: Lost Crossings.
The old stallion moved slowly through the gates of the castle, his near blind eyes unable to take in its full beauty, but he could feel it in his bones that the sight before him was one he would have never forgotten. Beside him walked two of the guards of the castle, both being needed to pull his delivery. "Back in my day a I pulled that cart, no fancy magic, up and down hills, through mud and snow." One of the Pegasus behind him snorted, but was hoofed in the side by the one next to it, whether to make him show respect for the elder Stallion, or just to stop the gray coated Pegasus from saying anything was unknown.
Another gate opened for the trio, and they soon found themselfs in the throne room, before the two who ruled the land. The guards removed their harnesses and bowed, the Stallion attempting to do the same, but unable to complete it. One of the guards from the sides of the throne room moved to "Help" the Stallion bow, but a signal from the thrones stopped the guard, who quickly returned to its post.
"You may rise." The elder of the rulers stated, and with a wave of her hoof dismissed the two guards who had been pulling the wagon. The Younger of the sisters looked down at the old stallion, who by comparison to herself was nothing more then a filly, "Thou have asked a meeting of us, and have arranged it so." The younger one began, her loud voice causing some guards to flinch. The elder sister placed a hoof on the younger's leg. "Normally such a meeting would have to wait years to take place, but we remember your family name quite fondly." The younger sister finished in a softer tone.
"What is it that you wish to show us...?" The elder sister asked, trailing off due to not knowing the common name of the stallion before her, the family name had been given in the letter, but not of the individual before her. "I am Sorry Princesses," he bowed his head, "I am Black Mark, head of the Forge family." Celestia blinked, it had been a long time since she had such a name, but a name she knew well. A glance at her sister told her she to remembered the name of Black Mark.
Black Mark had been a young Stallion, son of the Royal Guards Blacksmith, that had captured an eye of Princess Luna years before her fall. An uneasy silence befell the room, the princesses shocked at the revelation. A few guards were readying their swords, preparing to defend the Princesses if need be.
Luna was the first to break the silence, "That can't be true..." Her mind was unable to understand what was going on. Black Mark had been a unicorn, and a strong one at that, but it had been over a thousand years ago (well past the limit of any unicorns life). Yet before her a simple earth pony dare make clam to be the stallion she had fallen for, one she had accepted as dead long ago.
Her eyes became slits as her coat darkened slightly, blue magic covered Black Mark and he was pulled up to the throne before Luna. "WE SHALL GIVE THI ONCE A CHANCE BEFORE PAIN SHALL SMIT THEE!" The old Stallion didn't shake in fear like many of the Guards were doing, but grinned slightly, both confusing and angering Luna. He started a whistle a simple tune, and Luna nearly crushed the stallions head in for wasting her time, but she soon recognized the tune.
Her coat lightened slightly and her eyes lost their harsh reptilian look as tears began to form. Black Mark was lowered to the ground, Luna's magic releasing him, but soon replaced by Luna herself. Celestia motioned the Guards to leave, though some hesitated, a glare from the Sun Princess made them quickly follow orders.
Looking back to her sister, Luna was holding onto Black Mark, crying into his neck, as he stood there, a pained expression showing clearly on his face. She took the time to truly examine Black Mark, and compare him to how he had been the last time she had seen him.
Flashback-:-
Celestia slowly made her way through the bar, her soldiers were celebrating her victory over her sister, something she herself couldn't bring herself to do. She walked between her drinking and Drunken men, none realizing who she was thanks to her spell, in search for one stallion in particular.
She found him, sitting in a darkened booth at the end of bar. His Blacksmith's coat was wet, both with the rain that was falling and the blood that had spilt as he had helped drag the wounded from the field. His fur was matted down and clumps seemed to be missing but it seemed to be the worst of his wounds. His mud brown fur seemed less vibrant, and his his dark eyes seemed to be even darker. His black main was a mess of mud and knots, as his cutie mark suffered a single scare running over where the Two hammers crossed atop an anvil. He was surrounded by multiple bottles of many shapes and sizes, more then any of her men had dare drink, one floated just to his left half empty as his forelegs rested on the table, a golden ring with four onyx stones embedded in it rested between his hoofs.
Flashback end-:-
His coat was no longer brown, but a dull silver, the once black main was now salt and peppering down his back. His eyes seemed cloudy and only a single pice of his cutie mark was visible above all the scar tissue. The biggest of all changes though was his lacking of his horn. It was not uncommon for a Unicorn to loose their horns in their last stages of life, but in every case the Unicorns magic fades away as well; Celestia could feel Black Mark's magic, thumping along with his heart, and it was just above that of her pupils level.
As Black Mark shifted uneasily as Luna clung to him, he unknowingly flashed Celestia the stub that remained of his horn. 'A clean break.' She noted, something that didn't happen naturally; 'Judging by the angle it's been removed at,' Celestia pondered as she watched Luna finally calm 'It was self inflected.'
Luna released Black mark from her hoofs, her eyes red and puffy, but even in his age Black Mark saw the red tinting in her face. 'I still got it!' He mentally patted himself on the back, Princess Celestia couldn't resist a snort, having picked up on such a loud thought. Luna didn't take notice of any of it, to busy yelling at her self for breaking down.
Black Mark turned away as Luna yelled at herself and moved back to his wagon. With a kick to the front axial a ramp dropped down from the back and four boxes slid out, each one getting progressively bigger then the last. A light gray aura covered them and they were dragged across from behind the cart to the front. Black Mark was shaking slightly from the effort and had needed a to take a breath before going on, "The armors you requested Princess Celestia."
Black Mark stamped a hoof down on the marble floor and two of the wooden boxes popped open. The smallest of them held black helmets, near two hundred in total, "A simple rune allows them to be switched for Pegasus and Unicorn variants" Black Mark explained, moving the the larges of the open boxes. This one held the actual body armor, all were the same inky black that the helmets were "A rune on the center of the back, on the inside will create openings for wings of any kind." He was about to move to the center box when Celestia regained her voice.
"Black Mark, I have no idea what you are talking about." Black Mark gave her a look that would usually be reserved for mentally troubled colts. "The runes allow the metal to," Celestia tapped her hoof upon the arm or her throne, stoping Black Mark who gave her a cheeky grin, surprising Celestia that the old Stallion still had his teeth at such an age. "I am sorry Tia," his grin got a little bigger as Celestia glared at him and Luna giggled into her hoof, "but I have no idea what you're not understanding."
Celestia gave up with the glare with a sigh. "I have no memory of ordering armor." Black Mark looked at Celestia, one of his furry eyebrows raised in question before looking to Luna who simply shrugged her shoulders, Black Mark swore he heard her voice in his head when she gave him that look, saying "We were trapped on our moon for a thousand years, what would we know?"
"Tia," her glare didn't faze him in the slightest "You ordered the armor after you found me, in the bar, surly you remember? We had a drinking contest and you left with that young General, Red H...!" Celestia's magic wrapped around Black Mark, making a muzzle.
"Never speak of that." Her eves were dark and her voice cold. Black Mark actually feared for his life before he realized he was to old to give a hoot. Simply wanting it all done with Black Mark nodded his head, and Celestia released him. Black Mark shook his head to shake away the feeling of constriction that lingered, before looking at Celestia. "I drank over triple what you choked down Tia, and I remember that night perfectly! You told me Luna would return and that she and her Guard would need armor. You even paid me before leaving."
Celestia never looked more ashamed in her life, Luna was giggling madly into her hoof unable to keep a strait face at such a revelation. Black Mark cleared this throat, gaining their attention, and gave them a blank stair, "I still have Luna's armor." He gave a point with his hoof to the still unopened box. Luna seemed to take on the childish action of bouncing in her throne, while Celestia regarded the unopened box with a somewhat guarded curiosity.