//------------------------------// // The White City // Story: Equestrian Steel // by Shieldheart204 //------------------------------// The White City. The train ride lasted a day, but upon arriving to Canterlot Valley, the view was breath-taking. Lodged onto the mountain and standing high in the sky stood The White City itself. The several pearl white towers, the enormous balconies perching out like shining nests. They arrived at the train station, where people could see eight solid gold cars arriving to the pearl white station. Shield Heart exited the eighth car, wearing his regular attire conformed of his trench coat, white shirt and brown pants. But he added something new, a pair of thin silver-framed glasses. He walked past the registration office, merely flashing his badge. He walked straight to the castle, ignoring the various stalls offering delicious cinnamon rolls and other pastries. Reaching the entrance, he was stopped by two guards armed with halberds and clad in the iconic pearl-white, gold trimmed, plate armor. " Stop right there! No one enters this castle under my watch!" said the stoic guard to the right. His expressionless face " Calm Down Tower Shield, it's just me." said the knight. " I still cannot let you pass, the princess says that we should refrain from letting psychos into the castle." " Ha ha very funny, now will you please let me in?" " Sorry, orders are orders." Then Uncle Gold Heart, accompanied by the red-haired child. Upon arriving to be entrance, the guards lifted their halberds and let them pass, it nearly cut Shield when they blocked the path once more. " Seriously? You aren't letting me in?" " Sorry, but Shining Armor gave us strict orders not to let you in." " And where is he now?" " On his honeymoon of course, haven't you been reading the news?" " Sorry, I have been too busy actually working to notice that he has gone on vacations yet again. So who's the temporal Captain?" " Me." Shield grunted in disgust. " Please, it is urgent that I speak to the princess now!" " Sorry, but I am not joking, he said not to let you in!" " Fine!" responded the warden. He went to one of the sides of the castle. This hadn't been the first time Shining had done something as pathetic as to try and keep him out. But there was more than one way inside, and he was determined to talk to the royalty, one way or the other. Infusing his body with magic, he acquired the dexterity needed to climb the castle. Using the protruding bricks, he scaled for ten minutes. He contemplated the idea of using his wand, but he remembered the enchantments that surrounded he castle wouldn't let him grapple unto anything. After ten minutes of tedious climbing, he reached the only open window that led directly to the Throne room. Taking a peek inside, he was surprised to see what was going on. Uncle Gold Heart was asking for the permits to finish his purchase of the mines. And as always, The Princess of Dawn accepted. Princess Celestia was wearing her regal silk white dress, the dress wasn't thick, since it was geared towards practicality, unlike what most of the Canterlot elite wore. The thin pearl dress divided itself on the left flank, making it easier for the princess to move in case of any disturbance. Her blue-green-pink hair was flowing freely, matched with her belt that sported the same pattern. The belt also had a golden sun to keep it from falling down. Shield decided that now was a good time as any, so he jumped through the window. It was a simple three meter drop, not something that could be dangerous. Upon landing on the floor he noticed that everyone was looking at him. He remembered that he forgot to muffle his sound, which would have helped keep him dark. The guards were immediately alerted, rushing to encircle the new threat. The fall also dropped most of Shield's focus, so by the time he got his thoughts together he was centimeters away from being sliced by the tip of a halberd. " Stop right there criminal scum! Move a millimeter and he will kill you." " Highly unlikely, but I like your determination rookie." responded the knight as he lifted his head. " Agent Shield Heart, how very nice of you to drop by." said the Princess. Immediately the five guards lifted their weapons, relaxing when the princess identified the trespasser. Her tone was very calm, as if she had yet to know of the danger that was to come. So Uncle had left him the hardest part of the job after all. " I am very sorry for my unique appearance, but your Captain wouldn't let me in, and it is important that I speak with you. I imagine you are done giving my uncle another piece of your kingdom?" " Yes nephew, we were discussing the wedding gift that I brought over to the newlyweds." said the elder. " Oh, well sorry for the interruption, but this is very important." " Very well, what is it that you need to tell us." Taking a deep breath he prepared to ruin Princess Celestia's day. " IneedauthorizationtoinitiateProtocolStalliongrad." he said as ft as he could, hoping that she would understand. The princess looked perplexed, confused, like she had misunderstood him. So he repeated it at the same speed. " I am sorry Shield, but could you please speak slower? For a second I thought you wanted to activate Protocol Stalliongrad." his face produced a wiry shy smile. Celestia simply remained on her throne chair, dumbfounded by the news. " I'm sorry, but I cannot comprehend why you would ask me something like this, you know that there must be a good reason behind this decision." Shield explained his incident, making sure to stress on the fact that he had seen evidence of the technology. " You aren't giving me much room to think of here Agent 42, could you please let me see the memory charm in order to fully understand the situation?" He obliged, tossing the broken watch across the throne room. Using her hands, The Herald of Dawn cast a Telekinesis spell that caught the timepiece in a golden aura. Upon opening it, she was paralyzed for three seconds, before gasped in apparent horror. " Now you can see why I need the permit to initiate the Protocol, right?" " Yes, but it isn't as simple as you would hope. The Hooviet Union has been waiting for an opportunity to march here. If we let the news go that we have weapons then... I don't know what would happen." " Then what do you propose we do, sit back and watch people die? I don't like this anymore than you do Princess, but we have to do something." " Halberd!" said the Princess, and one of the guards stepped forward. " Yes your Highness?" " Please go to the library and tell Twilight Sparkle to come here at once this is extremely important." " Yes your majesty." and the guard exited the throne room. " Your Highness, why would you call Twilight Sparkle to this meeting? I doubt that she could provide some insight on this subject." said Shield coldly. " She is smarter than you might think, and I want as much help as I can get because if I let Equestria in your hands there is a high probability that we will be dead before Nightmare Night." " Thanks for the vote of confidence." said the knight, feeling a little hurt. " Shut up lad, you very damn well know that if there is no moderator keeping you in check we will be fightin' for the rest of our lives." interrupted uncle Gold Heart. .oOo. Twilight Sparkle was sitting on one of the couches in the public wing of Canterlot Library. She was holding a copy of the book " The Parchment." it was a romantic tale about two lovers that met during their teenage years, but were separated by the evil mother that wanted to protect her daughter. It was somewhat sappy, but she enjoyed reading fiction in between her studies. She never had realized that friendship could be so complicated. She put the book back to where she had found it, and proceeded down to the central desk. Her purple hair was held together with a white diadem. She was wearing a white shirt under an argyle violet vest, which matched her long skirt. She was wearing black flats, which were comfortable when it came to reading or walking down her favorite library. An old bearded man sat on the oak desk, holding an old tome. He looked up and saw the purple haired girl and smiled. " As I live and breathe, Twilight Sparkle has returned to the library! Why this Very incident has filled me with great joy! To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence." " Hello Maester Grimoire, I'm sorry I haven't visited earlier, but my studies in Ponyville have kept me from visiting you." said Twilight. The Maester was an old friend, having the wisdom to translate very complex spells and often aiding Twilight when she asked for help. " Oh you need not worry dear, it is just that with you gone my library is even more empty than before, my only company is Book Worm. But he is usually too busy studying about myths and superheroes to be of any use." And suddenly they heard a crash in the far end of the silent room. " Oh bother, my library isn't going to last with this child constantly thrashing about!" The sage got up and lifted his wand. And blinked out of his desk. Twilight Ran to the location of the sound, not knowing where specifically did the sound come from. The sound came from a teenager, about sixteen years old. His green hair and grey eyes looked at the wizard, who looked very displeased. " What were you doing this time Mr. Book Worm? I hope you have decided to pick up a Grimoire and stop this fantasy of yours about finding the Crimson Prince!" " Sir! I was just reaching out for one of the recent reports on missions done by the Grey Warden when I lost my balance." responded the youth " Idiot! Learning about The Greys isn't going to help you become a better Maester. You have got to learn about spells!" " But if I find the Crimson Prince he will teach me how to use my hands as a medium." " For the last time, only Angels are able to use their hands as a medium of magic." " But I saw him perform magic with his hands! He didn't have wings and still launched a fireball from his fingertips." " What's the commotion?" asked the Ponyville librarian. " This man is about to get killed trying to search for a myth." responded the elder scholar. " He is no myth, the Crimson Prince saved me from the Blood Pack. And the Royal Guard can prove it!" " I know their report, and they never confirmed that a superhero saved you." " Who's this Crimson Prince guy?" asked Twilight " He is some masked vigilante..." " He is a hooded vigilante who is capable of fighting the houses and still manage to get away with it. He even uses a small crossbow!" said the pupil with clear excitement. " And I know that I am close to revealing his true identity, he is Shield Heart! The Grey Warden!" " It can't be him, he is always too busy saving Equestria from real evils to be here fighting imaginary wars with the Royal Houses." " I'm sorry Maester, but what is a Grey Warden?" interrupted Twilight. The name seemed eerily familiar, but she couldn't quite pinpoint where she had heard it before. " Why Twilight my dear, you disappoint me! the Grey Wardens are a branch of the Order of the Greys, the most important Peace Organization in all of Equestria!" " Oh right, the order was founded a thousand years ago, because of a rebellion lead by a mysterious man. How come no one recorded his name?" " Because we never knew it, the monster was driven out of Equestria before he could face charges. Tell me more, I want to make sure that you remember your history well." " Oh it was founded by Brave Heart, an immigrant from Prance who became zealous about protecting the Princess. The Organization usually follows a hereditary pattern, transferring the role of Master from father to son." " And Shield, second son of the Master Grey, just so happens to be in line to the crown. Competing against Prince Blueblood. It makes sense that he is the Crimson Prince, he wants to teach the houses a lesson in case he becomes king." said Book Worm. " And... That's it, there really wasn't a lot to go on in the books. From there on they simply disappeared." responded an amazed girl, that was all she could tell from what was known as a very important organization. " That's because the Hearts are far too noble and secretive to let us know. Some of them occasionally drop a report for the archives, but they usually keep all of Equestria in the dark." Before Twilight could inquire further, a Royal guard burst through. His staggered breath tried to communicate something, but the panting made it incomprehensible. " What is it Halberd? You look as though you Cerberus were chasing you." " Sorry sir, but the Princess requests Twilight Sparkle's presence in the throne room." " What for?" asked the purple haired librarian. " I don't know, but it is urgent and Shield Heart is there." " You best be going my dear, Shield Heart is known for possessing many a virtue, but patience is not among them." Said Grimoire. " All right, but I will be back Maester." she said and exited the library. Her escorted walk was with total silence, probably due to the fact that the guard looked inclined to complete his assignment as soon as possible. Twilight was confident she had heard the name Shield Heart many times before, but she couldn't quite pin it down. She finally entered the Throne Room. The large white enclosure was filled with silence. The Princess was sitting on her golden throne, a taller-than-average man wearing a grey duster stood at her left, staring at Twilight. A man with a blue frock coat and a red shirt was patiently waiting at the other side. Holding his white pants was a child clad in a uniform of olive green. " Twilight, I have called you here because I need your help. I have recently learned that the changelings will be returning, and they will be striking Manehattan." said the Morning Princess. Twilight merely gasped, her sense of worry spiking when she heard that the city in which his brother was spending his honeymoon was about to be under fire. "So what are we waiting for? Shouldn't we be doing everything to evacuate the city?" " It's not so simple as just evacuating, I am mostly concerned about what their purpose is. I am sure this isn't just another invasion, they have a big plan and I want to find out what it is." intervened Shield Heart, his tone was somewhat serious. " Excuse me, but who are you?" " The name is Sir Shield Heart." " So what do you propose Sir, we let thousands of civilians get caught in a fight?" " No, quite the contrary, I want to clear the city to be able to transform it into a battlefield. With this plan I want to lure out the queen in order to capture her and lock her up in Tartarus." " And how do you know that the queen will show up? What if she has a commander that will manage the entire battle for her?" responded Twilight, she really wasn't liking the idea of putting a city in danger so that they could capture someone. " Doesn't matter, we just need to capture whoever is responsible for the attack so that we can prosecute them. We need to show the world that we cannot be bullied." " But that would be stupid, there are alternatives to fighting." " What do you propose, serve them tea and ask nicely if they want to leave?" " No, we can use the Elements of Harmony to neutralize the threat." " Listen miss Sparkle, I hate to ruin your perfect plan but using a Deus Ex Machina such as the elements will only put your life in danger. Also it will send the wrong message, they will realize that our main line of defense consists of six girls who happen to use magic symbols. The first thing any nation would do would be to assassinate all six of you and that way they will be unstoppable." " And what about your plan, doesn't it involve putting yourself in danger?" " Yes it does, but because I can handle it miss. This is my job after all. You are crucial to the defense of Equestria against other types of enemies, such as the Avatar of Chaos or Nightmare Moon. You shouldn't get stressed about these things, leave them to people with experience." " You have experience running wars?" " You could say that, but that is out of the question. Princess, will you allow me to initiate Protocol Stalliongrad or not?" The Princess suddenly became the center of attention. She pondered for a moment, she imagined what the outcome would be regardless of wether or not she granted permission. But maybe there was a way around it, it wasn't very likely to succeed, but it she couldn't let him go around using firearms. He needed something or someone to control him. She had never seen him fight with guns, at least not in real life. The memories clearly showed that he was experienced, and that scared her. Equestria was popular because it lacked modern weaponry, and still the medieval artifacts were kept in check. Only certain individuals were allowed to use them, and she had to admit they were not as skilled as her loyal agent. She still couldn't realize how he gained this experience. He had a large gap in his life in which she didn't know a thing except that it changed him completely. He used to be a cheery teenager, but after disappearing for four years he had somehow mutated into the stoic, sarcastic scoundrel in front of her. She wanted to do something to return the old child she missed, and then her idea became much more coherent. " Very well Shield Heart, I hereby give you authorization to initiate Protocol Stalliongrad Level One. Under the condition that Twilight Sparkle is there to supervise what you do." she finally said. Shield heart jumped with joy while shouting " Yes!" but he landed when his finished processing the condition. " Hold it, are you implying that I need help? C'mon Princess, when have I ever kept you in the dark about something?" retorted the knight. " Always Shield Heart, but this time I cannot allow your regular attitude." " Fine! But only under one condition, that she does everything I say. If I say jump, she jumps, I say duck, she ducks without question and if I say kiss she asks which cheek. Last thing I want is to be in the middle of a battle with a bitch nagging and complaining, only to get killed and get me into a lot of trouble." he responded. " I accept Princess, just tell me what I should be looking for and I will follow." The princess let out a smirk, to which the Warden completely ignored. " Actually, I will also send Rarity to help Twilight, maybe she can turn this monster into a proper man." she said. " All right, fine, whatever. Okay, Uncle would you be so kind as to..." and he noticed uncle Gold Heart was gone. The old man and Hawk Eye had left during the argument between young adults. " Not be here. Okay, Twilight Sparkle pack your things and meet me at the train station in five hours, same thing about your friend. We leave for Vanhoover before night fall." " Vanhoover? Aren't we supposed to go to Manehattan?" " No, if we want to beat the changelings we need to pick up some supplies which can only be obtained from my base. Don't worry, we will make it In time." and he left without saying another word. Twilight Sparkle was left alone with the princess, so she decided to make the most of this opportunity." Princess, could you please explain to me who was that man?" " You do not remember Shield Heart? He was a close friend of Shinning Armor and Cadence." said Celestia. Twilight started thinking, he did look vaguely familiar, but she had only seen him once or twice. " Not really." " He is one of the Agents of the Order of the Greys, and one of my most effective ones at that. He has been able to solve any problem that Equestria has, so long as I keep a blind eye as to how he does it." " Why would you do that?" " Because his methods are slightly unorthodox. He will occasionally take a life, but usually just bends the laws in his favor." " So why are you paying close attention this time?" " Because I cannot simply allow him to use firearms in my country. He has changed drastically, and every time I want him to tell me why he has changed he closes up quickly." " So that is what Protocol Stalliongrad is, the weaponization of Equestria?" " No, it is slightly more complicated, it is the modernization of the weapons department. It means that we will get an army and various other discordant things. Level one means that he still must exercise caution when using weapons, so that will slow down his insanity." " So what do you need me for? It should be you that oversees this." " That is because I need you to do something much more important. I need you to change him the same way Ponyville changed you. He was once a happy kid who would bring joy to all those around him. Now, well you saw him." Twilight could relate, she had once been a secluded nerd, but she had managed to quit her bad habits. This man showed similar symptoms, but looked like his case was far more serious. " But what do we do if he becomes violent?" " Do not worry, he may be violent, but he can still exercise control over himself, especially around women and children. So I am confident that neither you nor Rarity will come to any sort of harm while you are with him." " Princess, do you think that he was serious about the whole if I say kiss you respond which cheek?" " I doubt it. Winter has seen warmer days than is heart. Now go, you have an important journey ahead of you." And so the student left. She was keen on telling her fashionista friend about their new journey. If there was anyone capable of her. It was a good thing that she had taken the time off to help decorate the newlyweds' bedroom while they were away, that way she could accompany Twilight on her quest. .oOo. Shield Heart exited the castle, completely frustrated. He remembered well that his future self had told him to enlist her aid, but he wasn't about to put in danger someone as important as her. His mission was getting far more complicated. Escalating from a simple skirmish to a bodyguard His thoughts immediately cleared when he sensed he was being followed. He couldn't exactly tell, but he had been ambushed enough times to know when someone was watching him. He proceeded down one of Canterlot's many dark alleys, commonly where people tended to disappear. He was halfway through when two large brutes showed up behind him, and two more in front of him blocked his exit. " Well well, look who decided to show up." said a juvenile voice from behind. He turned around and saw a slender silver-haired man. His youthful appearance paid tribute to his voice, and his figure marked him as weak. " Can you make this quick Silver Platter? I have a train to catch." responded Shield. He hated when this bigot showed up to cause trouble. " I know, and I'm sorry to say that you will have to miss it. You see, my friends here wanted to repay you for the kindness you showed my men after your last visit to Baltimare." responded Silver Platter. Shield remember this incident. It involved him tracking down a group of smugglers who were importing large quantities of an explosive substance called tak. In the end the docks that held the substance exploded, creating the illusion of fireworks during the festivals that were being held at the same time as the assignment. " Hey hat was your fault for not keeping an eye on what your employees hid." he responded coyly. " Shut up you cur. We both know that you could have avoided detonating the tak, and it could have made me rich by selling it to miners." " Ugh, for the last time, that stuff was illegal!" and he heard several gun cocks And suddenly Shield was looking at the barrel of a gun. All five of his adversaries had acquired pistols while he had looked to the ground remembering the past. He believed that the goons carried 9mm pistols while Pretty Boy was holding a .44 magnum auto-revolver. Either way, it probably wasn't going to get pretty if bullets started flying. " Listen you idiot, life was simple without you, so why can't you go back to the putrid city from which you came." it was too easy. " You mean here? This beautiful City? I hope you remember that I was born in Canterlot, the same place where you and all the other cretins that claim to be nobility while they suck their thumbs and play with tea." With a shout of rage Silver Platter prepared to fire, but Shield had prepared a strategy by now. Years of experience had taught him never to go through any town unarmed, so he used the most powerful one available to him: his fists. He lunged himself at the extended arm and put his arms around the elbow. With a swift switch, he pulled his right arm in and pushed his other limb out. The result was a sickening snap, signaling that is would be months before that arm was back to holding tea cups. He followed the strike with a swift elbow bash from his right arm to the sternum, injuring it with minor cracks. A sharp scream was produced from the boy when his bones were snapped And to seal the spoiled brat's fate he punched his face with the left fist. The victim was knocked out cold. The minions were shocked by this, and did the worst thing possible, they pointed their pistols at him. Shield lunged again, this time striking his first opponent with a punch right to the stomach. Breathless, the goon panicked, launching a blind fist to the knight, who deflected it and palm stroke right to the chin. He fell down coldly. The next thug was greeted by a clockwise roundhouse kick to his hand, which forced him to drop his weapon. He threw a basic punch, but was too slow to hit his opponent. Shield managed to get up-close, delivering a staggering elbow against the stomach, followed by a throw involving using the extended limb as a lever. The goon end up on the floor. Where he was neutralized by the bottom of a boot. The remaining enemies did the only thing they thought correct, they unloaded their magazines on the monster. Needless to say, most bullets did not even approach their mark. Those few that did were still under the hopes of reaching their target. Of the eight candidates, only half of them found their way to the Warden. One of them graced the neck, producing a wound close to the right clavicle. Another one punctured the stomach, embedding itself near the left kidney. The las two managed to strike his left triceps, allocating themselves right next to the bone. The pain was nothing short of incredible, but Shield now was forced to end it fast. They were halfway to the train station and the castle, so if anyone had the common sense of calling the guards when they heard screaming, they would arrive quickly. Shield dashed forward, using his magic to delay the bleeding. He proceeded with an uppercut, Followed by a jump kick straight to the face. The enemy could not withstand the hundred newtons of mana-augmented blows, and was immediately unconscious. To finish off the last one, he proceeded to attack the vital nerves. With five quick pokes the last minion was down on the floor. Shield surveyed his surroundings, so far only his blood was the visible damage, but the weapons were still present. He heard the distinctive clatter of armor, so he had little time to work. He grabbed all four pistols and the revolver, packing them in his pockets. He then started climbing, hoping that the guards wouldn't want to look up. Having escaped the alley he reached the train station, where he avoided all sort of human interaction. .oOo. Twilight Sparkle was back at the library, hoping to find more information about Shield Heart. Going to get Rarity would be a waste of time, since she was too busy decorating. Instead she decided to invest her time with something productive. Se returned with Grimoire, hoping to find out more about Shield, who was spoken of highly. " Maester, what more can you tell me about Shield Heart?" she asked. " Oh dear, that is a troublesome subject. I hope you understand that that man is extremely complicated and as such most of his actions are ambiguous." " Could you please start with the basics? Such as the Royalty involved?" " Oh well, that makes it easier. You should remember that at the beginning of Equestria, The Princesses appointed several families that had done something for the kingdom, such as was the case of the Storms, the family of Seraphs was recognized for its involvement during the Unification. They were in charge of herding all monster out of potential zones marked by the Precious Family. The Bloods helped convince the people to accept and even welcome Celestia's rule, abolishing the corrupt council. Later on, other families joined the royalty, becoming Counts as opposed to the First Families that are regarded as Dukes. After the banishment of Nightmare Moon and the Rebellion, Princess Celestia awarded the Heart family with a place among the higher royalty circle, which they reluctantly accepted. They used their status as a way to continue their work and found the Order of the Greys. This act created great displeasure amongst the Precious and Blood families who saw it as an insult. Shield Heart has taken this a little further, often picking fights amongst the counts for being unpleasant. And truth is, they make it so easy for him. Whenever he would be here studying and they showed up, I found out that my bookcases would have new dents. His actions are unusual, but his first interest is the safety of Equestria and that of his friends." Twilight was impressed, the description was confusing. On one hand he was a psychotic man with anger management issues, on the other he seemed very loyal. But she felt that there was more to tell. There had to be some explanation to his talent, she was certain that the Maester could fill the gap that the Princess couldn't. " Is there anything else that you could tell me?" she asked " Why are you so interested in Shield all of a sudden? " " Because the Princess has assigned me the task of returning him to sanity." " Well, you might also want to know that he is very adept in magic. So much in fact that he was a student to Celestia before you." " Really? How come?" " Well, not only is he adept in magic, but he also is part of Equestria's defense, so giving him he best training was only logical. Although he dropped out when you showed your powers." " Why would he do that?" " Even though he tends to be violent, he hates being a hassle for other people. And to him he is always a hassle to anyone. He told me that the Princess should dedicate herself to you and not on him, since there was not much future in him. He knows of your power and therefore prefers to get himself out of the equation before anyone notices." The most curious part it that three years later, at the age of seventeen, he disappeared for four years." " Does anyone know what happened to him during that time?" " No, I believe that he keeps that secret locked away tighter than a cider bottle. Although you should ask Princess Cadence, she always held a special relationship with him." Twilight's work had just gotten harder, she hoped that the Maester would be able to solve her questions, but instead has raised more. She thanked the sage and quickly exited the library, hopefully Rarity had finished her work and they would be able to pack with only four hours to spare. She walked through Canterlot Plaza on her way to the home interior Boutiques, but stopped when she saw several Guardsmen blocking an alley. Ten healers, recognizable by the red cross on their arm bands, were carrying stretchers into the alley. She got closer, hoping to get view at what was happening, but the guards were blocking the way. " Sorry Twilight, but this is Official Business. We can't let you in." said one of the guards. " But what happened Tower?" " We don't know, but we have five people in desperate need of medical attention. One of them has a broken arm, a fractured sternum, and possibly a broken nose. The others were lucky to receive only a broken nose." "Except the one who ended up with a fractured Skull and a dislocated jaw, that guy will be in a coma for some time." said one of the healers. Twilight was shocked, but what happened later was a relief. From around the corner a violet-haired beauty walked on by, her casual attire consisted of a white blouse, a black short skirt and same colored flat shoes. She also wore a black and white belt, which served as mere decoration. " Rarity! I was on my way to meet you. How did the shopping go?" asked Twilight " Why Twilight, just look at me and tell me if everything did not go well." said the seamstress. It was true, she was carrying several bags of decorating items ranging from simple rolls of wallpaper to lamps and other miscellaneous items. " Very well I guess." " So what happened here?" " Some people got attacked, and got hurt pretty bad." " How awful, is there a culprit or a suspect?" " Negative ma'am, although it is highly likely that Shield Heart was responsible." intervened Tower Shield " Is he some sort of criminal?" asked Rarity " Actually, he probably did this because they started it. Shield may be a monster, but he never picks fights, he just attracts them." " And He is also our new best friend." intervened Twilight. " What are you talking about?" " Princess Celestia wants us to turn him into a decent human being, all while going to Vanhoover and Manehattan where there is supposed to be a large scale attack by the changelings." " What are you talking about Twi, I need to finish decorating the room before your brother returns from his honeymoon." " Well yeah, we have to change plans about that. This was issued by Princess Celestia Herself." Rarity started stammering, her brain was too busy processing the new information to create a regular sentence. She finished thinking and said: " Twilight, do you really think it would be wise to join, what I am led to believe, a brute?" " Well, he was somewhat civilized, he didn't look like a monster." " Then how do you explain this mess he has made?" " I can't, but the Princess asked that we both help him, and has even assured me that he won't harm us." " Sorry if I don't believe you Twilight, but I find it hard to believe that the Princess would be so careless as to tell us to go around with a monster." " Well, she wants you to help turn him into the gentleman he is supposed to be." " Well sorry if I don't feel inclined to do it, but I really need to finish your brother's room." " Rarity, why are you acting so negative about this?" " Why are you so positive?" " Because the Princess wants to help someone, and as Elements of Harmony, it is our duty to help anyone in need." " But is it really necessary? I mean, there are various ways to help people. And running along with a complete stranger doesn't feel like we will be doing much good." " It was an order, so we really have to play along." Rarity huffed, and gave in. There seemed no way to dissuade Twilight from doing something that could be labeled as utterly ridiculous. They both left to their suites, needing to prepare for the coming journey. .oOo. As soon as the girls left, Tower Shield was left perplexed. This crime scene had various elements common with Crimson Prince related incidents, but there was something completely new to this stage. The floor was littered with brass tubes and some blood drops. As much as they studied, no one was able to tell what had happened exactly. This was the biggest mystery in Canterlot history. Shining Armor would usually know what to do, but Tower was not as experienced. " What do we do now Captain?" asked one of the guards. " We go to arrest Shield Heart, I know that he has something to do with this. And if he isn't responsible, I am sure that he will tell us what we are dealing with here." " Is arresting him a good idea? You know how he gets special around us. Remember last time?" " Of course, we broke into the Royal bathroom, while Cadence was taking a bath. It has been our most embarrassing moment so far. But we have to try, I need to know what Silver Platter was doing here. By the look of things, he was asking for this." Tower Shield gathered five more guards, and with halberds in hand, they marched to the train station. Upon arrival to the golden train, they knocked on the door of the first passenger car. The door was opened by a man clad in a black suit. " Yes, what can I help you with?" asked the man " Hello Copperworth, is Shield Heart here?" asked the Captain. " I don't believe so Tower, let me go check." said the butler, who promptly closed the door. .oOo. Shield Heart was healing his wounds after his scuffle with Silver Platter. Pulling out the bullets he somewhat recognized their design. They were definitely from Great Briddle. The country was known for the massive amounts of armaments they produced and sold worldwide. He needed to know how five pistols got smuggled into Equestria. As he was pulling out the bullet lodged on his stomach Copperworth entered the room. " Mutilating yourself with bullets now are we Master Heart?" " Hey Copper. No, it was just a scuffle against that bastard." " So you are once again having kiddie fights against Silver Platter I presume." " He started it this time." " The guards are asking that you present yourself." " Tell them I'm not here, if word gets out that firearms were used on Canterlot I'll never hear the end of it." " So should I tell them that you aren't here sir?" " Please do Copperworth." " Very well." and the butler exited the room. Copper worth walked back to the main entrance, where all six guards were still waiting. " I am sorry to say that he left a while ago, could I deliver a message?" " Yes, could you please tell him that he needs to present himself at the barracks, we need his help with a very troublesome case." responded Tower. " Very well, I'll send him to you as soon as I see him." said Copperworth. The guards left without further ado. .oOo. " Sir you do know that the butler is lying, right? A lot of people confirmed seeing a man matching Shield's description enter the last car in that train." " I know, but if we force our way in, Shield will beat us up like those goons. And I do not want to fill out more medical reports. It's easier to let him come to us." " Not like he will obey." " Oh, he'll come eventually. Something like this is impossible to hide." and in an orderly fashion they left, marching back to their barracks. .oOo. Shield Heart was finishing up bandaging his wounds. They simply needed some kolto gel and they would proceed to repair his body. He made sure the cotton strips were tight, otherwise the healing time would double. He had taken off his white, now bloodstained, shirt, revealing a short sleeve undershirt. " Are you done making a mess of things sir?" asked Copperworth. " Yes Copper." responded the blond knight. " Well then, maybe you might want to go and tell the Royal Guard what they are going up against." " I won't, this is my problem, not theirs. All I have to do is check the docks and see where they are hiding the guns. Something tells me that they have superior firepower, and if they do, we will have to advance Protocol Stalliongrad even further." " Don't forget the consequences of your actions Sir, or they will bite your backside before you know it." " I know, I know. But what would you have me do? Guard armor is weak against bullets, and if there is a coup, Canterlot will fall within minutes." " Well, you could always confiscate the weapons before this coup you fear starts." " But the Precious have warehouses everywhere. I can't strike at least fifty warehouses all over Equestria at the same time." " Then what do you plan on doing, you can't fight a civil war. That would be the epilogue of the Greys." " But I can't think of anything else. What time is it?" " It's half past three sir." " What is taking those girls so long? I told them an hour ago to meet me here in five hours." " Sir, expect them to get here at least an hour late." " But how much can they take for a simple trip? " A lot sir." Shield grunted, put on a new shirt and fell to the floor, which was very comfortable, being made of thick carpets. He was in the library section of the train. So far it was his favorite. Between the carpets, the comfy couches and the bookshelves, it was his natural habitat. He studied the five fire arms that lay before him in an ebony table. There were four generic 9mm pistols before him, of Great Briddle design. The Grip sported the signature soft cover, making it easier to hold, while still being hard to drop. The real mystery came from the revolver. Sporting the expensive .44 magnum ammunition, it was a powerful tool. But it wasn't the firepower that impressed him, it was the astounding quality of it. The metal was reinforced aluminum, it was light, but still very resistant and bright. The grip was pure ivory, with the word ivory masterfully carved to the handle on both sides. The words were outlined in pure gold, along with the image of a dragon, whose mouth opened at the barrel. Shield had to admit that the gun was something to look at, and estimated that it must have cost at least five thousand bits just to manufacture it. " Looking at the spoils of war?" Asked the man clad in a penguin suit. " You're still here Copper?" " I never left." " So what do you think of this?" said the knight while holding the revolver. " A fine piece of craftsmanship." " I can see that, but where do you think it came from?" " Well..." said the butler as he grabbed the weapon. " It is obvious that it is from Ib'Xian. The dragon comes from that region, and ivory is a common enough material to be purchased by a noble." Shield hadn't thought of that before, but it made a lot of sense. He had seen Ib'Xian art before, and by pointing out the obvious, Copperworth had given him a crucial piece to the puzzle. He now knew that there were sleazy, powerful people involved, and that this probably means that he should be even more careful. He admired the gun, noting that it would prove useful in case things went sour, which in his experience always happened. He knew that the ammunition would require crafting, which would be somewhat of a nuisance unless there was a way to convert the chambers. He placed all weapons in a black evidence briefcase, making sure that no one would be able to see the arms. He decided to leave he guns alone and pick up a book at random. His hand picked up an interesting choice: star hoof troopers. It was a good read, and considering everything that was going to happen, he could use scifi military books to help him create strategies. Two hours passed and Shield was halfway trough the book, when Hawk Eye burst in. He was looking bored, and down. Although it was mostly boredom what filled him. The child was suddenly overpowered by gravity as his body fell quickly to the floor. At the same time he was mumbling something only comprehensible to those who possessed the same hearing ability as a dog. " What is it this time Hawk?" " I'm bored, let's play a game, how about that medieval TBS that you always destroy Shining Armor in?" " You mean Strategos?" " Yeah, that one." " Nah, my borked, my work can't brain." " That's what you always say. C'mon, please? Pretty please?" " The physical appearance on please will not help you." " Then get off you lazy backside and play the game with me!" " Great! Now I just lost the game." " Haha! That was my revenge!" " You know what? I have a fetch quest for you." The boy immediately dropped his whiny act, drawn to the mission instantly. " Really? What's it abut?" " It's a simple one..." trailed off Shield. " Yes?" " I need you to go to the Guest wing in Canterlot Castle and ask for a young woman named Twilight Sparkle. And only return when you have her and a friend of hers that is also tagging along but I cannot remember her name" " Wait, what? Since when do you agree to bring additional baggage?" " Not my choice, the princess ordered me to do it." " All right, I'm in." and he left. " Make sure you take your staff and cloak with you, I had to fight some idiots on my way here." Hawk Eye responded by disappearing to the left. Shield sighed with relief, if Copperworth was right, this quest would take a a long time to complete. He considered leaving now, but knew that the princess would be infuriated if she found put that he disobeyed a direct order. Shield returned to his reading, hoping to finish the book before he could be interrupted again. .oOo. Hawk Eye was outside the train station, a red baton in his hand and a grey silk cloak on his back. He was still wearing his flight pack, as he never took it off, but it remained concealed by the long piece of clothing on his back. His hip was glued to a brown satchel, completely empty. With three jumps he pressed the button on the baton while in midair and it extended three times its size, standing as tall as the child. The resulting force catapulted him into the air, letting him extend his wings and fly off to the castle. Afternoon Canterlot was beautiful, but seeing it from the air held something special for Hawk. His white translucent wings were fully extended, gliding him across the busy market stalls. He admired all the kids, seeing how they laughed and played. Not caring about the world next to them. He somehow envied them. They never had the chance to choose between helping your brother or staying home playing games with friends. He always cherished a good adventure, but he started thinking that he wasn't living the life a ten-year old boy should be living. Suddenly, all thoughts were extinguished as his sense of smell detected high concentrations of sugar. He tucked his magic wings in and let himself go into free fall. He aimed for a stack of hay and landed perfectly, as usual. His adventuring had taught him important skills, such as determining when a stack of hay could really embrace your fall. He attached his now-retracted to a small metal plate on his left side, being magnetic, it accepted the baton without a problem. He approached the cinnamon roll stall. Seeing the fresh rolls made his mouth water, then again, anything with sugar did. He went for his coin pouch and grabbed a handful of coins. He proceeded to ask the vendor, a lively young woman, about the pricing. She pointed at a sign in front of him. Five bits each. He was disappointed. He had expected some sort of human conversation, but it seemed the people he met were complete sociopaths. He was about to make his purchase when he noticed a sign next to him. There was a three-for -the-price-of-two special. Checking to see his finances, he proceeded to buy the better deal. With a brown paper bag tucked to his satchel, he started walking back to his objective. He pole vaulted himself into the air and continued his cruise. Three minutes later, he reached the entrance of the castle, where he was promptly stopped by the guards. " Hey Spear." he greeted one of the guards. " Hey Hawk, what are you doing here?" " I was sent on a quest to escort Miss Twilight Sparkle. She is joining us in our trip." The guard looked surprised. " Really?" " Yeah, really." " Well then, go to the left hall, you should find the receptionist in a while." " Thanks for reminding me." said the boy, but a halberd stopped him. " Sorry r, but I need to check your belt and satchel. Random inspection." Holding unto his oversized pants, he took off his pouched utility belt and leather satchel and tossed the to the guard while muttering random my caltrops. Spear looked through the bags, amazed at the large quantity of pellets. " Are these witch farts?" " No, they are smoke pellets. I always carry them around in case I get into trouble." " And what do we have here?" said the guard as he pulled out the paper bag. " They're cinnamon rolls." " Yeah right, next thing you're gonna say is that that baton isn't a weapon." Hawk kept silence, knowing that the guard was correct about the last statement. " Don't sweat it, go right ahead." said Spear as he lifted his pole arm. Without letting him regret anything the boy disappeared immediately. Walking through the white halls relaxed the boy, who was enthralled in the baroque design. The various floral patterns were outlined in gold, giving it a divine look. He reached the left wing, where he was stopped by several sharp-dressed teenagers. " Going somewhere?" asked a stocky girl with blazing orange hair and a prominent nose. " Yes I am in the middle of an escort quest, so I should be going." said Hawk as he took a step back. But three teenagers had circled behind him. Not good. Shield had warned him enough times that if someone created a mosh pit around you or got within hugging distance while you were still strangers, chances were that they wanted to harm you. He slowly reached for his staff with his left hand while grabbing a smoke pellet with his left. Five of the ten members surrounding him pulled out knives on him. " Your brother will pay for what he did to my cousin." said the girl. " And what does that have to do with me again?" " We know who you are, and you are not getting out of here without a message." " All right then, what is it..." he asked innocently. " You will see soon enough. Get him." said the pubertal girl as she her friends to grab him. In the blink of an eye, Hawk smashed the smoke pellet onto the floor. The resulting cloud was extremely thick, providing Hawk with complete secrecy. He bent his body backwards as he extended his staff, managing to bang everyone's head with it. He then took to the roof, where he glided past his enemies and allowing him to continue on foot. He could hear the female screams demanding that the find him. But he was gone by the time they noticed. He had burst out of a window and into the suites. This was an uncommon place for Hawk, who usually spent his time in banquet halls with his uncle, so this was completely new to him. He walked past the walkways to the reception, where an elder lady was sitting, filing papers. " What can I help you with?" she said with a bored monotonous voice. " Im looking for Twilight Sparkle." The woman grunted. " Top Penthouse." she said as she returned to her previous action. Hawk glided op the stairs, saving him more time than walking. He stood in front of an ebony door he assumed was his destination. He knocked three times and the door was opened by a young woman with violet hair. Her large sapphire eyes mesmerized Hawk, her beautiful curvy figure had managed to negate any sort of thought other than fascination. She mouthed something, but he couldn't hear it, he was too busy contemplating those beautiful lips. His hearing came back to life as she repeated herself. "Can I help you?" she asked. Stunned, Hawk tried to recover himself, stuttering mindlessly until his brain opted to form actual words. " I... I... Shield Heart... Come..." he stammered. His brain might have gotten over so far as he could somewhat speak, but his amazement forbade him from going any further. The muse giggled, her sound similar to that of angels. " Sorry sir, but I imagined that someone of your reputation to be taller." " Excuse me?" asked a confused child. " I thought that Shield Heart would be taller." Responded the woman. " Oh no no no no no no no. I'm not Shield Heart. " quickly corrected Hawk. " I am his brother, Hawk Eye, at your service." " Oh, well, that explains things. What can I help you with?" said Rarity with a giggle. " Well, my brother has cordially asked me to escort you to the train station as soon as possible miss Twilight Sparkle." " Oh, well, that is very kind of you, but I am not Twilight Sparkle." said the seamstress meekly. " Oh, very sorry to bother you ma'am. If you could please disregard everything I just said, I would greatly appreciate it. And if you could point me to the room where miss Twilight Sparkle is currently staying at, I would greatly appreciate it miss..." " Rarity. Twilight, could you come over here for a minute, someone wants to see you." Some silent seconds later and a young woman clad in purple and argyle stepped out the door. Hawk Eye bowed, and proceeded to deliver his message. " How very thoughtful of Shield Heart to send his brother on an escort mission." said the student. " Do I detect a hint of sarcasm ma'am?" inquired the boy. " No, I actually didn't believe that he would send someone to pick us up. This is sort of a first." " Really? I never thought that anyone would dare allow a woman to walk alone in Canterlot after dark." " It's not dangerous. Canterlot is the safest city in all of Equestria!" " You clearly haven't been outside after dark." Twilight was confused, but decided to ignore it. He was probably just being a child. " Anywho, are you ready to go to the train station?" " I think we are ready, we just need get our luggage out." " Well, You could always use an animation spell and get them to follow you." " Hm... That is an interesting idea. Wonder why I didn't think of it before." " Well, that is why I am here. Shall we be going then?" " Of course." And with the flick of a yew wand, the various suitcases were enveloped in a red aura and began floating. They walked past the white halls at a steady pace. Hawk was too shy to speak, so he decided to keep quiet. " Well well, look who has come back for more." said a squeaky voice that Hawk wanted to avoid. Standing at the end of the hallway was the pudgy girl with five friends and two gorilla-men. He quickly looked behind him and noticed that five more bodybuilders had blocked the way back. This wasn't good. If he were alone Hawk would not have a problem, but he had two civilians with no probable combat experience. " Can we talk this out? I'm sure we can avoid violence." " I don't think so, your brother beat up my cousin, and I am out to even the score. And maybe I should do the same to your friends. That will teach him to mess with us." After hearing these words Hawk withdrew his baton and extended it to a full quarterstaff. He motioned it forward and said: " You can threaten me, but if you think I will let you touch a hair on either of them, by Celestia you will rue the day you dared cross me." " Get them." said the girl coldly. The men advanced, pulling out knives as they enclosed the boy. But he was ready for them. With as single swipe he hit all the heads, forcing them to step back. " Please, why can't we just get along? Isn't there an easier way to settle this? Maybe a nice cup of camomile tea with mint?" " I am getting tired of your namby-pamby attitude. There is no negotiating this, so surrender now and it will be easier for all of us." " Never, I would sooner bow my head to Discord than to submit to the torments of a bully!" " So be it adopted peasant. Guards, kill him now." said the fat girl. The thugs merely grunted as they began their approach. But again they were stopped by various swings from the metallic quarterstaff. One of them charged, but was immediately stopped as his genitals were crushed by the quarterstaff. Soon. His skull was fractured when Hawk pounded him with the other end of his staff. The goon fell down, clutching his lower parts. The next one lunged himself, dagger-first, but his attack was parried by the boy. He slashed, but he only cut air as his target ducked, his weapon retracted to a baton. Hawk extended it once more as he pointed it to the ground. Using his wings he lifted himself up the pole, using his feet to kick his enemy right in the chin. The enemy was staggered, the pain beating him hard, but he still moved forward. This time his jaw received a smack, creating more pain than before. But he still continued. The child was starting to back up, he wasn't used to fighting so many hostiles at one time. He needed to end it fast, and he was going to use the oldest trick in his book. Going for one of his pouches, he extracted several smoke pellets. He looked at his V.I.P and asked: "Can you run very fast?" "I can sprint." she answered. "How about you ma'am?" Rarity looked at him, and returning her look to the enemies behind her. " Why of course, but what do you have in mind?" "Its a tactic that my brother calls bullrush. Grab my hand and don't let go." he said. He started running toward the girl, throwing pellets all over him as he ran. as he reached her from the inside of his cloud, he swiped forward, hitting several people in the process. He tackled someone, that judging by the size was a gorilla, knocking him off his feet. He rushed forward, popping more smoke to conceal his friends. After a minute of continuos running they managed to escape the danger and exit the Guest Wing of Canterlot Castle. As they exited the castle Rarity spoke in between panting: "Could you please tell me what you just did back there?" " That was my version of the bullrush. I wanted to avoid hurting people so I used the smoke to conceal our exit." explained Hawk. " Very clever, but where did you learn to fight like that?" asked Twilight. " Oh, Shield taught me how to use the quarterstaff, he said that I needed to know melee combat if I was to join him in between missions." " So you abandon your education in order to travel with a maniac?" asked Rarity with surprise. Twilight gave her the: Be careful look. "Well, yes, school usually gets boring at this time of year so I stick with my brother in whatever crazy adventure he goes to." " Isn't that both dangerous and irresponsible?" "Yeah, but he still lets me tag along." he replied. They kept silence through the remainder of their travel, stopping in front of a golden train. "You have a personal train?" asked Rarity with surprise. " No, this is my Uncle's. We only own the last train car, the rest belongs to him." he said as he entered the car. "Well, what are you waiting for? Come in!" And both women followed, their luggage still floating behind them.