Knight's Nightlight II

>Day Easily Confused Prophets in Equestria

>Be Nightlight

>You grumble as you dip your hoof in the pail of water again and work at scrubbing your armor

"Stupid... dirt... come off... already!"

>You put your shoulder into and grit your teeth as you polish

>It's been nearly half a hour and you barely got your helmet to shine

>When your instructor returns, he is going to think you've been slacking and then you're really going to get it!

>You grab the bottle of polish in your mouth and squeeze a gooey drop of oil directly onto the smooth metal

>It slides down slowly, leaving a trail of black in its wake

>Your hoof works tirelessly with the wiry brush as you muscle into the filthy metal

>There has got to be a better way to clean this stuff!

>You scan around the room before seeing a lantern and some oil

"It... it just might work..."

>A smile crosses your toothy mouth

 

>Atop a tower filled with books and scrolls

>Be Anonymous

"What do you mean that's all the time I get?! I paid you well enough for an hour!"

>The old hag of a pony looks over you with a shoddy grin

>"If you think I can just conjure up whatever you want whenever you want, you're dead wrong, sonny!"

>She lunges out with her walking stick and bops you on the head

>You wince and hold the sore spot before looking back at her with scorn

"Thieving crone! That is the last time I use your divination services!"

>"Eh, you'll be back..."

"Did your stupid leaves tell you that?"

>"No, the fact that we do this almost every time did..."

>Filthy logic using hag!

>You storm from her tower and descend the staircase

>As you walk through the palace, a servant approaches you with an urgent look on his face

>"Guards! Help! Fire!"

"Where is the fire?"

>The servant lifts his hoof in the direction of the combat training fields and you rush onwards

>Thinking quickly, you summon up a handful of unicorn guards and grab a bucket

>You step out into the daylight to see that there is a fire burning and it happens to be burning in your newly acquisitioned garrison home

>Terror takes hold of you and your face flushes white as you think of your ward

"Nightlight..."

>You hand a bucket of water to the nearest unicorn guard and begin racing towards the inferno

"Suppress these flames! Dirt and water! Snuff them at the edges!"

>Adrenaline courses through you as you reach the garrison door and tear it open

>The hot metal handle scolds your palms, but you can't feel much right now

>You walk through the blaze with your head down low to see the ground

>A voice rings out in a corner of the room and your eyes dark to it

>"Help! Somep0ny, help me!"

>You grab the nearest solid thing you can find and bat the flames leading to Nightlight

"Get up! We need to go!"

>Fear crosses her face as she looks to you, but you decide there is no time for speaking

>You grab her by the foreleg and drag her out

>Her back legs kick in protest as you forcefully lift her to your chest and begin running

>The garrison beams begin to creak as the flames lick away at the supports and you barrel through the open door way

>You fall out into the street with soot covering your face and ash in your throat

>A team of medics rush on your location and you hand them Nightlight with what strength you have left

>The sound of a pony speaking to you makes you turn your head, but the sounds are muffled by exhaustion

>A hoof twists your head to face the noise as you start to black out

>The last thing you see is Princess Celestia standing over you with a poignant stare before the darkness takes you

 

>In an infirmary ward not far from your garrison

>Be Nightlight

>"Now, take it easy, dear. You are just in a bit of shock. Let me bandage up that hoof."

>You rest your hoof on the small counter as the nurse begins her work

>"Other than fright, I'd say you made it out in decent shape. Was terribly afraid you might have burnt your wings."

>You try to speak, but nothing comes out of your mouth

>This is all your fault, you know it to be true

>Beside your bed is the current resting place of your instructor or, more precisely, what is left of him

>His hands were burnt, the nurse used the term, 'badly', and he has a bit in his mouth to keep it propped open

>After a long look at his unconscious form, you turn back to the nurse tending to your hoof

"Is... he..."

>She looks up to you with steely, practiced eyes

>"Not dead... that one's a fighter. Had him here a few times before. But, I don't know how he's doing."

>A few other medical personnel come by and a unicorn places his horn on your instructor's chest

>He sits and listens, perhaps even feels the heartbeat before removing his horn

>"Steady, if a little weak... Keep and eye on him."

>Another unicorn nods quickly as the first leaves the area

"Sir... Anonymous, Sir. Can you hear me?"

>The body lies peacefully on the bed as you speak with no hint of activity

>You take a good look at his unarmored, disrobed body and marvel at the strange human thing

>There are numerous wounds on the better half of his torso and some of the burns look blistery already

>You internally pray to somep0ny to come and help him

>As if by a miracle, the door's of the infirmary open wide and in steps Princess Celestia herself

>She trots gallantly towards the bed you are hovering around

>"Oh, Anonymous... why must you always play the hero?'

>She quickly looks across to you with a faint smile

>"Hello, my little pony, I take it you are doing well?"

>You nod, too awestruck to speak

>Celestia's horn begins to glow and you feel the very fabric of space around the room draw into the building energy

>Your sensitive skin feels the tug a little more as a ball of brilliant light eases it way to the tip of the Princess' horn

>She lays it down upon Anonymous chest and his skin readily absorbs it

>Celestia wobbles for a brief second before resuming her regal stance

>The room feels quiet now and the weight of a million words rest on your back

>Suddenly, there comes a choking cough from Anonymous and you tear up

"He's awake! Oh, thank you, Princess!"

>She smiles and nods as if listening, but not listening at all

>Her face suddenly hangs and her eyes glaze over a bit

>Whatever spell she just used seemed to drain a tremendous amount of energy from her being and even the other unicorns in the room seem a bit dizzy

>Anon finally stirs and his eyes open

>"Ah... what a dream... what did I miss?"

>Celestia smiles to him earnestly before speaking

>"Worry not, dear Anonymous. The fires were put down and your heroic actions saved the life of Nightlight."

>"Oh, good, I thought I picked her up. Glad that part wasn't the dream..."

>He groans in pain as he raises his arm

>"Agh-Anonymous... requesting permission to sleep, your highness?"

>"Permission granted..."

>The Princess calls for you to follow her and gestures for everyp0ny around to give Anonymous his space

>You feel a familiar fear of utter defeat in your stomach again as you walk away

>Celestia's imposing form glides along the floor as if she weighed nothing at all

>"Nightlight, correct?"

"Y-Yes, sir."

>"Did you see how this fire may have started?"

>Your voice chokes as if a hoof were pinning down your throat as you attempt to get the words out

"I-it was a l-lantern. Fell o-off a sh-helf. I c-could... I c-couldn't stop it."

>You look like a leaf in an autumn hurricane right now

>The Princess looks over you a few times before speaking in a stern voice

>"Thank the heavens you were not serious injured. I hate to say it like this, but Anon's body can withstand much greater damage than I have ever witness anyp0ny take."

>You find this information encouraging, albeit gruesome

"Will he... is he going to... when will he be on his hooves again?"

>The Princess lets out a drawn sigh before speaking straight ahead

>"That, my little pony, is up to him now."

>She breaks away to go meet with a small group of ponies and you find yourself standing completely still in the hall

>The door to the outside is a scant five yards from you, but you can't help from turning back and trotting to the infirmary

>You arrive at Anonymous' bedside again and decide you will do what he would want you to do in this situation; guard

>Your hoof strikes the floor sharply as you position yourself accordingly

>Determination burns in your eyes as you plan to keep Anon in his sleeping, blissful state

>You easily keep all curious ponies at bay until another doctor approaches

"State your name and business."

>The stallion looks up at you quickly with a bit of confusion in his eye

>"I'm sorry... this is the patient with the burns, right?"

"Yes, name and business."

>"Dr. Trotson and I'm the pony who's here to clean him up."

>You decide the white coat checks out and you grant him access

>He draws back the curtains and you see Anonymous' eyes are open and searching about

>They seem to relax when he finally spies you and he lets go a groan that might be a sigh

>"Hmm, mostly superficial... the blistering will sting a bit."

>The doctor's horn glows lightly before he freezes in place."

>His mouth moves, yet no words come from him

>He backs up slightly and looks to you with fearful eyes

>"Has Celestia been here already?"

"Yes, she came in an hour ago."

>You keep to the point, short and concise

>"My word... -this- is his conditions after her magic? I... Well, this will be difficult. You are his caretaker, I assume?"

>Your head nearly spins in place and your guard falls, unmasking your emotion

"Caretaker? No, sir, you have it all wrong. I'm his apprentice! I'm in -his- care!"

>A small medical kit lifts in the doctor's magic and he pushes it unto you

>"He'll need someone to care for his wounds. Someone at home to help him get around while he recovers. Does he have a... wife?"

>The doctor hesitates at the word after looking over the strange form of Anon

"I-I don't know! I just got here yesterday!"

>Your squeaking alerts Anon and her turns his head with another moan

>"Miss, please. Calm yourself around the patient."

>A fear wells up in your chest as you see Anon hurt himself again for your sake

>This is too strange for you and your mind races with options

>"I need an answer; can you be his caretaker or not?"

>Your heart pounds in your chest as you look over to the body in the bed

>You've never cared for another before and you aren't sure where to even begin

>This is not your duty either, you think, it would be unfair to take this responsibility

>A thunderous voice calls out from the opposite end of the room

>"Where is he?! Where is Guard Anon?!"

>Princess Luna stands in the door way with a vicious demeanor

>She storms on wings of blackness towards you

>"By the light of the moon..."

>She looks you over and then Anonymous as her face tenses

>"My sister did not exaggerate. Doctor, what is the status of this one?"

>"Stable, unable to care for himself at the current time. I was asking this mare if she will be his keeper for the next few days, but..."

>You speak quickly before your Princess as seriously as you can

"Princess Luna, we need a new garrison home for Anonymous. Somewhere without stairs."

>"Already done, will you take up this task set before you, Nightlight?"

>You nod as your gut objects with a bit of a lurch

"I will, Princess, for you..."

>Her hoof crosses the air swiftly as she cuts off your words

>"No, you do this for Anonymous..."

>You breathe deeply and start again

"I will do it for Anonymous."

>The floating box of medical supplies rests in your mouth as you take hold of your new task

>Over the next hour, Anonymous' body is moved to a new garrison at the base of the magical studies room and what is left of your armor and belongs finds its way over

>All of it is scuffed with black soot and flame marks

>A harsh reminder of the recent events, you don't think they will clean away given any amount of time

>The first pleasant sign you have all day is when Anonymous finally speaks to you

>His voice is a little hoarse, but it does not look difficult for him

>"Nightlight... how is your hoof? I did not mean to pull so hard."

>You look at the bandages leg and back to the charred flesh in front of you

"I am fine... It's fine. How do you feel?"

>"Aching... sore hands... headache... a little hungry. Not unlike my first day of basics."

>He attempts to laugh, but a painful, chocking cough is all that comes out

>You cannot believe his resolve

>Anyp0ny in this situation would surely be miserable and here you have this human making jokes about his abused body

>"It's time for me to change your dressing... Um, so... here I go!"

>He remains still for you as you peel back the medical tape and uncover a gory scene

>You choke back the bile in your throat as you look over the mess

>"My... if I'd known you were squeamish, we would have practice on cutting red meat first."

"W-Why would we do that?"

>"Cut up enough bloody hunks of meat and you are sure to get over it."

>He smiles as you apply the cleaning salve to the wound before wincing at the healing sting

>You past the new gauze on him and see him looking at your face intently

"What? What is it?"

>"Ears..."

>His hand reaches up slowly and you allow him to touch the tuft of fur at the tip of your ear

>The feeling is odd, but not unpleasant

>Anonymous removes his hand after a moment and you look up his body

>"I've been meaning to... invade your personal space... I find it helps to break the tension of my hands."

>He wheezes a little as he speaks, you think the pad hurts

"I'm not afraid of you."

>"Good... keep your lunch down on the next wound."

>It takes a while longer to properly apply all the medical pads, but you do an admirable job

"OK... um, do you want the sponge bath now?"

>His eyes raise and fall as he holds down another chuckle

>"I'll survive without it, thank you. Do you have any food laying around?"

>You quickly race around and pick up a bunch of fruits before bringing them back

"What kind of fruits does a human eat?"

>"Meat... Do we have meat?"

"What? No, fruit!"

>"I need red meat. See if there is a ration pack marked with my name."

>You rummage through a crate and, to your surprise, find a few white packages addressed to Anonymous

>You return with one and brandish it before him

>"Yes, perfect..."

>He reaches out only to drop his arm in pain

"No, wait! I'll get it for you! Don't exert yourself."

>Anonymous suddenly seems very reserved about your opening the parcel

>What ever silly idea was in your head quickly fades as the smell of seared flesh hits your nose

>The white, seemingly harmless package contains the unfortunate remains of something

>Strips of flesh lay evenly across and carry the scent of coals and you find yourself gagging at the sight

>"I am sorry, it is the second hardest thing for ponies to accept about me."

>You look up at him and feel an odd sort of fear

>Eating the flesh of animals is unheard of to you, but if this will help then you will do it

>A piece of the flesh rolls limply into your hoof and you cringe before lifting it to Anon's mouth

>He takes it into his mouth and in the most visceral, disgusting manner you could imagine, he tears it apart

>"Ah, that's the stuff... another, please."

>You repeat the process and watch with a queasy stomach as he devours more and more of the fleshy meat

>After consuming the entire package, he seems satiated and calm

>"Thank you, I know this must be difficult on you."

"You're the one bedbound, this is nothing. I am a good caretaker!"

>You squeak lightly on your words and Anon smiles

>"I... I have a present for you. Do you see a bound create?"

>Looking through the items scattered about, you find a locked box and nod back to Anon

>"Open it."

>You take a few steps away from the bed and move to the chest

>It opens easily before you and you look inside to see a short wooden pole with a sharp metal tip

"What is this? A spear?"

>"Your spear, to be exact. We start training... in a day or so..."

"Do you think... do you think you'll be ready? Don't push yourself so hard."

>"I can feel Celestia's magic coursing through me. I have suffered worse than this, I promise! You are not trying to get out of your royal duties, are you?"

>You shake your head quickly and your mouth gapes

"Of course not, I love guard duty! I... I just want you to get better."

>"Good, that's what I like to hear..."

>He cringes a bit and you hear the sound of a bone snapping

"What in the hay?"

>"I think... I may have fractured... my wrist. It's now resetting..."

>Anonymous whimpers lightly as you hear another small pop and your skin crawls

>This whole day has been gruesome, you think

>"Think I'm going to try and sleep through this... You should get some sleep as well."

"No, I need to watch you. I am your designated care giver."

>"How can you care for me if you're tired?"

"Well, I'm not just going to leave you here! What if you wake in the middle of the day and get hungry or thirsty? Who'll be here to help you?"

>Anonymous sighs lightly with your stubbornness

>"Fine, get in."

"What was that?'

>"Get in bed, lie down on my right side. It's not too badly hurt."

>You look over his right arm and chest to see just as much damage as any where else

"I'm not certain..."

>"Then go find where you will be sleeping and have a rest. I need you in tip-top shape."

"Fine..."

>You give in and slowly climb into the spacious bed

"I made a promise and I always keep my promises."

>It takes a bit of careful maneuvering, but you finally manage to get comfortable without hurting Anon

>Being this close to your mentor is kind of awkward and you blush a little

>His hand seems to stroke your side lightly as you close your eyes

"Sir... if you need anything, I'll be right here."

>"At ease, Nightlight, get some rest."

>Falling asleep is not as difficult as you thought before laying down

>Something later, you awake to the sound of somep0ny knocking

>You slip from the still sleeping Anonymous and fly over to the door

>The door opens to reveal a tired Princess Celestia

>You are not sure you have ever seen her looking so worn-out before and it strikes you as curious

>She speaks quickly, but pleasantly to you

>"Ah, Nightlight, good evening. My sister was correct that you would be here."

>You bow to one hoof and dip your head before replying

"Yes, I am at Anonymous' side as tasked."

>"How is Anonymous doing?"

>Celestia attempts to push past you, but the narrow doorway impedes her

"He is doing well, sleeping now to be exact."

>She looks at you sternly and her figure seems more imposing than you remember

>"Take care of him and tell him that I have been here... when he wakes again."

>Her voice quavers for only a moment and her eyes seem to drupe

>She smiles once before leaving you with a blink of her magic

>You get the strangest feeling that she wanted to speak with Anonymous, but it passes as quickly as it came

>The door closest slowly with a soft twisting noise and you head over to a crate of apples to get some breakfast

>You keep your eye fixed to Anonymous while you bite into a shiny green apple

>The sweet and sour taste is delectable between your fangs

>It is a bit troublesome to keep the noise from the wonderful meal down as you chew vigorously into a second juicy, red apple

>With a sigh of relief, your belly stops crying out and you feel strong and ready to seize the night

>Carpe noctem!

>After your internal cheering fest ends, you sit on the floor beside Anon's bed and watch vigilantly for any dangerous or what have you

>The night rolls in as Anon begins to stir for the first time in hours

>It is a welcome relief to your growing boredom and you salute him smartly

"All clear on the eastern front, Sir."

>"Good eyesight, soldier, we're on the western side of the court."

>You blush and quickly explain yourself

"I-I meant to say that! Sir! I meant to say, 'western', Sir!"

>He wheezes out a short laugh and looks to you

>"At ease, no training this night."

>You see his shoulder lift and his hand plants itself on the wooden frame of the bed

>His chest muscles tense and struggle before he lifts his body a few inches upward

>With a heavy wing beat, you race towards him

"Sir, I don't suggest you try to get up!"

>Your hoof presses against his body as he tries again

>"Nightlight, let go..."

>He struggles against you once more and you see the gauze padding on his chest begin to swell with a sickening pink

>"Nightlight, as your superior, I order you to let me go!"

>Anon places his other hand backward and adds a little more force

>You know what is best for him right now, but back down at his command

>His face is tense with pain and you can see blood lining the edges of the once white pads

>Finally sitting up in the bed, Anon huffs between labored breaths

>"So... good evening... any news?"

"Yes, Princess Celestia came to visit about an hour ago."

>"Ah, that is kind of her."

>You see Anonymous' leg shift under his body slowly

"Oh no, Sir, I have to advise against standing up! You only have two legs, Sir!"

>"I am... fine... Nightlight..."

>As if by the grace of the heavens, Anonymous tires himself out from the pain and slumps backward

>"Maybe... later..."

>You wipe a bead of sweat from your forehead and try to be friendly with your teacher

"Can I interest you in some food, Sir?"

>He looks over at you with a curious smirk and licks his lips

>"That would be lovely. An apple, if you would?"

>You quickly bring him a red apple and grab the medical kit

>He begins to snack while you prep some new dressing, but his new position makes it a littler harder for you to work

"So, you can eat fruit?"

>"Sure, why not?"

"It's just, I saw you eat that meat from earlier... You're not like the Thirsters, are you?"

>"Thirsters? I am not sure I've ever encountered them."

"Well, there are other bat ponies, like myself, but we're all different. I'm more into fruit, but somep0nies, especially the Thirsters, really like blood and meat."

>"Can't say I'd blame them. It is deceivingly hard to get a good steak in this place."

>Anon chuckles once before becoming a little more serious

"Can you lay back down now? You tore open your wounds and they need looking after."

>"Hmm, perhaps this is a good time to practice field triage."

"Excuse me?"

>"Sometimes, in a real fight, we don't get time to lay out our living bodies for medical attention. Many field medics are trained to assist the wounded on foot or hoof as it were."

"You said there wasn't any training tonight?"

>"And now there is! Funny how that happens, no?"

>You nod a bit and think about it

>The prospect of a new lesson intrigues you and it will at least be something to pass the time

>"The idea is to work in less than ideal situations. This position is very hard for ponies thanks for my longer body. You might become the first to properly bandage the human body!"

>This idea gives you the burning desire to get it right

>You climb onto the bed and stand above Anon

>He looks to you and holds his arms out to his sides

>It is odd to look at him, but not as odd as you first thought

"OK, this might sting, so just tell me to stop if it hurts too much."

>You slowly peel back the medical wrapping and put them to one side

>Fresh, red blood leaks from him as he sits erect and you quickly apply the new gauze

>You had mild success at the upper angle, but the next bandage is a little different

"Um, uh, OK... just hang on."

>You turn your head upside-down to look at the wounded area

>Your wing takes the edge of the dressing carefully and pulls it back

>A quick swap and you place the new dressing with a fair amount of success

"There we go. How does it feel?"

>"Stinging and irritating, not bad."

>You chest presses up against Anon's as you reach over to his next wound

>His body is very warm against your own

>A quick bandage swap sees his old wounds in better condition

>"I have to thank you again..."

>You turn to look at Anon and see his face in full view

>It is kind of different when you are this close

>His muzzle doesn't look so short from this angle and his mane is kind of nice

>Even his small eyes seem a little larger and ever so brighter

>"Nightlight..."

>His voice buzzes in your head as you feel hot breath travel down your neck

"Y-Yes, Anon?"

>"Your getting blood all over your nice fur..."

>Did he just tell you that you have nice fur?

>You blush a bit and cover your mouth with you hoof

"Oh, well I try to keep my coat healthy and..."

>The rest of his sentence finally catches up with your head and you quickly pull yourself away

"Agh! No, no, no!"

>Anonymous looks to you and laughs a bit as blood gushes from his body

>You try to hide your embarrassment with little success

>"The bandages feel secure enough. Had this been a field situation, I would have to give you an unsatisfactory mark."

>You quickly turn to look back at him with an astonished expression

"What? Why was it unsatisfactory?"

>"Distracted, caring too much about the injured fellow in front of you, and getting your suit dirty. The most careless thing of all."

>You were not distracted, it was all his fault anyways!

"Since this is just practice... did I do well enough... Sir?"

>"Oh, yes, a bang-up job! Thank you, again."

>This human has the personality of two, you think

>You look at him carefully from your vantage point

>His body is still damaged, but you don't think it looks as bad as it did hours ago

>Certainly not as bad as he had been in the hospital

>It does make you curious about Princess Celestia's visit and you feel Anonymous may be keeping secrets from you

"Anonymous, Sir. Why did Princess Celestia come here for you?"

>"I imagine she is wondering if I am recovering."

"But, she used her magic on you. Really powerful magic too."

>"Well, I suppose she is just being friendly."

>He gives you a disarming grin and you nod in agreement

>"The Princesses have always been rather friendly with me since my arrival. It is always a welcome benefit."

>Anon's eyes suddenly dart to one corner and you turn your head to follow

>His hand lifts up and touches your wing quickly while you are distracted

>You flap the wing a bit at the strange sensation

"H-Hey! No fair!"

>"So easily distracted. We'll work on that."

>Anon rubs a length of your wing and it sends a shiver up your spine and back to your tail

"Oh, it tickles, please stop!"

>He does so almost as quickly as you ask him and you suddenly wish you let him go on for a little while longer

>"Are you going to straddle me all night after all?"

>He smirks at you and you see his teeth in the light for the first time

>They look not unlike your own and it makes you think

>You quickly flitter from the bed on your strong wings and stand beside the bed

>"Excellent work thus far, my little sentry. I think we'll try a few dialogue exercises in a little while."

>You nod and settle in for the night ahead

>Anonymous is a complicated human, but this is a complicated place

>"Now, repeat after me... Stop! You've violated the law!..."

"Stop. You've violated..."

>"No, no, from the heart! Stop!"

>The sound of voice training persists into the night