be nothing left here, his former home was gone. With that thought the young man threw some snow onto the fire and looked down to see his old suit on his body. It came as a shock to look at the piece of clothing after such a long time. Had he really worn this a few months prior? Nathaniel felt a lot better with a sword on his hip now than a tight jacket strangling his movements.

Almost as if his surroundings obeyed him the human found himself in the Captain's Quarters of the Golden Stallion. The sounds of seagulls almost made him calm now, the salty smell of the ocean making him smile lightly. This was better, this was closer to his companions. This was closer to Luna.

"We have changed you. Haven't we Nathaniel?" A familiar female voice called out from behind the man.

Nathan turned around to see Luna entering the cabin through the two doors leading out to the deck. Only white light was behind her, like nothing else was there. This had to be a dream, nothing was really making sense. Yet, if this was a dream that meant Luna was truly here. Luna was safe, she was alive!

Before the mare had time to react the young man had hugged her, resting his chin on her shoulder. The alicorn didn't say anything for a long time, simply letting her hoof run down the human's long black hair. It was a sign of comfort, a well earned thank you. Nate let her go after a while, smiling at her.

"Yeah, I've changed a bit" The green eyed man admitted and Luna smiled back at him.

"You used to dream about running back to that place. I never interfered with those dreams, but I saw them still very clearly. I imagined you would be able to sleep peacefully if you could be there, but then you wanted to come here instead. Why? You have done your part Guardian Sol, you have proven that you are no monster. Why remain?" Luna asked him and walked over to the tea set in the room.

"What kind of Guardian would I be if I abandoned my charge?" He responded and the mare almost dropped the tea cup she hovered his way.

The princess of the Night looked at him for a long time with a smile on her muzzle. She then sat down in a comfortable chair and sipped on her tea, the young man smiling at the sight. He had said this was peaceful, hadn't he? Nathaniel did the same, the tea actually not tasting anything. But I still made him feel warm. After a while Luna looked down onto the floor, looking thoughtful.

"If freedom no longer is your sole motivation Nate, whats is?" She asked him as the world suddenly became light.

He woke up to the sound of talking outside the double doors to his left. The human felt a lot better than before, allowing him to stand up and looking over his body. It still hurt to look at his bandaged arms, the pain still all too real. Did Luna know Nightmare had done this to him? Nate hoped deep down that was not the case, as the knowledge that she had hurt him to such a degree wouldn't help her recover.

It was then the dream came back to him. Luna had entered his dream and made him feel at peace for a few minutes. Or maybe it had been hours? It was hard to know for how long he had slept, the sun still up in the sky. Yet his sleeping schedule didn't matter as much to him as much as Luna's words did. She had said something that made him think, about his time spent with the ponies. Did he still crave freedom?

The answer was yes. The young man still wanted to be released from the spell but he no longer sought his camp in the woods. Nathan didn't know when it had happened, but he no longer envisioned freedom as living alone with Blaze. Freedom had taken on a new shape for him, one he couldn't quite pin down. Before it had been an easy thing to simply plan for the day he could leave Luna's servitude. Now? He didn't really know anymore. It wasn't easy to imagine himself living alone after meeting his friends.

Nathan got up out of bed and saw some clothes resting on the counter next to it. They were simple dark blue robes, Luna's cutie mark engraved on its arms. The human gladly took them and got dressed. The soft material was the perfect thing he needed, armor and animal skin having taken its toll on his skin. Once dressed Nate walked to the doors and stepped outside from the medical ward, being met by a spear aimed at his chest.

"Oh, my apologies honored Guardian. We thought you were one of those suffering from corruption sickness" The grey furred guard said and lowered her weapon.

"We have been given the order to take you to princess Luna. You can decline but we imagine you don't want to" Another guard said, her green fur sticking out like a sore thumb in the white halls.

"Yes please. I need to see her" The young man said and they both nodded.

The next ten minutes were spent walking through a new maze of halls and doors. Nathaniel was starting to wonder if there was an end to the castle when they suddenly stood before a pair of black doors. A full moon was glowing a soft white on the entrance to Luna's chambers, indicating that this was indeed the princess of the night's quarters.

"We will take our leave. Guardian Thorn and Osiris will be notified about your whereabouts" One of the mares accompanying him said and walked off, her fellow guard following suit.

The green eyed man opened the door immediately after they had walked around a corner. The dark room was suddenly lit up by the two doors swinging open. The light revealed a large square room with bookshelves on both Nate's left and right side. In the middle of the room however laid a large bed with a tired Luna looking at him with a smile. Her mane and tail didn't flow like they used to, now clinging to her body.

"Hello Nathan" Luna said and the human hurried over, hugging the alicorn for real this time.

"You're alive.. I thought that maybe it was just a normal dream.. But no. You're alive" The teen said and she smiled.

"I am, and I couldn't have asked for a better savior" The mare smiled and nuzzled the human's head.

For a few seconds they just hugged, Nathaniel feeling true relief over seeing the mare back to her usual self. When they finally broke away she smiled at his new clothes. Her hoof ran over the soft material that made up the robes arms, seeing the bandages underneath. For a moment Luna looked devastated, lighting her horn to reveal the scars over the teen's arms. The visible burn marks from the magical chains screamed of pain.

"Did I do this to you?" The princess whispered out and looked at the pattern over Nathan's skin.

"You didn't do this. That thing did." The man said adamantly, wrapping the bandage around his arm once more.

"I swore to myself to never harm you. Yet I did so anyway.." She said with a sad sigh, looking up at the human.

"And I swore an oat to keep you safe. Yet you got stabbed and nearly died because of it. No matter how much someone wants to we can't always keep a promise" He responded and sat down on the bed.

For a few moments they just sat there. A maid walked in and bowed before them, bringing out two tea cups. Luna had used tea in the dream to make him feel calm, it still worked in the waking world. He and the princess were both given a cup before the maid walked out, waiting for an invisible sign to bring in more. Nathaniel happily drank the warm liquid which warmed his stiff body. It tasted like blueberries.

"The griffins have declared war then" Luna said as they finished the cup of tea.

"Yeah.. I guess they did.." He responded slowly.

How should he even comprehend that fact? Nate had only been a Guardian for a few months. He was still being taught how to fight and his magical powers weren't all powerful. His only advantage was Valkyrie. But what would happen once he lost the hammer in a battle? It made him bite his lip and close his eyes. Maybe it wouldn't be such a good idea to tell Luna just how terrified the prospect of a war was to him.

Nathan had seen images of war zones on TV back on earth. Nations destroyed, thousands dead and everything on fire. Would that happen to Equestria? It was something terrible to imagine, to think of the beautiful nation as a destroyed conquered colony. Perhaps King Guto wouldn't even take slaves, maybe he just wanted death. The mere thought of someone starting a war for such purposes made his blood boil.

"I will convince Celestia to release you from that spell. You have no reason to fight in a war that is not your own. This is between us and Guto, so once that spell is removed you are allowed to go back home" She stated and he shook his head.

"'Home.. And where is that exactly? It isn't back in that clearing anymore. Not after all of this, not after saving your life" Nathan said with a small grin.

"Do you claim to no longer desire freedom from us?" Luna asked him in confusion and Nathaniel shrugged.

"After everything that has happened I don't think my freedom is as important as not getting killed by an angry griffin army" The man shuddered and the mare couldn't help but to laugh.

"Nathaniel Sol.. A creature forced into servitude yet staying out of fear for death. I hoped we would never have to put you though something like this. I never wanted you to fight in a war. I never wanted a lot of things for you" She said and looked at the floor.

There was more silence between them, the bound human and weak princess just feeling a moment of peace in a time or crisis. Nathan decided to slowly pet the mare's head as the seconds passed, wanting to comfort her. She nuzzled into the hand on her head and they just sat there, two friends reunited. It was a strange feeling to have almost lost Luna, with the mare right next to him acting like a content cat. The alicorn smiled at him as he petted her, that smile causing him to feel even more relieved.

Nate had almost failed in bringing her back. He had almost failed in saving the one creature on this planet that cared for him. He almost felt guilty feeling those emotions with the rest of the squad clearly having accepted him. But Luna was just different, another kind of friend. She had captured him but been willing to give him a chance. She had brought him to Starswirl to teach him magic. She had been the one to throw herself into danger just to save his life. Luna had gone beyond what she owned him, and deep down the mare knew that.

"Kid! You're alive! I thought they had decided to just bury your dead ass under a rock and not tell us" Osiris voice called out into the room as the Lunar Guardian entered through one of the open doors.

"Princess, I can assure you that he cried when they were uncertain if you were cured or not" Rose's voice chimed in as she entered the room with the stallion.

"I can assure you both that I am perfectly fine. I just need some time to rest that is all" The princess said calmly and looked at both the other guardians.

Luna then sighed with a smile forming on her muzzle. She stood up and to Nathan's surprise walked up to both Rose and Osiris, giving them each a hug. It was a simple a gesture, a childish gesture if the nobles could voice their opinion about it, but it was meaningful all the same.

"Thank you both for saving me in my darkest hour" The alicorn said and the sanguine saluted her with a grin.

"It's our job princess. We swore an oath, one we intend to keep" The bat-pony responded, Osiris following her lead.

"To serve, protect, and shield our charge from harm" The golden coated stallion quoted.

"I thank you all for coming here, and I thank you all for saving my life. But I need rest unfortunately. I need to be able to discuss the current situation with Tia and our military leaders" Luna said and all three Guardians left the room, no questions asked.

The princess gave Nathaniel a small smile before she closed the door, leaving him outside with the rest of the Lunar Guardians. They all walked down the halls aimlessly and started to talk about random things, like nothing was wrong with the world. Osiris made a passing comment about some brothel, Rose mentioned something about the nobles and Nathan just listened with a smile.

"Oh right! Kid we have something for you" Osiris grinned and handed the human an item he never thought he would receive.

The pedant was beautiful, a blue moon hanging around the golden chain. It was the same kind worn by Rose and Osiris, the marking of a Guardian. The young man hung it around his neck and admired the gift, feeling like the world was finally cutting him some slack.

"Thank you.." He breathed out with a small smile and eyed the amulet.

"You shouldn't thank us kid. You should be the one who's getting praise" The stallion responded with a grin.

"You did good Nathaniel. Just like we all knew you would" The sanguine told him.

The young man grinned and nodded at the two. Before coming to Equestria he had never felt much pain or hardship. Nathaniel had broken his bones, been stabbed, impaled, blasted by magic, thrown into a cell, out through a magic maze and survived in the cold woods for three months. All of that was not memories the human was fond of. But through those pain filled moments Nate had found friendship. Osiris and Rose had proved to him time and time again that he was accepted as one of their own, a true Guardian.

"Let's go and get something to drink. I need to be drunk to handle the nobles" Osiris said and Rose nodded with a giggle.

"Yeah, I need something strong too. Those potions of whatever they forced me to drink tasted horrible" The man chimed in and his friends laughed, walking away to find a reliable bottle of Liquid Courage.

Silver Page's POV

I looked around the city of Canterlot with uncertainty. A dark hood hid my muzzle from the nobles walking around but my horns still poked through the soft material. I was uneasy by the condescending looks thrown my way by the rich stallions and mares. They all looked ready to attack if I got to close, like I was unclean. I could understand their fear however, as I was now a child of the corruption.

"Are you certain my Aunt have turned on us?" The voice of Crystal Sword asked me.

I turned my attention to the former king in front of me. His red mane hiding his eyes from me as he watched over the noble district. I could hear the pain in his voice however, the betrayal seemed to hit him hard. Then again, family was meant to have each others backs. First his father and now his aunt. I felt great pity for Crystal in that moment. Who else did he reallly have in that moment? His sister? She was still bedridden and weak after the corruption disease almost killed her.

"I am certain your majesty. She turned on the Lunar Guardians and tried to have me abducted" I said, my eyes looking at the ground.

"..I see" He responded and then kept walking, me following behind.

We had been getting many looks as we spoke. Before the nobles had been hostile but they soon seemed to recognize Crystal, looking more like hawks eyeing their prey. A chill ran down my spine as I watched their movements. They seemed to see opportunities everywhere, a chance to make a few bits. Here was a fallen king, let's get on his side and use what power he has left. They wanted him as a tool, a tool that had no other purpose than increase their power. How did the princesses stand all of them?

"I heard from Princess Celestia that news of the war is spreading. She will be forced to act soon, with or without allies" He told me and I nodded slowly.

"And princess Luna?" I asked him quietly.

"She is resting after the possession. Though for how long she'll need rest is anypony's guess". Not many have survived the corruption disease, especially if it was spreading from the heart. I guess the gods gave her their blessing" He responded with a smile.

"Yeah, I guess they did" I responded, my head hung low.

'Does that mean they cursed me then?' I thought, feeling my tail flick nervously.

Crystal Sword seemed to take notice of my bad moon. His eyes looked at me in pity before seemingly an idea hit the young king. He trotted over to one of the buildings to our right, it looked like some sort of expensive restaurant the nobles would visit. He spoke with another stallion for a few moments before returning to my side.

"I am taking you out to eat something later tonight. After everything that happened because of my family you deserve nothing less" He told me with a small smile.

I looked at him in surprise, my two yellow eyes fixated at the stallion in front of me. Why? He did not owe me anything. Crystal hadn't turned me into a monster. Crystal hadn't betrayed me in some way. Crystal hadn't ordered his aunt to abduct me. So why? What had I done to deserve anything like being a Royal Envoy or dining with the king of my homeland? It took me a few seconds to realize I was crying.

"Why?.." I asked him quietly.

"Because after everything you have gone though titles no longer matter. I am no longer king. You are no longer a mere maid. I am simply a stallion trying to apologize for the actions of those who won't" He told me and gave bowed his head.

"..Thank you.." I whispered out and he smiled.

"Let's go back to the castle for now. Celestia will need all the help she can get with the nobles" Crystal Sword said and looked around at the ponies moving towards the castle.

"Yeah, let's go" I said with a smile and trotted towards the castle gates with Crystal following me.

Celestia's POV

I looked over the gathered ponies in the throne room. Every noble family in Canterlot had showed up to hear what I would say. My mind had gone through every possible way to break the news to them, a way to tell that our nation was headed to war. There wasn't any easy way to say it. There wasn't a way to soften the blow of the words I said next.

"We are at war" I said and the entire room erupted into chaos.

While certainly many nobles knew by now about the griffin army being so close to our borders none of them really thought it was a true threat. My words seemed to have been the thing that confirmed their fears. Some tried to actually run out of the throne room only for my guards to force them back into the room, some started to pray while others simply awaited what I would say next.

"SILENCE!" Luna's voice suddenly cut through the chores of panicking nobles.

All of them suddenly turned to the mare sitting to my left. Her mane was braided and a silver crown sat around her head. She seemed to have saved up all her energy for these talks. I did not envy her, sitting here in a throne that felt heavy while the world seemed to burn in the background. But deep down I was happy that she was here, right by my side. I was not gonna lose her again.

"Our people are in danger and you hurry to flee the city!?" Luna growled at the nobles, all of them seemed to cover before the Lunar Princess.

"We tell you this in the hope that you will stand with Equestria in these perilous times. Our nation needs your help if we are to survive" I said, standing up to let my eyes fall upon all the nobles beneath our thrones.

"We need your private soldiers, we need your gold, we need your influence and we need your ships" Luna demanded from the crowds of ponies.

There was immediately outrage from most of the noble families. Many refused to give up their riches or to waste their time on "inspiring the peasants". I growled as I heard them all selfishly clinging on to their status and wealth. Me and Luna had given their grandparents and parents noble titles for actions deemed worthy of them. Had these ponies forgotten why they were born as a "Lord" or "Lady"?

"You have my support princess" A voice suddenly cut through the crowd.

The nobles parted the way for Crystal Sword and Silver Page. The succubus followed behind the former King with her head hung low. She seemed to fear all the glares they got as they headed for the two thrones. Many nobles whispered "traitors" as they passed, making Luna glare darkly at them. Who were the real traitors here?

"With what influence I have left I shall rally the people for your cause. We will not accept the Griffins acting this way. If they want a war they shall have one" The dark mage said and bowed, his eyes fixated on the ground.

Silver Page took his lead and I smiled. Two strangers to our kingdom and they were willing to serve anyway. They acted like the nobles should act, with honor and diligence. Why couldn't their parents have spoiled them less? I had been busy worrying over new dangers during our years in power to even take note of the spoiled attitudes among the nobles rising. Another thing I could add to the list of problems my fear had caused. If only Peace Treaty wasn't recovering, I need a voice of reason among these fools.

"We will happily take any help you can give us" Luna said with a smile and bowed her head at the two.

For many minutes me and my sister was forced to tell the nobles more and more information given to us by Silver Wing. They all reacted poorly to hearing about the loss of the Dragon Lord. His death had not been a good sign for our chances to survive the coming conflict, but we needed to be resilient. Our fleet was heading home and more and more soldiers were arriving at Canterlot's doors. I would not fail my people again. I would not fail Luna again.

My sister had managed to convince the nobles to give up on their gold as time passed in the chamber. They soon realized that their wealth would not protect them against Guto's forces. With more gold in our coffers we would be able to prepare for the coming battle, but with what? All ships close to our capital that was battle worthy was either owned by the nobles or they weren't finished. I had no idea how we would be able to hold them off for long.

The meeting concluded with conforming that the Dark Kingdom would be fighting for the Griffins. While many nobles reacted like it wasn't even surprising some looked genially confused. I knew that word traveled fast between the noble houses so our ally's betrayal wasn't unknown to most in the room. But once again me confirming a rumor made it seem more real to them all.

When it was finally all over Luna pulled me to the side. She looked incredibly tired but asked me to follow her to the human. My beloved little sister told me that it was finally time to release the human from his chains, and I agreed with a slow nod. I couldn't afford enemies any longer, it was time to look past fear and worst case scenarios. I would need allies for this battle and Nathaniel Sol would be one of them.

Nathaniel's POV

He looked at the two princess in confusion when they entered the room. The human had been drinking for a few hours with Osiris and Rose before they had shown him his new room. The place had been outfitted with a soft carpet for Blaze to sleep on, a large bed and a fireplace. But the bookshelves were the things that caught the human's attention the most in his drunken state. There had to be hundreds of them! And they were all for him?

Celestia and Luna both looked tired, like they had been working for hours. Wasn't this supposed to be their day off or something? As the human looked at the two he realized that Luna was not in bed. Why wasn't she in bed? The man thought she needed rest or something. With a mental shrug the teen took another sip from the bottle in his hands and leaned his head back against the wall. The bed was rather comfortable, so why leave it?

"Nathan, please put down the bottle" Luna said with a small smile, taking the liquor from the human's grasp with her magic.

"Come on I was using that!" He whined in response and groaned in annoyance.

"You'll need to stand for the spell to work human" Celestia told him and Nate looked at her with confusion.

"What spell?" He mumbled and rubbed his eyes, stretching out his body with a yawn.

"We will remove the servant spell from you. My sister had convinced me that it no longer belongs on your body" The Solar princess said with a sigh.

"Think of it as an apology for everything that happened. I put you in a lot of danger, so getting rid of those horrible chains is the least I can do" The midnight Alicorn said and lit up her horn.

For a few seconds Nathaniel had a hard time processing what they had said. When it finally dawned on him that they were releasing him from the magical chains his mouth went dry. Luna had promised him this at the start of their journey but deep down Nathan had never though Celestia would release him. The green eyed teen stood up and walked over to the two, Celestia giving him a nod.

"It requires the two of us to cast the spell. It requires the two of us to remove it" The white alicorn told him as the bandages on his arms were magically loosened.

Nate saw Luna flinch at the sight of the scars. Even when she had seen them earlier it didn't make it easier for her to look at them now. Celestia tried to look stoic as her golden aurora removed the bandages but the human could see her frown at the damage. Was this the same princess that had been ready to throw him in a prison cell a few months ago? Was this the same mare that had blamed him for Luna falling ill? There was guilt written all over her, both magically and physically.

Good. It meant she wouldn't try to hurt him again. Nathaniel almost wanted to laugh at the idea of the Solar princess trying to punish him, as Rose would most likely hit her if she did. His mind was a bit clearer from the alcohol since they had entered, but a few strange or indecent thoughts still flouted around in his mind, breaking his focus. Maybe the young man shouldn't drink a few bottles before bed next time.

"Thank you" He responded as both princesses called upon their magical powers.

The green magical chains once again appeared over the human's arms. They hovered there and itched to constrict his skin, wanting to leave new scars. It made him shiver as he remembered the cold numb pain those things had caused. Nothing else had hurt that badly since he arrived in Equestria, and the thought of something like that being on his body at all times made Nate feel sick.

The two Alicorns closed their eyes as their horns grew brighter and brighter. Nathaniel felt worry as he saw Luna's horn go out a few times but the princess of the night kept on anyway. Even with most of her energy and magic drained she was still ready to do this. She was ready to hold her promise to him. The human felt great happiness in that moment as cracks started to spread over the two dimensional chains.

'Freedom feels nice' The young man thought with a smile before the chains suddenly exploded with a green glow, lighting up the entire room for a few seconds.

When the man could see again he noticed that the chains were truly gone. Luna and Celestia watched the human run his hands over his scarred arm as if to see if the magical presence was truly gone. Once Nathaniel was certain he hugged Luna, resting his knees on the wooden floor. The Alicorn returned the embrace and looked to her sister who started to walk away from the room.

"You are hereby no longer a prisoner of the crown and for what its worth, I'm sorry for what had happened. You can leave whenever you want and the guards of the castle will not trouble you. If you want to remain as a Guardian then all privileges that entails is now yours. But I will not blame you if you run, as we face war" The princess said and left the room, leaving the human with Luna.

Nathaniel had been getting more sober as the hours passed, sitting on his bed with Luna and drinking tea. The liquid tasted like chocolate this time around. Not a favorite flavor for tea but the young man found it to be alright. The mare next to him had been for the most parts quiet since the tea had been delivered by a maid, just slowly sipping on the cup and contently resting her side against his. Nathan found it to be quiet nice.

"Will you stay? I know you've already answered this question, but I need to know for sure if you can handle what's to come" Luna said and looked at the pendant around Nate's neck.

"I'm not going anywhere. Where would I even run to? They wouldn't just stop if they had Equestria" The teen said and saw how the door to the room opened.

A grey blur hit the man square in the chest and knocked the breath out of his lungs. Yet the man could only laugh as familiar barks sounded out over the room. Blaze was apparently very happy to see him, the wolf licking Nathan's face. The Alicorn next to them giggled at the sight and laid down at the edge of the bed, allowing the human to play a bit with a very happy hound.

Once Nathaniel managed to force the happy wolf off his chest Luna was sleeping. The night was coming to an end and the young man hadn't gotten the sleep Healer Nightingale had ordered him too. But just looking at Luna's smiling face ensured him that it had been worth loosing a few hours of sleep.

Blaze jumped down from the bed and laid down on the fluffy carpet left for him on the floor. The wolf seemed content for the day and soon fell asleep as well. In the end that only left Nathaniel as the only creature awake in the room. The human pondered over grabbing one of the books from the shelves around him but quickly shot down the idea. He needed sleep after the long day. His body needed a few more hours of rest before he could try to fight again.

The idea of having to fight in a war still scared the young man. But seeing Luna's sleeping face made him quell those fears. If Nathaniel had to fight for his friends then he would do so. If he had to break another bone then he would do so. The human might not have wished for this path, but he had picked it nonetheless. After everything that had happened in these few months Nathan was not ready to see Equestria or Equees destroyed in a war. If he could help in any way to stop the destruction then he would do so.

With a sigh the teen blew out the candle providing light in the room and rested his head on the pillow. Sleep started to take him as he felt a warm mass lay down next to him and cuddle into his side. Thinking it was only the wolf seeking warmth the man ran a hand through the fur to the thing next to him. Knowing that tomorrow would be a better day the man fell asleep, never noticing the muzzle next to his head.

Celestia's POV

I felt ready to collapse when I opened one of the letters sent to me by a raven. I had been awake for far longer then my healers had advised, but I needed to read all of these reports. From all the letters I had read we seemed to have gathered ten thousand soldiers ready to fight. Five thousand of these were currently in Canterlot with the other five spread out over the nearby towns. Within the week we would be able to move all of them. But even with all of these brave ponies ready to fight was the enemy ten times larger, and that was without the Dark Kingdom's troops.

How will we survive this? I had always had countermeasures in place for possible conflicts but none of them would work against Guto's overwhelming forces. We needed our navy and Lord Protector back if we were to stand a chance against the invaders. We would need to start conscription of as many ponies as possible as well. Without more soldiers there wasn't any chance for us winning the war.

My thoughts were interrupted by my chamber doors slamming open, a guard hurrying inside. She looked deadly afraid and bowed quickly. All my senses were suddenly on high alert as she tried to form a sentence that made sense. I finally ordered the mare to take a few deep breaths and tell me what was so important. Deep down I think I knew what she was gonna say however.

"They have been seen by the coast! The ships have left soldiers on the beaches! They're here!" She yelled in fear.

Author's Notes:

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH this took way too long. I am posting this chapter being tired as all hell so there might be something strange about it, maybe not.

I hope you all have a good night's sleep as I'm gonna need it for school. Beyond that I hope you enjoyed the chapter and that your body is prepared for WAR! XD

I finally finished this chapter and even then I still didn't add some scenes with Guto or the Empress. I will be finally steering this story towards its ending now, even if its a few chapters off. But I hope you all have enjoyed the journey so far.

I also just noticed we have hit over 100 likes. I did not think I'd get this story that popular but hey, I'm not complaining. Thank you all for showing your support so far, it have helped me continue this story even if I'm feeling a bit down