• Published 8th May 2012
  • 7,955 Views, 1,390 Comments

Antecedent - Anonymous Pegasus



Raindrop needs to reunite the Elements of Harmony to cure herself of her affliction. But the journey will become so much than the destination.

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An Unlikely Candidate

“So...” Raindrop started, leaning back against Sentinel a little more firmly, looking at him over her shoulder. “Why the day off?”

Sentinel peered back at her for a moment, and then wrapped his hooves around her chest a little more firmly, squeezing gently. “I just needed some time to think.”

“I have that much of an effect on you?” Raindrop queried, blinking at him.

“Nope, I was just philosophising on the meaning of carrots,” Sentinel quipped, nudging her once.

“And did you come to any life-shattering conclusions?” Raindrop queried, ears perking.

“Carrots are orange.” The guard nodded sagely at the statement, as though imparting great wisdom.

Raindrop shook her head, and then rolled over to hug him, nuzzling gently into his neck. “You are such a goof.”

Sentinel grinned at that, and then rested his head against her own, looking out over the reflective lake. “I just needed time to figure out what was going on.”

“I was turning you down,” Raindrop said, rolling her eyes.

“I know that,” Sentinel chided, nudging the mare gently with his nose. “But I just... Needed to come to terms with it.”

“It can’t have really been so crushing to you, could it?” Raindrop asked after a moment, concerned.

“It kinda was...” Sentinel admitted, looking down at his hooves and then shaking his head. “I don’t have a whole lot. I’ve got my duties as a guard, and a picture of my mother and father. Other than that... I don’t have any connections with anypony, no real friends outside the guard, and no family.”

Raindrop’s ears pinned back, and she nuzzled up at the stallion gently, wrapping a hoof around him.

“You’re the first pony I’ve felt strongly for. I just... I needed to come to terms with the fact that I might not get what I wanted.”

The mare gave the faintest of sympathetic whines at that, and then kissed his cheek gently. “Well you got what you wanted. And oh boy, are you going to regret it.”

Sentinel gave a faint laugh, and then hugged Raindrop, nosing at the crook of her neck. “So which element are you chasing after next?”

“Going after Kindness,” Raindrop answered with a single nod of affirmation. “I checked the stone when I was flying over. It was pointing at Ponyville.”

“Any idea on what kind of pony it’ll be?” Sentinel asked, raising a brow.

Raindrop shook her head. “No idea. I’m thinking they’ll probably be kind.”

Sentinel rolled his eyes. “Really? How do you divine these things?”

“Practise,” Raindrop quipped, grinning and kissing his nose, looking up into his eyes. “You know... I think you’re the Element of Loyalty.”

Sentinel blinked once, and then tilted his head slightly to the side, a quizzical expression on his muzzle. “What makes you think that?”

“Because, well... You’re a Royal Guard. And even though you hated me and I left you for dead, you kinda continued your duties,” Raindrop said with a nod.

“That’s not loyalty,” Sentinel said with a shake of his head. “At least... That’s not what I think true loyalty is.”

Raindrop raised a brow at that.“Do tell.”

“Loyalty is... Well... Loyalty is sticking with someone even when bad things happen. Loyalty is choosing someone based on things that... Well...” Sentinel trailed off, chewing the inside of his lip for a moment. “I’m not sure how to explain it. It’s not something that I can put in words so easy. But... Loyalty is choosing to stick with someone even if its hard. When it would be easier for everyone, including yourself, to just walk away. Maybe it’s just an antithesis of cowardice. But it’s more than that, too... Ack. I suck at explaining.”

“I understand,” Raindrop said, gently stroking his cheek with a hoof.

“I was loyal to my responsibility as a guard. But I was not loyal to you. Not back then. I would have gladly left you in those tunnels,” Sentinel said with a shake of his head.

“And if I even think you’d contemplate doing that now, I’d beat you until you were properly compliant to my needs,” Raindrop said with a firm nod.

Sentinel grinned at that, and then nosed in against her happily. “It’s nice to know I’ve got somepony who’ll beat the crap out of me if I take a wrong turn.”

“It’s my pleasure,” Raindrop said with a grin, kissing him with a happy hum.


The two pegasi stayed at the lakeside for another few hours, just enjoying eachother’s company, until the chill wind chased them from the hillside. Raindrop and Sentinel ended up together, in a room at the inn, entwined in eachother’s hooves.


A lance of morning sunlight pierced the room, and forced Raindrop awake, her eyes opening and her form slowly stretching. She yawned heavily and rubbed at her eyes with a hoof. She peered up at Sentinel for a long moment, watching him sleep, smiling faintly to herself, before she pushed at his chest with her hooves, to awaken him.

Sentinel’s eyes snapped open, and he blinked at her, his pupils slowly dilating as he woke up, blinking once or twice and then looking around, askin groggily, “Did I miss anything?”

Raindrop pondering on that for a moment, and then nodded. “I woke up frisky and had an hour-long clop session because I couldn’t wake you up. You missed it.”

“Liar,” Sentinel accused, kissing her nose gently. “If you needed me awake that badly, you’d throw water on me until I was. You’d probably drown me if I didn’t wake up.”

Raindrop pondered on that for a moment, and then nodded, grinning. “You’re absolutely right. Plus, I’d eat you alive if you were heavy of a sleeper.”

“We are going to have so many domestic abuse complaints,” Sentinel stated.

“If you complain, I’ll beat you harder,” Raindrop said in a seductive tone, grinning and kissing his nose. The mare stretched slightly, and then slipped out of bed, arching. “Stop staring at my rump and get up. We have a bearer to find.”

Sentinel blinked once and then pointedly looked away, his cheeks flushing faintly.

Raindrop rolled her eyes again. “Oh come on. We had wild hospital sex a few days ago and you’re still acting all shy and blushy?”

“Not my fault!” Sentinel complained, huffing.

“I know a few ways to make you more comfortable with that kind of thing,” Raindrop offered, grinning and licking her lips, staring at him lustfully.

“Why do I suddenly fear for my safety?” Sentinel asked blankly.

“Experience?” Raindrop offered, grinning and then picking up the Seeker Stone from the bedside table. It was pointing somewhere to the east, towards the other side of Ponyville.

Sentinel grumbled and pulled himself out of bed, stretching and arching himself, shaking his wings out. “My armor is at the castle.”

“And?” Raindrop asked, raising a brow. “You don’t see me wearing a tin suit everywhere I go.”

“It’s tempered iron, not tin,” Sentinel said with a shake of his head.

“Iron, tin. Same difference. You don’t need your armor. We’re going after a bearer, not a fire breathing dragon,” Raindrop said, rolling her eyes.

“Actually, guards are taught not to wear armor if we have to engage a dragon. The fire heats up our suits and basically cooks us inside them,” Sentinel pointed out.

“Lovely.” Raindrop shook her head, and then tugged at his short mane with her teeth. “C’mon! The sooner we find the bearer, the sooner I can drag you off to celebrate.”

“Celebrate?” Sentinel asked blankly.

Raindrop pondered on that for a moment, and then grinned slightly.

“Well, I’m thinking maybe...” the mare wheeled around to bump her hip against his own, her tone mischeivous, “I might let you choose.”

Sentinel’s ears perked up at that, and he plucked the Seeker Stone out of her hooves and bounded out the door, shooting back over his shoulder, “Time’s wasting!’

Raindrop giggled and then bounded after him, grinning.


The seeker stone lit up towards the east of Ponyville, and the two pegasi walked down the street, following the directions of it. They passed Sugar Cube Corner, where the blond-maned proprietor was selling cupcakes with an almost gleefully happy smile; the Ponyville hospital, looking as somber as always; the Mane & Hoof beauty parlour, already with a line of unicorn patrons waiting to be serviced; and then they had to stop as they came to the Country Inn. It was one of three Inns in Ponyville, and this Inn was famous for its ‘country’ appeal.

The Inn looked to have once been a big red barn, but was converted and added to until it was a passable Inn. There were ropes hung up on the side of the doors, cowpony hats, leather chaps, and other cowpony related accoutrements. Off to one side of the Inn was a large, open-air dining area, set with a bar, stools, and a dance floor. Hay bales stood to one end of the dance floor, intended as a seating area, to give the entire area an old ‘hoe down’ feel.

Behind the dance floor was an open area set aside for a restaurant-type area, with tables and chairs set up. The Inn sold various ‘authentic’ meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But at present, it was almost deserted. There was only one patron there for breakfast.

And the Seeker Stone was pointing right at her.

As the two pegasi cautiously got closer to the mare, the white lines fractured, pointing everywhere.

The nurse looked up from her food, and then blinked once, snorting in annoyance. “You two just follow me everywhere I go.”