The Elements of Honor

by Flanagan

Chapter 40: Before the Storm

“Three days to get to Canterlot,” Rainbow said, proudly flying circles around the massive chariot. “I think that’s a new record!”

“That’s fine and dandy, kid,” Commander Garrison growled. “But we need to be more concerned with what’s going to happen once we figure out what happened to the best damn soldiers I’ve ever known.”

“Sheesh, pushy aren’t you?” Rainbow said.

“Rainbow, please be serious about this,” Twilight said. “We have to find them, they could be more involved with what’s happening more than anypony realizes.”

“I never thought I would make a trip to Canterlot without packing at least ONE hat.” Rarity said looking down over the royal city, “oh I just feel naked…”

“Uh, Rarity…” Applejack said, tapping her shoulder. “We’re almost always naked…”

“Oh I know, Applejack…” Rarity said placing her hoof over her face. “But going to Canterlot without at least ONE accessory just doesn’t feel right.”

“WOW, you think they came all this way to hide?” Pinkie Pie said, her eyes darting in every direction from her seat on the massive chariot, “I didn’t know ALL Equestria was in play.”

“They aren’t hiding Pinkie…” Lug Nut said rolling his eyes. “Something came into their room, grabbed them and-”

“Just let her be Pinkie,” Twilight said interrupting him. “It’s better that way.”

“Prepare for landing!” Shining Armor called out. “Everypony buckle up if you haven’t already.”

The chariot landed against howling winds and due to the since of urgency, the pegasi pulling it hadn’t slowed down. Once they came to a complete stop everypony in the chariot stepped out and headed for the castle. By the time they had arrived the sun was being set and the moon was being risen, however, rain was scheduled of that particular evening and the weather patrol of Canterlot was preparing the rain clouds for the scheduled storm.

“Quickly my little ponies,” Princess Celestia said, opening the castle doors with her magic. “Get inside.”

Once everypony had entered the castle they all looked to the royal sisters and the Commander. “Where to now?” Rainbow asked.

“The forge,” Princess Celestia answered. “Though this is not where the Elements of Harmony were originally made, it is the first place we should look.”

“Time to hoof it!” Rainbow said darting past everypony down the main hall, only to stop a few seconds after she began. “Uh… where is it?”

Commander Garrison pointed to a small door just a few feet away from the main entrance. “Here…” he said with a total lack of amusement.

“Oh, right…” Rainbow said awkwardly. “I knew that.”

“Well what are ya’ll waitin’ fer?” Applejack said, adjusting her hat. “An invitation?”

“Oh, I think I still have some!” Pinkie Pie said searching her mane, then she pulled out seven random colorful pieces of paper. “Found them!” She said happily.

“I’m not even going to ask…” Lug Nut said, letting out a deep sigh.

“Now you’re getting it.” Twilight said with a smile.

The ponies made their way down the winding staircase to the forge, Long Shot and Patches were following from behind. They continued their way down, but after a few minutes, Long Shot stopped and turned around. “What’s wrong Long Shot?” Patches asked.

“We’re being followed…” Long Shot said glaring up the stairs. “You go on, I’ll see who’s behind us.”

“If you say so,” Patches said. “Be careful…”

Patches continued down the stairs while Long Shot continued to look up the stairs. Long Shot quietly made his way back up the stairs, listening for anything odd on his way back up. After a few steps he heard a small buzzing sound, his eye shot in every direction looking for the source of the sound. Then he shot his foreleg over his head, grabbing something above him. He drug whoever he had to his grasp to the ground, when he got a good look at who he had, he smiled and shook his head.

“Clever girl…” he said releasing the young pegasus. “But not clever enough.”

“Uh… hi dad…” Scootaloo said sheepishly. “How was your day?”

“I thought I told you to stay in Ponyville…” Long Shot said, his smile long gone. “Where you would be safe.”

“I wanna help!” Scootaloo said. “And I can’t help back in Ponyville-”

“This isn’t one of your adventure books where the good guy always wins and no pony dies Scootaloo!” Long Shot roared. “I could DIE! YOU could die!” He wrapped Scootaloo in his embrace, fighting back tears. “I’m NOT losing you too…”

“And I’M not losing you either!” Scootaloo said teary eyed. “I don’t want you to go out there.” Scootaloo wrapped her forelegs around Long Shot’s neck and began to cry. “I don’t want you to!”

“I don’t either, Scoot…” Long Shot replied, still fighting his tears. “But I NEED to, to keep you safe, to keep everypony safe.”

“Why are you even saying that?” Scootaloo said through tears. “No pony even knows what’s going on.”

“I know, but if it has the princesses riled up like this…” Long Shot said looking down the staircase. “Then it can’t be good. Come on Scoot, let’s catch up to the others.”

“We’re here.” Princess Celestia said standing in front of the forge’s doors.

“My word…” Rarity said slowly looking up the doors. “It’s simply massive.”

“That’s what she said…” Spike said deviantly, but with a quick jab from Applejack’s hind legs he was silenced.

“Stand back everypony,” Princess Celestia said. “Luna and I will now open the doors.”

“Be ready for anything…” Princess Luna said. “No pony has been down here in almost one hundred years according to my sister.”

“Then where do the guards get their armor?” Rainbow asked. “Has it been handed down for the past century?”

“We get it form a contractor in Bittsburg,” Shining Armor answered. “Now please get ready for whatever’s behind that door.”

Rainbow Dash nodded and took her place with the other ponies as the royal sisters opened the doors. A loud rumbling noise came from the shifting weight and dust and rubble fell from the doors while they opened. The moment the royal sisters released the doors, the entire group poked their heads into the main room of the forge, but what they saw was unexpected.

“Nothing…” Lug Nut said. “How could there be nothing?”

“That’s what we were hoping for…” Twilight said, looking up to Princess Celestia. “Right?”

“No Twilight… this is NOT what I was hoping for…” She replied, shaking her head. “Now I have no idea where the source of the magic my sister and I sensed back in Ponyville came from.”

“This means that an ancient force has taken them,” Princess Luna added. “An ancient force FAR older than Celestia and myself.”

“Surely you can’t be serious…” Rarity said to the Princess.

“I am serious,” Princess Luna replied. “And don’t call me Shirley.”

The rest of the group looked to Luna, not exactly sure what she meant, but Luna however smiled at herself rather proudly for what she had just said. After a few brief moments they all began to conger up their own bizarre theories about the whereabouts of their missing counterparts.

“What could’ve done this?” Thunderlane asked. “If the answer isn’t here then where is it?”

“I don’t know Thunderlane,” Carmel replied. “Any ideas Big Mac? After all, you do have that Master’s degree in math.”

“Nope.” Big Mac said shaking his head.

“Changelings Carmel,” Graphite said, shaking his forelegs. “I’ll bet it was changelings.”

“I doubt that, Graphite,” Twilight interjected. “That theory is about as crazy as Pinkie’s alien one.”

“Hey, they could be out there!” Pinkie exclaimed. “I even made up a saying if we ever get a chance to meet them.”

“Really?” Lug Nut asked. “I know I’m gonna regret this… but what would that be?”

“Grona weep nitty bomm.” Pinkie replied proudly. “Catchy huh?”

Lug Nut slowly drug his hoof down his face. “Why did I even ask?”

“Because you wanted to know what my SUPER cool universal greeting was!” Pinkie said, “you have a really, REALLY bad memory, Lug Nut.”

Lug nut rolled his eyes and groaned while several of the ponies present started chuckling, but among their conversations they heard the sound of steel racing down the stone stairs. A royal guard appeared, distressed and breathing heavily. He sprinted to the closest alicorn among them, which happened to be Princess Cadence.

“My lady…” He said through his exasperation, “My lady, Tower seven has spotted something making its way to Canterlot.”

“What is it?” Princess Cadence asked.

“That’s not clear right now, my lady,” he said still trying to catch his breath, “but initial reports indicate that it’s a… it‘s a…”

“It’s a what?” Princess Cadence asked growing evermore concerned, “what is it?”

“A dragon… one bigger than anypony has ever seen.”

“A-a-a-a-a d-d-d-d-dra-drag…” Fluttershy whimpered, “a DRAGON?!”

“Let’s move out everypony!” Commander Garrison said over the other clamoring ponies. “This just became serious.”

“Cool, another dragon.” Spike said happily. “Maybe I could ask it some questions about-”

“If a dragon bigger than any other dragon ever seen before is headed for Canterlot Spike,” Rainbow interrupted. “I doubt it’s come here for a cup of tea and a slice of cake.”

Everypony ran back up the stairway, with the exception of Fluttershy, who had to be drug by Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Big Macintosh back up the stair case. The leading members of the group nearly collided with Long Shot and Scootaloo on their way back up. Long Shot shoved Scootaloo and himself along the walls to avoid them, they seemed to lack concern for the two who had been trying to catch up to them.

“What the hell is going on?” Long Shot asked the ponies sprinting past them.

“Big dragon…” Spike answered zipping past them. “Heading to Canterlot… gotta see what it wants.”

“Things just got interesting…” Long Shot said to Scootaloo. “I want you to STAY in the castle, do you understand me?”

“I’m coming with you,” Scootaloo said in defiance. “And you’re-”

“DAMNIT Scootaloo, please, just this once, listen to ME! Stay here, I’m begging you to stay, I’m NOT losing you.” Long Shot embraced her while tears ran down his face. “Ever since the day I left for hoof camp I felt that I had left something behind, now I know what is was. It was YOU, but whatever’s happening out there could take you away from me forever…” he looked down to Scootaloo, who couldn’t hold her own tears back, “And if that happens… I-I won’t be able to live with myself.” Long Shot looked to the ponies running up the stairs, “Promise me you’ll stay in the castle, where it’s safe.”

“I-I promise dad…” Scootaloo wrapped her hooves around Long Shot’s waist even tighter, “Just… just come back when it’s all over.” Long Shot smiled and patted Scootaloo on the head. The two made their way back up the stairs then with one last good bye, Long Shot ran outside into the storm, leaving Scootaloo behind.

“This storm is far stronger than the one that was scheduled,” Princess Celestia said, looking to the sky. “Something has increased its power tenfold.”

“Oh this is just terrible,” Rarity said grapping a nearby newspaper. “I just had my mane done.”

“Of everything that’s happening right now…” Commander Garrison growled, “YOU’RE worried about your DAMN mane?”

“WELL I never!” Rarity said in shock. “I can understand you not caring about your looks but a lady-”

“A LADY would be smart enough to drop the superficial worries in her life at the moment an FOCUS on the immediate threat to her life and the lives of others.” Commander Garrison snapped back at Rarity. She tried hard to think of a rebuttal, but he was right. Rarity awkwardly smiled and placed the paper back on its rack and followed the other ponies to tower seven.

“Anypony wanna give us a hoof?” Applejack said exhausted. “Fluttershy’s been a might bit of a hassle gettin’ this far.” even Big Mac was straining to drag Fluttershy across Canterlot with the other ponies.

“This is getting ridiculous!” Rainbow said releasing Fluttershy. “Why couldn’t we just leave her in the castle? We ALL know that she’s scared of dragons!”

“We may need the Elements of Harmony if this dragon’s intent is proven to be malevolent, Rainbow Dash.” Princess Celestia explained. “That means we need Fluttershy just as well.”

“If you need a break, I’ll help out.” Graphite said walking over to the group of ponies.

“Me too…” Thunderlane said flying over to Big Mac.

“P-please just let me go…” Fluttershy begged. “I-I don’t want to see another dragon for as long as I live!”

“Hey!” Spike shouted. “What about me?”

“Oh… I’m sorry Spike,” Fluttershy said apologetically. “I didn’t mean-”

“DRAGON!” A guard called out from one of the nearby towers.

“EEEK!” Fluttershy cried, darting into a nearby bush.

“Ready yourselves!” Shining Armor called out. “Prepare-”

“The day I see you leading MY troops is the day I die…” Commander Garrison growled. “1025th, take position eight alpha!”

Everypony formally in the 1025th and the Ponyville Defense Force took positions alongside short buildings and alleyways. The other ponies present quickly followed suit. Commander Garrison looked over to Shining Armor once they were undercover and nodded.

“Tell the guard to ready crossbows,” He said “Long Shot will shoot at the first available moment. Once he fires, tell them to make it rain steel.”

“Whatever you say, sir,” Shining Armor said. “You heard Commander Garrison, inform the other guards.”

“Yes, sir.” the guard said saluting then he rushed off to the nearest tower.

The massive reptile flew around the royal city a few times before slowly descending to the ground. Long Shot readied is crossbow with his sharpest bolt, one he made from the scales of Smog. He rose his bow to his only eye and readied himself for the shot, but before he could fire a stray bolt from a nervous guard flew into the air striking the dragon in its chest.

The dragon roared out of surprise and cast its gaze to the tower which the bolt came from. Then the dragon did something nopony expected, it used magic to take every crossbow in Canterlot, even Long Shot’s away from its user. The royal sister’s mouths dropped when they saw the display, but not out of the impressiveness of the magic.

“Princess Celestia…” Twilight whispered in fear. “What is it?”

“T-that’s IMPOSSIBLE…” Princess Celestia said looking at the dragon. “That magic… it’s the exact same as…”

“The Forge Master…” Princess Luna finished, just as in awe as her sister.

“Princess Celestia, Princess Luna,” the dragon bellowed. “Have your guards lay down their weapons and ill intent, I come to help you.” the dragon landed near one of the guard towers, “and I come bearing those who will save our world.” The dragon lowered his wings, revealing seven ponies on his back, but one pony in particular gathered the attention of everypony who stood before them.