//------------------------------// // "DAMN IT PINKIE!!!" // Story: Rouge Flame: Legend of the Elemental Warrior // by Steel Heart //------------------------------// Ponyville was coming up fast, even faster now that the pegasi pulling the chariot were in a dive ready for landing. Eclipse and Dash went on ahead to scout the town, Eclipse springing into action as soon as he touched the ground, disappearing into an ally way with the grace and speed of an oiled panther. Dash just flew aimlessly around the main streets looking for the beast that was supposedly attacking Ponyville, while Twilight reread the letter that she got nearly half an hour ago from Pinkie. Twilight Twi you gotta help us, and I mean 'now'. Ponyville is under attack from a monster, we don't know what it is, Hay even Fluttershy doesn't know what it is. Anyway we need help 'now', come as fast as you can! PP Twilight looked at the town again, no signs of an attack anywhere. What's going on?. All the houses, stalls and the lamp posts even where still standing. No damage anywhere. As she and the princesses disembarked the chariot, Dash flew up to them wearing a confused face. "I don't get it. Where's the monster? And how can ANY monster NOT do any damage? And where is everypony?" "Not in the side streets, not in any of the sheds lying about, not even dads old forge. But the lack of damage has me worried," Eclipse said from his perch on the ridge cap of a nearby building, looking like the dangerous predator he is on the hunt for his next meal. "What do you think it is?" Celestia asked. "No major structural damage, not a Hydra or Dragon. No paw prints, not a manticore or timber wolves," Eclipse then raised his squat nose and sniffed, "No scent. To my knowledge, it could be anything from a rouge to a gorgon, but even they leave a scent. That's why I'm worried. I don't know what I might have to fight." Then Twilights ears perked up, "Guys, I just remembered. Pinkie has a shelter in case of a shelter emergency in Sugar Cube Corners basement." Eclipse nodded from his perch, this obviously made sense to him, "Seems legit, you go on ahead, I'll see you there."  ------ The walk put everyponys nerves on edge, fearing that something would jump out from the shadows to prey upon them, but they made it to the bakery. "Hey, you made it". The four ponies all looked up to the roof, where Eclipse was perched rather close to the edge of the roof. "Wai- wha? H.. How did you beat us here?" Luna asked with amazement in his obvious speed, and no doubt, extreme agility. Eclipse just smirked and, still in a crouch, hopped off the roof in a free fall, landing in the fashion he did when he got out of the hospital, but without making the tiniest sound. Not an "Oof", not a grunt, not a thing. Then in a low predatory crouch, entered Sugar Cube Corner. The rest also entered, and found Eclipse peeking into every nook and cranny trying to find that devious little pink mare. After a minute of searching the first floor, Eclipse turned to the four mares in the main dinning area and gave a shrug. "HI-*CRASH*-YA!" Pinkie's mystical powers never cease to surprise. Hence the word "surprise". This was then followed by nearly everypony in Ponyville jumping from their own respective hiding places all while shouting, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!". Pinkie Pie now stood smiling under Eclipse, who had his head buried in the first floor ceiling, with his feet dangling a few feet above the floor.  Then a slightly muffled voice came from where Eclipses head should be, "Pinkie?" "Yeah?" "I am sooooooo getting you a collar with a bell on it." "Okie dokie lokie!" Then Eclipse, by the looks of things started to panic, as he started to tremble slightly. Then all of a sudden, "Oh no! No! NononononononononoAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!" and Eclipse stated flailing his limbs in all directions, before curling his body, planting his feet on the ceiling, and pushing in sync with his hands. And you could probably guess what happened as result of that. Eclipse now lay on his back with a frown written on his face looking at the hole his head had inadvertently created in the roof, with curiously lipstick colored, kiss shaped spots randomly dotted about his face. "Whoa... What happened to you?" Dash asked as she gave Eclipse a nudge with a hoof. Eclipse simply pointed to the hole in the ceiling and said, "Her," with unfiltered distain. Dash looked up to the hole, and saw a mint green unicorn looking down at her latest "kill" wearing a very, very creepy grin."Yesh... Is that Lyra again?". Eclipse just nodded. "Ok. I'll go lock her up somewhere for now," Dash said before running up the stairs to catch this menace to Eclipses already frayed sanity. "Now," Eclipse said while picking himself off the floor, "What was all this about again?" Pinkie then started to jump excitedly in Eclipses face, "It's your birthday silly! This is your birthday party andIjustwantedtosaythatwasfunnywhenyou-" Pinkie was abruptly silenced by Eclipse, who pinched her muzzle in between his thumb and index finger, effectively silencing the still bouncing mare, before turning to Celestia. "Lemme guess ol girl, you had Pinks set us up with a little "monster" to get us back here for my birthday?". But the confusing thing was, Eclipse had a small smile on his face. "Thats an old one. You've had fifteen years to come up with new ideas." Celestia calmly returned the warm smile, "I figured, what the hay. Old joke for an old friend. And now my sister and I would both like to give you something. Something for the warrior". Then Celestia and Luna closed their eyes, and both their horns lit up, burning with a great fury. Then a blinding light filled the room for a few seconds, before fading again. Eclipse opened his eyes to find four floating objects in front of him, with everypony in the room "Oohing" and "Aaahing". "These were our fathers, passed down generation after generation. And we both decided that you should wield them." Eclipse was at a loss for words. Floating in front of him were a pair of arm gauntlets, and two neon blue blades. The gauntlets were a dark shade of onyx with flowing blood red lines etched into their surface with silver highlighting. The two blades were each as wide as one of his hands with only a single cutting edge, and were as long as his arms, both tapering down into a wicked point. Eclipse grabbed ahold of one of the magnificent swords and gave a few test swings, "Its so light," Eclipse said with awe. "The gauntlets are made from Dragoniaum steel, which is virtually indestructible and will mold to the wearer's needs. The swords are made from Alicorteo steel, which makes the best swords for they will never dull, and they can be used against arcane magic and also protect one from such magical blows, and will also mold to the users needs," Luna stated in a school teacher like manner. "But I think this will make your day even more special," said Celestia as she held up a small box with a ribbon attached. Eclipse took the box from Celestia's magic and began to unravel the ribbon, with obvious nervousness in his eyes. Could it be what he thinks it is? As he took the lid off the small box, he was met with a familiar object. It was about the size of his palm, with a jet black front with a silver backing. The only thing he could do was gasp. He remembered playing with this object as a child, he remembered the beautiful melodies that would emanate from it, he remembered Celestia putting a spell on it to stop the thing from going "flat". That particular memory still confused him, it was already flat. He picked the object up out of the box, and pressed the lonely button on the front. The blackness lit up with that familiar image of a sign, with words that only he could read that said, "This sign is in Spanish when your not looking" with a small square on the bottom with the same text that said, "Slide to unlock". So he did. The room was then filled with the familiar, yet alien, snap. And he was met with another sign that said, "No drama, violators will be bitch slapped". Then he turned it over so he could see the the silver backing, and looked at the symbol of an apple with a bite taken out of it with more Human script under it.  iPod. All Eclipse could do was grab his first, oldest friend in a near choking hug. Good thing Alicorns are stronger than regular ponies, because Eclipse was hugging Celestia so tight that she started to wheeze. "Thank you. You have no idea what this means to me." ------ The party was well and truly going, well into the night in fact. Although most of the ponies were still doing things that you normally do at a party, Eclipse and Celestia sat aside from the group, "flicking" through the photos on Eclipses fathers iPod. Twilight decided she would go and see the history of this alien creature, that was a hybrid of pony and mythical creature. Collecting three glasses of Pinkie's famous party punch, she weaved and jinxed her way through the crowd of party goers, to the lonely pair sitting at a table in the corner quietly chuckling to each other. And as she reached the table, Eclipse suddenly doubled over with laughter. "I remember this one ol girl, you remember when Fluttershy's pet rabbit did a Buck Norris number on you and you chased him down a hole?" Celestia gave an embarrassed grin, "Yes, I remember you and your father nearly choking on your tongues with laughter while my nose was being used as a punching bag when I was trying to get myself out," then Celestia gave a warm chuckle. Then Eclipse noticed Twilight standing on the opposite side of the table, then Celestia half chuckled-half warning said, "Eclipse, don't you even think about it". But Eclipse had already sprung over the table, scooped up Twilight and made a dash for the door. All the while taunting, "To late," in a cheery voice.  As soon as Eclipse reached the outside world, he put Twilight back to the ground and handed her the iPod, "Hide this until she tries to catch me, then all you have to do is press the triangle with your nose. You won't regret it," the last sentence said with a wickedly mischievous grin. Then Celestia burst through the door with a wild yet playful look in her eye, "Give it to me or face my raspberry of doom." "I'm not gonna give it up, and you gotta catch me to give your raspberry of doom," Eclipse cackled as he playfully pranced down the street, enticing Celestia to give chase.  She was more than willing to comply. And so the pair ran shrieking down the street. Twilight watched the pair run off into the darkness, "O... K? Now to see what the fuss is all about". Eclipse was not wrong when he said she wouldn't regret it, as she was now lying flat on her stomach, pounding the ground with a hoof with a maniacal laughter. "Twilight sparkle, what's the joke if I may ask?" Luna questioned as she walked up to the purple mare giggling like an idiot in the middle of the street. "I'm sorry princess, words can't explain. Here watch," Twilight said as she "handed" the iPod over to the princess, with the video already playing. --- "Hey Celestia, I hope you aren't gonna burn mine and Jacobs sangas are ya," came a gruff voice, obviously it belonged to the one holding the iPod. Eclipses father. "Cmon dad, your a wus. It's just a bit of charcoal, it's not like it's gonna hurt ya," came a reply. Then the iPod came to rest on a young Eclipse who had, by the looks of things, just finished having a little play time with a big red colt with a blond mane. No doubt they were having a wrestling match. The red colt then added his own, "Eeyup". "Look at you two," came a slightly annoyed tone, "Go wash up, lunch is almost done." Once again the iPod moved and shifted it's gaze on a sky blue pegasus. Luna had a pretty good guess who this was. "But muuuum!" whined Eclipse. "Just go and wash up!" "Boys will be boys. The'll just end up dirty again Windy," came the gruff voice of Eclipses father. But the young boys wash up was interrupted, when a slight "Oof" was heard in the direction of Celestia. Again the iPod spun around to face the princess wearing a pink apron, with a small white rabbit atop it's latest victory waving it's arms like a champion, with a small butter yellow pink maned filly trying to coax the offending rodent off the princess. --- "O...k?" princess Luna said with a slightly confused face. "Just wait, the next ones best!" Twilight announced. --- "Cameron, can you just get me out of here?" Celestia asked in a muffled voice. Her head was now jammed in a hole under an old oak tree, and the rest of her body lying limply on the ground. The view on the iPod was shaking, most likely as a result of the wielder of the device was vainly trying to suppress his laughter, "Why? This is comedy in action, and I'm gonna catch every second of it." Celestia tried pulling her head out again, it was a wonder how she got it down there in the first place. She braced and beat her wings, but she then started to struggle harder, and shouts came from the area of Celestia's head. "Ow! Stop that! Stop it! Stoptitstoptistopitstopitstopit!... OH FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, CUT IT OUT!!!" and that was evidently enough motivation for the "regal" princess to pull her out out with a loud, satisfying "THOP". Then the view suddenly jerked upwards, and the onlookers, by the sounds of things, couldn't contain it anymore as they all roared with laughter. And after a few seconds the view tilted back down to Celestia, who was rubbing her nose while glaring daggers at the iPod. "I am soooo gonna keep this," declared Eclipses father, then the video ended. --- Luna grinned wildly while trying to suppress a giggle. Then at that moment, Eclipse and Celestia came up the road, with Eclipse riding on Celestia's back like a knight with the biggest, smuggest grin possible. "What are you smiling about Luna?" Celestia asked with concern. Luna then held up the iPod, "Ammunition dear sister," wicked grin on her face. "Oh you Sneaky one Eclipse," Celestia declared before rearing up, sending Eclipse rolling off her back onto his feet. Then Celestia thrust out a hind leg to give Eclipse a nudge, only to have it not return to the ground. She turned around to see Eclipse holding her leg up off the ground. So. She tried using her other leg. Now Eclipse held both her rear legs, in the fashion of holding up a wheelbarrow. Eclipse just smiled. "WHEELBARROW RACE!!!" A look of horror crossed Celestia's face.