Tears of a Fallen Star Ch5

Chapter 5
Two Orphans, Celestia, and New Recruits

                Commander Bolt stood at the summit of Dragon Mountain, overlooking Equestria. From here, he could see everything, from the Everfree Forest; to the Mild West all the way back to Canterlot, even the battleground near the Castle of the Royal Alicorn Sisters was visible from here. While Commander Bolt looked at the battlefield, he noticed that it looked like there was actually a battle happening now. How? Why? A battle taking place while Commander Bolt stands on a mountain watching? Commander Bolt tries to open his wings to fly, but they don’t budge. He tries as hard as he can but his wings refuse to open, it’s as if they were held to his side with magic. Commander Bolt looks over the edge of the mountain but there is no way down, the edge is nothing but a straight drop.

                Commander Bolt franticly tried to think of a way down, he doesn’t remember forming a battle plan at all, and without that, it could mean his army will fall. Just then Commander Bolt looks back at the battlefield. Something small and black just appeared and began to grow. Commander Bolt watches as it grows until he can identify it, “It’s a cloud but why and how did a cloud appear on the battlefield? Does somepony else know the Lightning Orb, and if so who?”
Commander Bolt couldn’t believe his eyes as the cloud began to grow bigger and bigger until it grey to be the size of Canterlot, “Celestia, help us.”

                Then the cloud started to discharge the Lightning Orb. Commander Bolt watched in horror, as everything starting with the Everfree Forest and the battlefield started to disintegrate. In an instant the Everfree Forest burned into a cloud of ash, next the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters crumbled and fell. As the sphere of lightning continued to grow destroying everything in sight, Commander Bolt could only watch in horror as Cloudsdale dispersed like a regular cloud and Canterlot crumbled into dist. Then he noticed, the Lightning Orb is still growing, and it’s about to hit Dragon Mountain. Commander Bolt tried again to open his wings, but they didn’t budge, whatever was holding them down is still in effect.

                Commander Bolt started to feel the mountain crumble below his hooves as the lightning orb started to approach him. When it finally hit him, Commander Bolt started to feel the intense pain of the Lightning Orb burning him. Then the pain stopped and he opened his eyes. He was lying on a cot in his quarters on the battlefield; Commander Bolt sat up and felt the bandage on his ear. It’s been one week since that day, and in that time he has had the same nightmare three times. Commander Bolt looked into a mirror that sat next to Commander Mist’s spear in the corner of the room. He could only ask himself, what were these dreams trying to say, is it a premonition of the future, a result of guilt and regret, or was it something… more.

                While contemplating his thoughts, Commander Bolt heard a knock on the door, “Commander Bolt, this is Captain Stone, Permission to enter sir.”
Commander Bolt looked at the door, “Granted.”
Captain Stone entered the room carrying a medical saddlebag, “The medic returned to the castle this morning, so I’ll be removing your bandage and stitches, I hope that’s ok.”
Commander Bolt sighed, “You like to take every chance you can to get me back, for the training I put you through. Don’t you?”
Captain Stone Smiled, “Oh? Don’t be a foul about it, after what you put me through, be grateful I even volunteered for this job.”

                Commander Bolt nodded his head as he sat down in a chair, while Captain Stone started to remove the bandages. While he sat there Commander Bolt started to think about the dream and what it could mean, leaving a troubled look on his face. Captain Stone noticed this look and asked, “Can I ask you a personal question commander?”
Commander Bolt was a little concerned about what that question could be but if there is anypony left he can trust, it’s his most loyal officer so he replied, “Sure what would you like to know?”

                Captain Stone replied, “Commander Mist trained you to be a guard, didn’t he?”
Commander Bolt lowered his head, “Yes, many years ago I asked him to because I wanted to pay Princess Celestia and Princess Luna back for giving me a home.”
Captain Stone looked at him in confusion, “Giving you a home? You mean you were homeless at one time?”
“Well I was an orphan when I was a colt; they took me in, and took care of me when I was found on the Thunder Grounds with amnesia.”

                Captain Stone was intrigued, “You were found, on the Thunder Grounds with amnesia? Did Princess Celestia try to find your parents?”
Commander Bolt looked at the spear in the corner of the room, “They did. We searched every neighboring city to the Everfree Forest. Cloudsdale seemed to be the only possible location, but nopony was missing a colt there, so they asked Commander Mist to take me in. He gave me a home, taught me how to defend myself, and taught me everything there was to know about being a royal guard.”

                Captain Stone finished removing the final stich and asked, “And the Lightning Orb?”
Commander Bolt looked back at her, “No, the Lightning Orb can only be used by a Pegasus. He didn’t know anything about it, but he gave me the confidence in myself to master it.”
She smiled and sarcastically spoke, “Could you teach me?”
Commander Bolt knew she was joking but he couldn’t laugh about this subject… not anymore. He looked away and replied, “Why would you want to learn something… that brings death and pain to those around you.”

                Captain Stone could see pain in his eyes, so she tried to change the subject, “The training he put you through. Was it the same that you gave me?”
Commander Bolt smiled, “No, yours was way worse. He was a unicorn teaching a pegasus to fight so he left out air to air combat, and flying through strong winds and rain, but he did make me climb a mountain without my wings once so be grateful I didn’t make you do that.”
Captain Stone got angry, “Commander! You did make me do that.”
Commander Bolt laughed, “Oh yea. I did, didn’t I? It was Lieutenant Snow that I didn’t do that to… but maybe I should have. Then he would be a better officer.”

                Both of them laughed about that for a second the Commander Bolt asked, “Well you know about me now, how about you?”
Captain Stone was confused, “What?”
Commander Bolt continued, “Days after Nightmare Moon started this war, I recruited you out of Cloudsdale, but other than that I didn’t know anything about you, only that you were so determined to join.”
Captain Stone lowered her head, when Commander Bolt saw an unhappy look on her face he spoke, “If you don’t want to talk about it, it fine. I don’t want to open healed wounds.”
Captain Stone shook her head, “No its fine, it’s only fair that I tell you why I was so determined to be a soldier, anyway. I was also an orphan when I was a filly, my parent were killed by a dragon.”

                Commander Bolt was shocked to hear this, “What? But why would a dragon attack your parents?”
She sighed “When I was a filly, we lived at the base of a mountain, something about my mother being an earth pony, and one day a dragon came through wanting to claim the mountain for himself so he lite the forest surrounding the mountain on fire to clear the land. When my parents and I got outside the burning house they told me to run as fast as I could till I got out of the forest. They were right behind me when I started to run but when I made it out of the forest, I was alone. I waited outside the forest for two days before anypony found me. It was a stallion from Canterlot; he sent a search party into the forest and found my parents dead. A tree fell on my mother, and my father died trying to get her out. From there they put me in an orphanage in Cloudsdale; I spent every day in that orphanage knowing I could be adopted, but I didn’t want to be. My parents were the only ponies I would ever call mommy or daddy.”

                Commander Bolt lowered his head, “I'm sorry to hear that, when I lost my parents I lost all memory of them so it’s like I never had them at all, but you not only knew them, you have good memories of them and you remember who they were and what they did.”
Captain Stone looked at Commander Bolt and continued her story, “When they let me out of the orphanage I wanted to travel the world and maybe earn my cutie mark in the processes. So when I saw you and a few other guards recruiting for Nightmare Moon only a week after the Eclipse began. I knew that this was my chance to travel Equestria. To have a goal that I could live up to. That’s why I was so determined to join.”

                Commander Bolt thought to himself for a second, “That’s right; you were still a blank flank when we recruited you, and it was during your training that you earned your cutie mark on the bow. That’s why when you earned it I focused your training more on archery than anything else.”
Captain Stone continued, “While in training, I found out that you were the grate Commander Bolt, the one who could use the Lightning Orb and the right hoof of Nightmare Moon herself. I thought if anypony can give me confidence in my goal, then it’s you. And many of the other soldiers think so too.”
Star Bolt sighed, “Actually I…”

                At that moment, a cry came from outside, “CELESTIAL TROOPS SPOTTED!”
Commander Bolt looked at Captain Stone, “Is my ear good?”
She replied, “Yes, but don’t strain it, you can still open the wound back up.”
They both galloped outside, to the lookout who was watching the horizon through a telescope. Commander Bolt asked, “What do you see?”
The lookout replied, “Celestial spears over the horizon, it’s a small force though, fifty or so troops.”
Commander Bolt was confused, “Fifty troops? That’s impossible they sent five hundred troops last time why would they only send fifty today?”
The lookout replied while he continued to watch, “I don’t know sir. Whatever it is, they look like they brought something big with them it might be a weapon or som…”

                The lookout continued to watch, but his face went white. Commander Bolt was concerned, “What is it? Is it a weapon, what’s going on? Spit it out!”
The lookout looked at Commander Bolt, “Its Princess Celestia… She is here, on the battlefield sir.”
Commander Bolt quickly looked through the telescope, and on the horizon was Princess Celestia marching in the lead of her own troops. Commander Bolt couldn’t believe his eyes, why would Celestia be here, and why would she bring a force that small?

                Then one of Celestia’s archers fired a signal arrow, first it was yellow, meaning that they will not attack, and then they fired a green arrow, meaning that they want both commanders to meet in the center of the battlefield. Commander Bolt looked at Captain Stone, “Go get Lieutenant Snow, we will meet her together.”
Captain Stone nodded her head and went to get the Lieutenant. Then Commander Bolt turned to the lookout, “Respond to the invitation, we will meet them in a few minutes.”
The Lookout fired a yellow arrow, then a green arrow in response, meaning that the request was accepted.

                When Lieutenant Snow and Captain Stone returned, they met up with Commander Bolt and all three trotted to the center of the field, too meet Princess Celestia. When the two groups were together, Princess Celestia spoke first, “Commander Bolt, it’s been a long time, hasn’t it?”
Without any change in expression Commander Bolt replied, “Yes, it’s been one year now.”
When Commander Bolt finished speaking both Captain Stone and Lieutenant Snow bowed, but Commander Bolt stood his ground, this irritated one of Celestia’s guards. The guard spoke, “Show the proper respect for the princess! Bow, now!”
Princess Celestia raised her wing to signal the guard to stand down, then she spoke, “Commander Bolt, no doubt has a reason that prevents him from bowing. He isn’t one to disrespect anypony, friend or foe.”

                Commander Bolt smiled, “Indeed I do your majesty; if you look behind me you will see my army. The last time I counted we had seven hundred ninety-six, mares and stallions, all ready to give there life, because of the trust they have in me as their leader. They truly believe that through all the battles that we’ve fought and all the hardships we have endured, that I was the reason they survived. But they couldn’t be more wrong; they survived because they had confidence in themselves that was disguised as confidence in me. They had so much trust in me that they believe they can push mountains with me as their leader. But if I show even the slightest weakness in bowing to a foe, then they may lose their confidence and further risk themselves in future battles.”

                Princess Celestia Smiled, “The morale of your soldiers is a fragile thing that can change the tide of battle. You haven’t changed commander, even after a year of fighting your putting others needs before your own. Commander Mist would be proud.”
Commander Bolt shook his head, “No, Commander Mist wouldn’t be proud, not of what I did.”
Princess Celestia lowered her head, “Commander Mist did his duty, as did you. He will be missed and you should stop beating yourself up over it. In fact I'm grateful of what you did afterwards, when Commander Mist fell, instead of capturing his army you released them back to me. That was a noble act that only a great leader could make. Thanks to you, those soldiers still live.”

                Commander Bolt was flattered but he still was ashamed of himself, “I only did what I could to prevent more bloodshed. It was my way of honoring the late commander, by sparing his troops. It was the only thing I could do for him.”
Celestia looked Commander Bolt in the eye and replied, “Commander Bolt! Didn’t you notice that I came here with a small force today? That’s because after treating the injuries of all the troops you spared, these are the only ponies that can still fight, they pleaded to escort me here today to personally thank you for saving their lives.”

                With that said, all of Princess Celestia’s guards bowed to Commander Bolt. Commander Bolt felt a little uncomfortable with this so he, quickly changed the subject, “Your Majesty, surly you came here for reasons other than thanking me for these troops lives, what exactly are you here for?”
Princess Celestia replied in a serious way, “I request an audience with my sister, in hopes that I can put a stop to this madness. Will you send for her?”
Commander Bolt agreed, “I can send out a messenger pony, and have a reply from her before the eclipse sets today. Anything else your majesty?”

                Princess Celestia answered, “No, however I do believe this is a good time to discuss the rules of engagement for both our forces.”
Commander Bolt nodded, “I am to understand that you will pose no threat to our force at this time, in return we will do the same, so long that your force not show or make an attempt to harm ours. Do we have an agreement?”
Princess Celestia smiled, “I agree to the terms and will order all my ponies to stand down and reframe from harming any of your troops, but if you still want to increase your security than by all means do so.”
Commander Bolt replied, “No, I believe in your word, as always, and will treat this matter with ease. If the terms are accepted then I’ll bid you a farewell until we receive word from Nightmare Moon.”

                Commander Bolt turned around with his officers and started to trot back to his line. Princess Celestia stopped him, “Oh Star Bolt, one more thing?”
Commander Bolt stopped but didn’t turn around, “Yes, your majesty?”
Princess Celestia spoke pleasantly, “It was nice to see you again, I'm glad to know that you’re still ok, despite your wounded ear.”
Commander Bolt still faced his line but replied, “Thank you Princess Celestia, it was nice to talk to you also.”
Princess Celestia Continued, “You’ve grown up since the last time I saw you, your more confident and noble to your word and troops. Can I ask what changed you?”
Commander Bolt closed his eyes facing his troops still, “It was Luna, my trust in her and my goal to help her. That’s all there is to it.”
“Luna? Don’t you mean Nightmare Moon?”
Commander Bolt opened his eyes and with a serious face replied, “No, I mean Luna.”

                With that said Commander Bolt continued to his frontline without waiting for a reply from Princess Celestia. When he approached the line he turned to his officers, “Lieutenant Snow get your fasted pony to deliver the message to Nightmare Moon, whether it’s by land or air, this message takes top priority. Don’t screw this up.”
Lieutenant Snow replied, “Yes Sir.”
Commander Bolt turned to Captain Stone, “Captain, you pass the message to all the guards that nopony leaves our line, we will not interact with Celestia’s Forces at all, hostile or not. Anypony doing so will be charged with treason, and imprisoned for an unnecessary threat on allied troops.”
Captain Stone replied, “Yes Sir.”

                Several hours passed, the eclipse had just set and the moon was rising before Nightmare Moon arrived to the front lines with a hoof full of fresh troops straight from training, “Where is my sister?”
Commander Bolt replied, “She is still on the field your majesty.”
Nightmare Moon replied, “You will hold your ground here and allow me to speak with her alone, is that understood?”
Commander Bolt was disappointed that he couldn’t be part of the peace talk, but he hid his disappointment and replied. “Yes your majesty, I’ll brief the new troops and await your return.”

                Commander Bolt approached the large group of troops and spoke so everypony could hear, “My name is Commander Star Bolt, as of today you are all under my command. I don’t know what your special abilities are, so I want you to split up in groups. First Medics, then Archers, next Pike Ponies, Finally Sword Ponies, afterwards I want all Sword Ponies, and Pike Ponies that are Pegasus to separate into your own group. But first thing is first if any of you officers, please step forth.”

                A Pegasus and a unicorn separated themselves from the crowd and made their way to the front the first to speak was the Pegasus. “Commander Bolt, my name is Captain Callous, Drib; I am a Pegasus Pike pony, Sir.”
Commander Bolt thought to himself then spoke, “You’re from Manehattin aren’t you Callous? I recognize the name Drib; I remember seeing a shop with the same name last time I was there.”
Captain Drib responded, “Yes sir, that’s my parent’s seed shop.”
Commander Bolt asked, “Are you a fast flyer Captain?”
Captain Drib replied, “Yes sir, why?”
Commander Bolt smiled, “No reason.”

                Commander Bolt approached the other officer and asked, “How about you little missy, name rank, combat skill, and if you want town of origin?”
The mare responded in a nervous manner, “S-sir, I mean Commander Bolt, sir. M-my name is Lieutenant Ardent Viscous, sir. I uh, I mean, I'm what you would probably consider a pike pony… or maybe a sword pony… an axe pony?...”
Commander Bolt looked over her shoulder at the large axe she had on her back, then he had to stop her, “Calm down Lieutenant, you have no reason to be nervous, I notice you carry an enormous axe, you’re the first and only axe pony in my ranks. So just calm down, relax, and start over.”
Lieutenant Viscous took a deep breath and this time spoke with a grate amount of confidence, “Commander Bolt, my name is Lieutenant Ardent Viscous, I'm an axe pony from Trottingham.”

                Commander Bolt thought for a second then responded, “That explains a lot, Trottingham is so close to the Griffin Kingdom, you will find all sorts of griffin there. Also I hear griffins have a temper when not approached properly, so that will explain how nervous you were. Either way you will be placed in command of the Pike Ponies, your axe will fit in perfectly.”
Lieutenant Viscous nodded her head, “Yes sir!”
Commander Bolt turned to Lieutenant Snow, “Snow you will no longer be in command of both pike and sword ponies. Now you will be only sword ponies, they will be disappointed to hear this, I bet.”
Commander Bolt smiled at this comment and a few new recites even laughed a bit. But Lieutenant Snow just replied, “Yes sir.”

                Then Commander Bolt turned to Captain Drib, “Captain you will be in command of the Pegasus strike force. Keep them flying and keep them safe.”
Captain Drib smiled, “Thank you sir. I won’t fail you!”
At that moment, a large cloud started to form overhead covering the entire battlefield, all the officers looked at Commander Bolt with concern. When Commander Bolt realized everypony was looking at him he spoke, “What? It’s not me… this time at least.”
Everypony turned their head to the Princess Celestia and Nightmare Moon, who were still in the middle of the battlefield talking. From the expressions of Nightmare Moons face it was easy to see that her magic was producing the storm, their peace talk had escalated into an argument, and it was easy to see that it wasn’t going to end well. Captain Drib asked, “I wonder how it’s going?”
All the officers looked at Captain Drib, but it was Lieutenant Viscous who hit him on the back of the head for that remark.

                Nightmare Moon finally had enough of the conversation and returned to Commander Bolt. Then she spoke with as much anger that was in her expression, “Commander Bolt! I’ll give them the night but tomorrow when the eclipse is at high noon. If they still remain on the field, then your orders are to attack and kill any, and everypony in sight. I will not be the made a fool of by the likes of my sister or her precious sun.”
Without giving Commander Bolt even a chance to respond, Nightmare Moon changed into her cloud of hays and floated into the distance. Commander Bolt was speechless; he was given orders to use a force of over eight hundred ponies to massacre fifty. Captain Stone approached Commander Bolt, “What are you going to do commander? Are we really going to fight such a small force, especially since they came for peace, not a battle?”

                Commander Bolt was still speechless, Lieutenant Viscous asked, “What is your orders sir?”
All the officers waited around Commander Bolt praying for a response, finally he sighed then gave his orders, “Continue separating the new recruits into their companies, then get some rest. When the eclipse begins to rise in the morning, meet me in the command hut for a meeting.”
Captain Stone then asked, “What are we going to do sir?”
Commander Bolt sighed then answered, “Tomorrow at high noon, we are going to attack.”