Collection of stories based on the Stories in stone universe.
Tales in Stone is a compilation of short stories from the Stories in Stone universe. This is a open collection and any one who wishes to write a short story in the SiS verse is more than welcome to do so.
Primarily I would like the stories will focus on the backgrounds behind one of the countless statues in the Canterlot Royal Gardens. While primarily considered a prison, this has not always been the case and the Garden could contain nearly anything.
That is not to say it is required that a submitted story be about the Garden. Other figures in the SiS verse could be written for this.
I will be adding short stories of my own from time to time as well. Things that fit into the SiS continuity , but do not have a place in the series itself. This seems to be what goes here the most.
This is a compilation of a rather long story that starts with Stories in Stone, Luna's Royal Guard, and continues in SiS, Memories of Twilight, and SiS, Lost Empire.
Please have a look at the first two at least before checking this collection out as you may become a bit lost with some of the content.
Chapter 1: Petrified Wood. by TDR Story of a much forgotten, though very important figure in Ponyville Chapter 2: Of Anger and Agreements by White Wolf [ http://www.fimfiction.net/user/White+Wolf ] Jer'rahd and Celestia still don't like each other. [ Tie in with SiS: LE] Chapter 3: Pursuit by TDR A love that burns half as long burns twice as bright, maybe more. [ Tie in with SiS : MoT ] Chapter 4 Rose Tattoo The start before the start. [ Prequel to SiS: LRG ] Chapter 5 Centuries By TDR Another Prequel to SiS: LRG , and a Prequel to Rose Tattoo as well.
A brilliant white creature, glowing with radiant light and full of warmth. She gazed down at me as she held me in her hoof. I could feel her joy, the love and warmth pouring from her. There were others around us as well, but none of them mattered, only her.
She lowered her hoof watching me, placing me in the cradle that would hold me, a small whisper of her voice reached me as I was laid to rest.
“Grow strong little one.”
I felt as she pulled her hoof back running it over the top of me covering me as the roar of those around her faded, I slept.
I saw the sun again, emerging from my dark cradle to stretch myself out in the world again. The creatures ran about around me occasionally stopping to watch my growth with interest though never for more than a a heartbeat or two before they were gone again.
Young ones played around me as I grew taller, I watched them get older and grow larger as well as the seasons passed. Before long they vanished occasionally glimpsed before they vanished completely. Life the young ones, I could see their town, I watched it change and grow as well.
I was still young when the fires came, I was not spared the terrible heat. I tasted the blood of the fallen and withed and twisted as the town burned around me
I watched the fire bringers be driven out, saw that the town was left as little more than ashes and rubble. I saw the villagers leave. I saw the Sun and Moon battle for control of the sky. A great and terrible thing to behold. I felt the power of the one who placed me and saw the face of the moon change. Saw the day and night return to their normal state, though the ones who had lived near me did not return.
I was left alone for many seasons. Other creatures came and went as I grew. The town crumbled into ruin and was swallowed by the wilds. Soon the remains were over run with others. The seasons passed and I grew taller and stronger, the others growing around me struggled with each other for space to allow them selves to grow, but none rose near me, my shadow falling over them kept them at bay, from even leaving their cradles.
I was far beyond them. I towered over them, having basked in her warmth and love, none could hope to match me. My pride at her belief in me letting me grow far larger than the others of my kind and far stronger than those who grew around me, even those I sired.
Some of my children were devoured by the creatures of the wild that now surrounded me, others were carried away by the wind and water, to find their end far from me, or to start life anew. I never knew their fate and it was never a concern.
It was the pride in my growth and towering form that ultimately brought me low.
I cannot tell how many seasons it has been since the sickness took hold in me. In on blink of a rainy night a blast of heat, light and pain drove a lance into my core burning my insides as the great fire of long ago did my skin. It was not long before I began to rot around the char that wound left inside of me.
I suffered for many seasons as the rot grew. I felt it would fill me and I would soon fall and meet my end.
It was then the ponies returned.
I awoke from my fevered dreams to find all those that had risen around me were gone, the land cleared back for leagues. For some reason I was spared as the others were replaced by homes and structures for the new village being built.
It was then I first saw him. The one who would cure me and become my master. The first who had spoken to me since she did. He rested his hoof on my back speaking directly too me .
“You have been through much. Though you are still strong. You will do nicely.”
The pony cut into me, digging deeply to burrow out the rot and the pain eating away at my core. I felt the pain of his work, but also the relief that the anguish was being removed. The searing flame of his touch burned, yet it also cured.
When he was done the last of the rot was removed, the hollow of my being was reenforced, strengthened. I continued to grow, but this pony helped to shape me, molded me into what I was,what he wished me to be.
Seasons passed and the town again faded around me. I knew not the reasons but I knew my master had a part in them and the crystals that had been collected by the town. The others left by my master remained practicing his magic in peace. He granted some to me, and took my offspring and created new life from them that did not exist in the world before.
He made fast creatures,with lives measured as his own, letting them free into the forest to serve as it's guardians and caretakers. He was visited at times by tall thin creatures who watched his work though left in disgust.
He did not seem to care at this either and continued his work. He used my offspring to create a new life and growth. The strange creation grew rapidly and faded just as quickly as it throbbed with the heart of the forest, and bore the most spectacular fruit.
It time he closed my door and left me for the last time, never to return and I was left to grow wild again. Though after the time spent with his warmth, I no longer wished to be alone.
Season's passed and the town grew around me again. I was found and investigated by other ponies. The vermin and other creatures that had taken my master's place within me were driven out and I was restored in the center of the growing town.
I was visited often and filled with tomes and books, secret places and hidden hollows were etched through my form as I was adjusted and re-purposed as I grew strong again from the attentions given me.
Soon I saw her again She who controlled the moon drew close and then her power was removed in a burst of light and love. And it was then that I saw the radiant one again. She looked at me as if she still knew me and gifted me to a new master.
Again I became a home to one who cared for me. I suffered for her care however. My sides were split, I was ripped from my cradle and left in the sky. Her fire bringer caused me no end of pain as well. Though it all she was there to repair what was done to me. To heal my wounds and such I did my best to protect her from the world.
Soon others joined her and they brought more pain with them that needed healing. My masters fire bringer was taken and the town was again set to blaze around me. She left me again that time setting out and stopping those that attacked.
It was then the mountain fell.
It had been there as long as I could recall the only thing I knew that had grown taller than I and it fell tumbling down before me intent on crushing me under it's terrible might.
But it was stopped. I could see others that stopped it , but I felt my masters magic as well swelling to unimaginable heights stopping the mountain from destroying me.
When it was done the mountain remained above me though part of it was much closer. I expected the ponies to leave , though they did not, the recovered and rebuilt.
My master soon left me with her fire bringer, though another took up residence. She was not the same, though she too cared for me, called me a home.
Seasons passed and so did many of those who dwelt with in me. Many things happened, but I have become to old and tired to recall them clearly.
My master came back to me. Without her fire bringer this time. She had changed greatly since I last saw her, though so had I. I was no longer able to protect those who lived within me, I could no longer hold myself up to the sun, the last of my children had departed seasons ago and there would not be any more. My time was up, I knew this as I knew the sun would rise. She seemed to know this as well and stayed with me.
She hugged me crying for me as I passed on, my last image of my master was of her weeping for my passing and holding one of my children with her wings.
A brilliant purple creature, glowing with radiant light and full of warmth. She gazed down at me as she held me in her hoof. I could feel her joy, the love and warmth pouring from her. There were others around us as well, but none of them mattered, only her.
She lowered her hoof watching me, placing me in the cradle that would hold me, a small whisper of her voice reached me as I was laid to rest.
“Grow strong little one.”
I felt as she pulled her hoof back running it over the top of me covering me as the roar of those around her faded, I slept.
Jer'rahd Kaisur trots the hallways of the Palace of New Canterlot late in the afternoon. Construction crews ran about doing whatever it was they were directed to do. It had almost been a year since the conflict known as the War of the Gods, and things were slowly getting back to normal.
Well as normal as anything seemed to get around here. He was still recovering from injuries along with the exhaustion of calling out Troth twice in a single day. Twilight was still showing signs of fatigue if she cast too often, but other wise she and every one else were fine.
He was wandering aimlessly when the thoughts of the foal's adoptions crossed his mind. Luna had sprung the group on him rather unexpectedly, though he couldn't help but be rather giddy over the fact that she was referring to them as 'their ' adoptive foals rather than just hers. It was a small term she used one the Princess of the Night did not even seem to know she made, but it made him feel quite a great deal better about the future of things.
Orange Danish was going to be interesting, as she was not as of yet accepting of the adoption, and due to this he and she had gotten off to a rough start, though she seemed to be much more accepting of Luna. He wasn't sure why, but to be honest he never understood how mares thought any way.
Paintbrush and Iceberry Lily were a bit different. Brush was cordial and polite, if clearly sullen. He was a bright colt and fiercely protective of his sister. It was likely that he only accepted Luna and Jer'rahd as his sister had practically launched herself at the Princess and clung to her for hours when they first met. The young filly still had not said anything to any one, but they were staying with Luna so she could watch over their dreams and lessen the nightmares the pair had been wracked with since the attack.
Pipsqueak on the other hoof had taken a completely different route. He was accepting of Luna adopting him , but the colt had quickly become enamored with Jer'rahd almost immediately. He was with Luna today getting checked out and set up for school once it reopened, other wise the colt would have been following along with him asking a million questions. He had already been hurt once trying to mimic Jer'rahd's training as he recovered from his injuries, thankfully it wasn't anything serious though it had caused Jer'rahd to come up with a slightly less strenuous training program the colt could follow when it became clear he wasn't about to give up.
Despite his cheerful demeanor Pip had been affected heavily by the conflict, he was dead set on becoming a Guard to ensure that what happened to him and the other foals that were adopted, never happened to any one else. If he could keep the drive he had going as he aged, Jer'rahd had no doubts that he would succeed in his mission.
He shook his head and gathered his thoughts, it wouldn't look too good on his credentials or as a instructor to start walking into walls.
"Sir?" a voice states nearby.
Jer'rahd turned his head to see a black earth pony in golden armor addressing him, well out of hoof's reach, it seemed his reputation was still as good as ever..
"What?" Kaisur asked impatiently knowing a Royal Guard wishing to speak with him wouldn't end well..
"Princess Celestia wants too see you, sir." the Guard reported.
"Why?" he demanded.
"She didn't say, sir. " the earth pony responds.
"Go back and tell her, I'm busy." Jer'rahd growls, despite the new bit of respect he had for the mare for actually doing something , he still did not like the sun princess, and he doubted that would ever change.
"I can't, sir. She said you have to come and she said to tell you 'don't make me come looking for you." the guard commented a bit nervously.
“You fought during the War of the Gods? One of the Canterlot defenders?” the gray unicorn asked.
“Yes, sir. I did. Battle of South Street and then the wall it self.” the black stallion said.
Jer'rahd nodded. He made a goal to keep track of all battles during that incident. South street in Canterlot had taken a great deal of damage, many of the larger changelings had been in that area during the first part of the invasion. Despite that, it was one of the few places that held until Celestia called a retreat to the the castle and as such was one of the primary evacuation routes.
“What's your name, Guard?”
“Gothikar, sir.”
“No sir. Just Jer'rahd. You lot turned out to be better than I gave you credit for.”
“Urrr thank you sir, I mean Jer'rahd.... I think.” The stallion looked a bit nervous.”I just wanted to say that I'm glad you help turned this army around, Jer'rahd.”
“Oh?” the gray unicorn asked. More curious for warrior's reasoning than anything else. Far as he knew he only trained one relatively small group.
"Even before you showed up, there were many of us who pushed for tougher training standards and exercises, but the Solar Princess always refused on the grounds of her peace and not wanting to antagonize other nations, even after the first changeling attack, nothing really changed in terms of defense and training for the normal guard. I even heard she got into heated arguments with her sister over how weak the Guards were. Even when you showed up she was still reluctant, even after a number of use were beaten rather badly by you and Major Rose, simply while defending the throne room. After you started training the 42nd a number of the higher officers started a stronger training program without the princesses permission. That seems to have paid off considering the war and now Celestia has green lit stronger training and efforts across the entire service. I'm just sorry it took The War Of The Gods to change her mind.”
“Don't thank me too much , I can assure you I didn't do it for the Guard. Still I'm glad to hear it, Gothikar.” Jer'rahd exhaled partially resigning himself, His tone at least a little more respectful now. “Celestia in the Throne room, then?”.
" Yes. Ummm, there is one more thing sir... um Jer'rahd...."
"What's that Gothikar ?"
"Would you mind not smacking the crap out of the Guards on duty every time you enter the Princesses throne room? "
"I haven't done that in a while now. But i make no promises if i see any of you slacking."
"Yes sir. I'll be sure to warn every pony of that.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------- The pair approached the main door to the throne room, a pair of Guards there saluting , but keeping their eyes on Kaisur, something that amused him to no end. Gothikar lifted his hoof to knock and announce his arrival , but Celestia's voice booming from the room stopped him.
"Enter, Kaisur." she commanded..
“Like she needed to tell me that after she already demanded I show up?” he grumbled to himself, still getting a wary gaze from the Guards at the grumble.
Jer'rahd lets out a long breath remembering Luna's words and that he promised to at least try and be civil to the Solar Princess. He knew she was going through quite a bit, but at the same time she brought a great deal of that on herself. He flattens his ears nodding to the Guard who pushed open the door before he stepped inside, trying to think happy thoughts.
The throne room had seen better days, even after nearly a year the Princesses had refused to allow work on the castle until all of their subjects had their own homes and properties restored. A few construction workers still ran around the castle repairing and correcting things that were dangerous , or might impede the running of the country, but cosmetic detail were ignored.
The thrones, though damaged remained on their dais, missing a gemstone here or there, and Luna's throne's armrest had broken off, but they were still serviceable and it was the ponies in the chairs that commanded the respect, not the room.
Only the solar throne was occupied at this time. Princess Celestia was regarded by many one of the most beautiful and peaceful mares ever to walk Equestria, at least by Rhede and most fashion magazines and nobles anyway, but as he approached the Sun Throne, Celestia didn't look peaceful at all as she sat on her throne almost radiating fury.
"Let's get this over with." he grumbles under his breath trotting up to the throne without a hint of formality or reverence shown. “I'm here, Celestia. What do you want?".
She ignored the bluntness of the question and simply answered it.
“Something has been brought to my attention, Kaisur.”Celestia announced.
"Look if this about that Colt i thru the wall....” he said, ready to defend his actions and the bit of excessive force he used on a pickpocket..
"It isn't. I looked into that and you acted properly, if savagely. I will not accept anyone causing more suffering while there is already so much. Doubtless that reaction will curtail similar occurrences by showing the possible repercussions." she interrupted.
"Wait really? Then what the heck is this about?”” he asked a bit confused that her comment had some what sounded like a compliment as well.
"I've been told that you've threatened to wipe out a house's bloodlines. Right down to the foals.” The tone in her voice hardening.
"Blueblood came to you and cried like baby, i see.” His voice thick with contempt, he should have expected it.
"He did." she responded.”. Jer'rahd growls back coldly.
Celestia looked at him. He expected many things from her like: asking him in a peaceful way not to do that but what he didn't expect was how she reacted. Her voice was calm and devoid of emotion. But her gaze was savage. And she pinned with it.
"You. Will. Not. Do. That. I will not have another Cindervale incident, and decidedly not one in my Realm. As much as I dislike the Noble Houses at times, they are my subjects so therefore they are under my protection, as is every citizen. I do not want to have to protect them from some one whose job it is to protect them Kaisur. If you do follow thru with that claim I will not hesitate to slap you down so hard you'll be Canterlot General Hospital for a year or longer depending on how well that healing ability of yours still works..”
Her gaze narrowed as she rose from the throne moving towards him and glaring down at the gray unicorn.
“I will do much worse than that if I have need to, despite the strain it will put on Luna and my relation ship. I am still not entirely thrilled with how you, of all possible ponies managed to be the one to capture her heart, but I have not seen her in a mood like this since before Hooper was killed. I would prefer not to see her sink back into depression again for something I was forced to do to punish you. The last thing Equestria needs is for the Nightmare to return, but if it comes to it and I need to end you in order to protect my subjects Kaisur, do not think I will not do so in the moment I needed to.
A lesser pony would been been shitting on the floor under that gaze, granted a lesser pony would never have gotten to the point where he was forced to try and stare down the sun itself. But he was Jer'rahd Kaisur. Demon of Dullahan, Consort of the Princess of the Night and other many titles that seemed to be heaped upon him whether he wanted them or not. Celestia was putting all her anger into that gaze, but he had seen it before, and worse.
"Is the word "Stupid" written on my horn, Celestia?" Jer'rahd growls not even flinching under the gaze.” I take it he didn't bother to pass on the entire conversation, just the parts that made me look bad? I'm fully aware of my actions and their consequences. In case you forgot I was following orders when I destroyed Cindervale. I may have gone above and beyond what was asked, but unlike the dragons, I didn't eat any one when I sacked the place."
“No you simply buried the entire city with a volcano. That is not the point Kaisur. This is a threat you made against an Equestrian citizen, and if he was correct there was no provocation for it. I am more concerned about what happened last time you started threatening ponies." Celestia glowers.
"You expect me to suddenly turn on you again? After everything I've done, that We've been through to get to this point you still don't trust me." Kaisur growls his own ire growing at the implications, questioning his loyalty was a sure fire way to piss him off.
"You do not have the best track record Kaisur. You are foul tempered,violent, you rampage through my Royal Guard and you have a complete disrespect for my authority." Celestia states " So no, I do not trust you."
"That is because you are not my Prin,,, hurrrrk!”" Jer'rahd winces as he's suddenly yanked off the ground and slammed into a pillar, cracking the marble under him. He grunts in pain lifting his head to bare his fangs at the alicorn storming over to him, her face shoving into his as she yells, her voice booming enough to shake the throne room rattling plaster and stone and sending cascades of dust down the damaged walls. Jer'rahd flinches at taking the royal Canterlot voice directly to the face.
"We are NOT having this argument again Kaisur. While you are here you will follow the rules as they are laid down. If anything happens to Blueblood or his family line, you will be the first pony I investigate and if you have anything at all to do with it, I will bury you. Do you understand that Kaisur?" Celestia screams her mane flaring up into a fiery mass. Jer'rahd's glare met hers with equal anger.
"And if you lose control and set fire to your own soldiers again I will be sure to end you. Do you understand THAT, Solar Flare?" Celestia did not so much as twitch at the returned threat though she did drop him. Her mane begins to flicker and die down a bit as Jer'rahd rubs his throat.
"I have been told to try and get along with you by two ponies I care very much for Kaisur. You are not making that easy."
"I've been given the same speech. Nice to see you are showing a bit of spine now though. Is that all you wanted then?" Kaisur grumbles cricking his neck and rising back up to his hooves.
"That will be all Kaisur. Now get out of my sight."
It was said that on the day of the Second Changeling attack on Canterlot that in the midst of the conflict fires long dormant in the hearts of ponies rekindled and a warrior spirit unseen and unused for a thousand years erupted once again, inflamed by a desire to protect their home and loved ones.
Even in those that lost everything already that fire was not dimmed, often it raged brighter than others, all consuming, with no balm to sooth the flames. These lost souls had nothing to lose and had no reason to stop fighting until they fell. It was from these ponies that the changeling swarm tasted a new emotion, one that came from their own race rather than their victims.
“TIN HE'S GONE, WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE NOW!” the bloodied earth pony shouted.
“NOOOOOOOOO!!!” the red mare screamed clawing at the ground with her hooves as the larger white stallion grabs her dragging her away from the remains of a steel gray pegasus on the ground before her. Despite the unicorn mare's struggling the earth pony managed to yank her away and back outside of the burning building moments before the structure collapsed burying the pegasus' remains under tons of rubble.
The Guard who had pulled her out rose to his hooves looking down at the last member of his squad, the red mare he had just rescued was curled into a ball on the street sobbing uncontrollably. When she finally rose her eyes fixated on the spot he had been though her crying didn't cease.
Sergeant May groans glancing back at the building then over to a group of ponies rushing towards them. He tensed up ready to deal with more changelings but saw the caravan of refugees being pulled along by other guards behind them. A number of civilians on hoof and and a few in carts all trying to find safety.
“Corporal? Corporal!! snap out of it! Damn it. Sergeant May, what the buck happened here !?” shouts another unicorn dressed in Guard armor with the symbol of a medic on his saddle bags. A brief glance showed he was a Colonel, though May only saw the rank briefly before he pulled the mares helmet off after checking for head trauma. He pauses briefly in his examination before looking up at the white earth pony Sergeant expectantly.
“Changelings hit us as we were moving a couple of civies, sir. We managed to beat them back long enough to get the civies out and away with the rest of the squad, but the three of us got separated and tried to take cover in the building there. Ran right into even more of them, they killed PFC Thunder Roll, ripped him apart in front of us. If the building hadn't started to collapse around us they would have done the same to us.”
“What happened to her?” the medic asked.
“Roll was her fiance.... “ the earth pony winced as the other unicorn looked up at him again.” Wedding was next weekend. Corporal Tin Snip watched them kill him right in front of her.”
“Shit.... Corporal.... Corporal.....!!!” he slaps her face with a hoof getting no response.” I don't have time for this, she's in shock.... get her onto the cart with the other injured. She's a casualty at this point it's barely been four hours since the attack started and I’ve already seen more ponies in this state than I thought possible. Where were you relocating the civilians to?”
“Canterlot Castle, Princess Celestia gave the withdrawal order earlier. We've been trying to fall back ever since.” The white stallion sighed hefting the limp unicorn mare up over his back.
“Right secure her and take perimeter with the others.” the Colonel orders.
“Yes sir.” May sighs trotting her back to the carts and putting her in an open spot near an older couple.
“Sorry Tin, just sit tight, we'll get you some where safe.” May muttered looking around before gathering his spear back up from where it fell before moving to join the ring of guards around the small caravan.
She could still see him. The way his steel gray feathers caught the light and made them appear silver. The crystal clear blue of his eyes that always had a hint of mischief behind them. His dark gray mane and tail that almost looked blue at times. That knowing smirk that flashed across his lips right before took off somewhere daring her to follow.
She had been infatuated the moment she first met him. She knew she didn't want any other stallion but him. It was one of the greatest days of her life when she found out he felt the same way about her as she did about him
There were issues of course, their parents were not thrilled with a pegasi and a unicorn becoming a couple. It didn't help they were both Guards either and there was a rule about that sort of thing.
Thankfully neither of them were very close to their parents any more having joined the Guard to simply be away from them, and the Guard rules could easily be worked around. Some how they even managed to be assigned to the same squad. They both planned to retire after they wed, he already had a job lined up in Chicacolt as part of the weather team and she doubted it would take long for her to find a job in the city, she always had a knack with mechanical things, a rare skill for a unicorn. The twin gears of her cutiemark had come about after she fixed a watch she had broken, something that set her further apart from her family of textile makers.
They had already made plans to start a family and the rest of the squad had even started taking bets on how long it would take before she was with foal.
Now....
Now that was never going to happen. Thunder Roll was dead, and all she could do was sit there and wish she was. She felt numb, nothing mattered to her anymore, not the conflict in Canterlot, not her squad mates, nothing. It was such that she never even heard the cries or the fighting around her, never even knew the caravan was being attacked until a brutish changeling Diamond Dog slammed into the cart she was in flinging her out of it as it was over turned and sending her bouncing across the cobble stones her armor sparking against the stones.
It was only then she finally looked up.
Changelings flew about launching themselves at ponies, blasts of sickly green energy erupted from casters, brutish beasts covered in black chitin surged among the guards and civilians killing indiscriminately.
She lay on her side on the ground staring off into space, hoping the end would come so she wouldn't be with out him for much longer.
Her ears perk up as she catches a glint of light off something across the street from her, a flash of silver and blue. Her eyes strangely drawn to it. She lifted her head up, squinting to see past the fighting at the figure standing in the mouth of an ally across from them.
The pegasus met her gaze, blue eyes sparkled as they met, a small smirk crossed his muzzle.
“Rolly..........” Tin Snip mutters ,slowly rising to her hooves, her amber eyes wide as she stares at the pony across the street from her, not even noticing the fighting going on around her.
The pegasus stallions grin widens a bit and he flicks his tail turning and darting back down the ally away from her.
“ROLLY WAIT!” she shouts, surging forward only to have her way blocked by a number of changelings who had finally noticed her and moved to attack.
Her eyes flared white, horn lighting up with a burst of energy as a crackle of magical lightning formed around her horn, bursting free in an arcane blast that tore the cobble stones up out of the street around her. Her ears flattened to her head as she screamed at the changelings as they were turned into little more than meat and gore
“GET THE BUCK OUT OF MY WAY!”
================================
May cursed under his breath, beating back a changeling with the broken butt of his spear. The caravan was getting swarmed. He had no idea where they were all coming from, but changelings and constructs were rolling over the defenders like a tidal wave of black. He was bleeding from over a dozen wounds and was completely exhausted already having been doing nothing but fight and run all day. But he couldn't stop, behind him, huddled under the cart, was an old mare and her two grand foals. He had to stand fast or they were as good as dead.
“ROLLY WAIT!” screams a voice.
“What the buck? TIN!, GET DOWN TIN.... DON”T......” May shouts.
His words were cut off as she screamed again, blue lightning blasting from her horn and frying the changelings around her sending up a shower of gore and ripping a hole in the middle of the street.
He stared in shock at the display, likely only still alive in the moment of distraction as every other changeling on the street was staring at the explosion of power as well. He had seen Tin use her magic before, she had a basic under standing of combat magic, she was more skilled at manipulation than anything else, he had never seen her cut loose like this before.
And she wasn't stopping.
She surged forward plowing right through the thick of the changelings, a number of them trying to rush her and being struck down by her magic as she galloped across the street. The swarm seemed to focus on her , seeing her as more of a threat than some wounded Guards and civilians.
None of them even got close to her.
By the time she made it to the mouth of the ally over half of the attacking force had been driven off or fried to a crisp.
The remaining Guard took the opportunity to press the attack, quickly gaining the advantage and killing or driving off the remains of the ambush. When they had a moment the carts that could be salvaged were quickly re harnessed and righted so they could get moving again towards the castle.
May winced in pain as he helped the foals and their grandmother into another cart. He wanted to go after his squad mate, try and figure out what was going on, but the lives of the ponies still alive in this caravan were more important than one Guard who ran off on her own. Still, he made sure that he would do his best to find her when he had the chance.
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He was teasing her, just like he always did, staying annoyingly out of reach and sometimes just within sight, leading her on a wild pegasus chase or what ever it was supposed to be. He never flew higher than she could reach and she never used her magic to catch him, that would ruin the game.
Of course she always threatened to pluck him, but they both knew there was no way she would hurt him. Besides, he always let her catch him in the end. This was some sort of pegasus thing, some ritual or instinct or something. It was the chase, the pursuit, she thought it annoying at first , though after time she began to enjoy the strange game of keep away as in then, she always wound up entangled with him. That end was what she was after now, to be with him again.
And nothing was going to get in her way.
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The young mare whimpered, feeling the green icor dribble down over her legs trapping her in place as the small changelings flitted around her. The screams of some of the others who had been caught echoed in her ears and she wished she could cover them to try and keep out the chilling sounds. She looked down as the cocoon that was being woven around her started to fill covering her bound hooves. She had a fairly good idea what was going to happen, this is how they made more of their kind.
She shudders as the goo tickles along her peach colored belly, wishing she could see her mother one last time, apologize for being so angry when she left this morning.
Her thoughts were abruptly derailed as a wall explodes right next to her , the shell being built around her shattering from the force of the blast that vaporized the door and part of the wall. The force of the blast knocking a number of flying changelings aside and rupturing some of the other completed cocoons causing the ponies trapped with in to spill out onto the floor coughing violently and convulsing, though they were still alive an unchanged.
“ROLLY!!!”
A voice screamed from the dust cloud, blue energy crackling around the figures form as it rushed into the room. The energy burst brighter as some of the undazed swarm rushed the figure, the bugs getting close simply popped in the air like blood filled popcorn kernels. The figure only barely seemed to notice as she swatted them into non existence . This close she could see the figure was a mare, her eyes the same glowing blue as the energy leaping from her horn and cascading around her body.
The figure turned and ran right by the newly freed mare, she could see the remnants of Guard armor on the figure, feel the heat of the energy erupting from her horn, see the look the mare had, the vacant stare that seemed to be focused on something before her
As the figure ran through the room and lept out a open window on the other side of the shop a cry from the hole she made in the wall drew the mares attention back to it. A trio of half dragon Guards stepped in through the hole felling the few changelings still moving, before setting to work freeing the bound ponies.
The peach colored mare trembles looking at the window their rescuer had vanished through not seeing her any where.
That smirk of his, it was infuriating as it was endearing. He was playing even harder to get than usual, making her jump through hoops to follow him. She caught sight of the end of his tail slipping into a window and she followed running into more obstructions and changelings. They had tried to separate them before and she was not going to let the black plated monsters do so again.
Tin was vaguely aware that there were others here, ponies trapped in goo, but that was a fleeting thought as Thunder Roll had slipped out a window when the changelings had rushed her, and she wasn't going to let him get away.
She rushed through the store and out the window back onto the street, her hooves clacking onto the stone as she gallops after him, hearing the beat of his wings and catching a glimpse of him as he slipped around a corner.
She renewed her charge after him, her horn glowing brightly as she followed, her hooves searing the stone under her as she galloped.
The armored pegasus winces as the changeling bears jaws snap shut over his spear biting the steel weapon nearly in half and ripping it from his grip. The bear rears up shoving the Guard back, he falls over on his back screaming out as he lands on his injured wing.
He looks up at the creature shutting his eyes tight awaiting the death blow from the massive black carapaced bear.
The attack never came, instead there was a wash of heat and a sound like a roaring fire and then there was nothing.
He slowly opened his eyes, seeing the bear still towering before him, though it wasn't moving. Looking closer he could see it's eyes had ruptured and smoke was pouring from the holes of it's sockets as well as it's open maw. The smell hit him soon after and he couldn't help leaving his breakfast on the pavement nearby.
It was then he noticed the chard road, seared black from one side of the road to another with a trail of molten hoof prints melted into the cobble stone of the road.
What ever had come through here in the scant moments his eyes had been closed had saved him, though he had the impression that was not it's real intent.
================================================
She ran faster, her eyes focused on the teasing form before her. He was flying backwards now grinning like a fool at her as he led her through an obstacle course across the city, some times there were changelings, some times there were not. She tore through any obstructions dodging around others as she pursued him.
He was so close, close enough to smell him, to hear his breathing, she could almost touch him.
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A ragged mop of a green mane pokes lightly out of bottom of a stable door , her brown eyes scanning back and forth down the street before spotting a mass of changelings at one end of the road and quickly ducks her head back inside closing the lower part of the door before any of them notice.
The teal mare sighs blowing a bit of her ruined mane style out of her eyes and glancing back at the seven foals huddled in the room behind her.
The foals were terrified, they had every right to be, she was freaking out herself, though the only thing that kept her from cowering some where was that she knew the students with her were depending on her to keep them safe. She had no idea how it came to this, she was a teacher not a emergency planner.
Her class had just started when the attack happened. She taught first years and most of them couldn't even comprehend what was happening, by the time she got them rounded up the rest of the school had fled for the shelters or been chased out by the changelings attacking.
Some how over the last few hours she had managed to bring her entire class halfway across Canterlot towards the castle without being seen or caught. She had no idea how she had done it and there had been a number of close calls. She also had no idea how the foals had managed to be this quiet and behaved for as long as they had, there were a few sniffles, but none of them were crying and screaming like they usually did when they were scared.
Now however Miss Chalk had a problem.
The problem was the swarm that was on the street ahead of them. There was no real way the group at this point without back tracking, and the castle was within sight, just past the grouped changelings and over a small bridge. There was a great shield around the Castle now though they were close enough to see ponies moving in and out of it. This was only a side gate as the main gate was under heavy siege, though even this one was being guarded.
They couldn't stay in the house they were in forever either, while it was not burning as fast as some of the others, the faint coughs from the foals told her that the smoke was still going to be an issue even if they avoided being burned. It was starting to look like she would need to double back with the foals and find another way. With as many times as they had almost gotten caught she really didn't want to push her luck any further, plus the castle was, RIGHT.THERE.
A loud cry from outside cut off her introspection. She pulled the door open a little peering back outside, her wings fanning nervously fearing they had been found.
The changelings were still at the end of the street, though they were screaming about something, a few of them started to run away. She blinked in confusion at that, until a light forced her to shielded her eyes with a hoof as what they were running from came into view.
It looked like a unicorn, a mare maybe, but it was glowing so brightly Miss Chalk couldn't be sure. It didn't attack the changelings directly unless they got in front of it. But it seemed to be chasing something, something that dodged and ducked and weaved around in odd patterns, and every changeling it touched popped like an over cooked chestnut. The way it moved reminded her of a cat chasing a moth that had gotten into the house. Motes of light flew from the figures horn and it's body seemed to be made of light though parts of it seemed to be dissolving as it ran and moved.
The figure was only among them for a few heart beats and what ever changelings that had not run were little more than piles of ash.
She stared a moment longer, looking at the clear road before pulling back inside to the foals.
“Alright class are you ready to go?”
“Haf to potty....”states one.
“Of course you do. “Miss Chalk mutters under her breath. “We're almost there just hold it a bit longer....”
She sighs heading out the door, foals in tow hoping that what ever that thing was, it had left the area.
She couldn't help to smile as she trampled something under hoof. She ignored the screams , everything was muted around her, everything but him. She could see every little detail of him now. Every tail hair and shift of his muscle under his skin.
They had their first date at the park, in the middle of the pouring rain, though he made sure there was one clear spot in the clouds, one open spot that no rain fell just for her so they could have their picnic. He made a joke about her name saying he didn't want her to rust. It hadn't been funny, but she laughed any way.
She knew where they were now and knew where he was going. She was so close to catching him now.
Suri Polomare yelled out again at a small group of workers in her shop, completely ignoring her assistant Coco's worried urgings to leave the building and seek shelter.
“For the last time, no. One, no one is going any where until we secure the fall line from these ruffians. Two, I will not allow all my work to go to waste like this, m'kay?” Suri fusses, turning to tell one of the workers to hurry up before glaring back at Coco.” And three you are the assistant you do what I say you do not make suggestions m'kay?”
“But....”
“What was number three?”
“Right....”Coco wasn't sure what kept the dozen ponies here still following Suri. Maybe it was because despite her yelling she had convinced them that everything was under control. Sort of a steadfast pony that others gravitated too, despite this she knew they were in a lot of trouble if they didn't find shelter soon. She could look out side and see a massive battle and what she was certain were a pair of massive dragons fighting by the castle.
Suri was more worried about trying to get every pony to pack up an entire seasons worth of dress designs and supplies, rather than try and get them to safety. Coco fully expected that Suri would try to get the workers to try haul these dress crates to the shelter or even out of Canterlot itself to make sure they remained intact. She wanted to believe Suri was doing the right thing, but saving some dresses was not a good reason to get any pony killed.
It was at this point the doors to the shop were blown open and a thing of light and heat charged through the opening. Coco thought it looked like a pony, but it seemed to be little more than a gathered collection of light that flowed into the shape of a pony rather than a real one. It rushed through the building, the heat from it igniting several crates of dresses and melting others still on the racks. It smashed through the boxes that had been gathered to moves Suri's dresses and sent the ponies running for cover before it lept into the air and crashed through one of the rear windows leaving a trail of destruction and burning hoof prints seared in the wood behind it.
Coco thought that it looked rather pretty , even if it was terrifying, though she kept the image of it in her mind thinking up a few designs from how it looked and moved. Her thoughts were derailed as Suri screamed and fainted after the thing had gone through. Coco glanced over seeing the ruins of the entire fall line scattered around in tatters, most of it either on fire or melted depending on the material. None of it was left.
Coco blinks looking to the other workers as they came out of hiding and sighs before glancing down to Suri.
Tin Snip slowed her gallop to a trot. Moving slowly towards the pegasus sitting on top of the small hill in the park. Her hooves thudded lightly on the grass, searing it with arcane energies, leaving burned circles. Motes of light flickered along her form some of them sparking and dying out, leaving portions of her body dark and fading away as the motes died.
“Hey. Was wondering if you would ever catch up with me slowpoke.” Thunder Roll chuckled not looking back at her.
“Rolly......” Tin Snip moves closer only for the pegasus to lift his hoof to her lips, silencing her.
“I guess I wore you out. Sorry about that, it was all for a good reason though. Hehe, seems you finally caught me though” the pegasus chuckles.
“I'm not letting you get away every again.” Tin takes a hold of his hoof pressing it to her cheek with a small shiver as she nuzzles it lightly.
“No, you don't have to chase me any more Tin. I'm all yours forever.” he smiles leaning in and kissing her softly.
She presses back into the kiss. She hated the pursuit, but loved the end of it.
To any one watching there was nothing on the hill but a creature of light. Though in the span of a heart beat or two, the light faded, drifting away like wind blown leaves to fade into nothing leaving the hill bare of anything except two sets of hoof prints burned into the ground.
“Is that everything Sergeant?” Princess Luna asks glancing over to Jer'rahd on one side of her and then to Twilight on the other.
Jer'rahd was still trussed up like a mummy, he didn't need to be , but he made the mistake of trying to leave his room before Velkorn cleared him and the zebra had caught him. Twilight was bound up much the same way, though she had snuck out into the hospitals library and Fluttershy had found her.
To prevent them both from going mad Luna had agreed to keep watch on them both while she dealt with some of her Royal duties , converting an empty room of the hospital into a temporary office. Neither was happy , but at least they were kept busy. One could only think of the horrors they could unleash if they worked together.
“Yes, Princess. That is all the information I was able to gather on what happened after she ran off.” Sergeant May states. “The last evidence of her was found in South Square Park.”
Luna herself had heard the stories of a creature of light saving a number of ponies , including a group of school foals and their teacher. She had thought it rumor until she found out on Guard was seriously investigating it. She gave orders to let him do so, so long as his usual duties were met. Now five months later he had requested an audience to give his report, and Luna didn't know what to make of it.
She hoped either Jer'rahd or Twilight could shed some light on what happened. Jer'rahd might not have much magic, but she knew he studied it, excessively, and Twilight.... well if she didn't know something there would be no one that would.
“Neither of their bodies are accounted for. The building where you said PFC Thunder Roll fell didn't contain a body matching his description at all.” Jer'rahd states looking over some papers.
“I know Sir. I searched the building myself when they started the clean up. Both of them were squad mates of mine...friends of mine. I wanted to try and make sure they were buried near each other at least, but....” May begins. “But as you say, there is nothing left.”
“I think I know what happened. “ Twilight states rubbing her head, her own magic was still burned out still, though that didn't stop her from trying to use it and getting a headache nearly daily.
“Please explain then Twilight.” Luna sighs, Velkorn and Celestia were going to have a field day yelling at her for letting either of them do more than sit and talk, but neither could sit still. “ And please, keep it simple.”
“Okay every one knows about magical burn out. It's a unicorns body protecting itself from channeling too much arcane magic. It's like a safety switch in our minds to prevent us from hurting ourselves with too much casting. Most of us can recover from burn out with little more than some rest and time.” Twilight goes on.“I have read stories about unicorns who have gone past that though. Not many, only two in all the history books I’ve read. Both of those were mentioned in old texts that date back to near the founding of Equestria. Which is really rather fascinating that the tomes would have records that old and in such detail when they skip over......”
“Sparkle, focus.” Jer'rahd growls.
“\What? Oh right. Any way when a unicorn by passes the natural safety limit, the magic starts eating away at their body until there's nothing left of them but magic. That sort of power cannot be sustained forever of course and when it fades, I assume there would be nothing left. What you described sergeant sounds exactly like one of the old tales about it. I can't imagine the amount of will power and focus needed to do that though. I wouldn't know even where to begin explaining how she did it.”
“Miss Sparkle if what you say is true, I might have a theory.” May comments. The white earth pony looking around nervously.
“And what is that Sergeant?” Luna asks.
“It is a little unbelievable and it seems insane and crazy, Princess. It's just a theory after all I can't prove it....”
“Sergeant the three ponies you are talking to have seen and done things that you wouldn't believe. I'm pretty sure your idea of crazy is what we call a Tuesday.” Jer'rahd snarks getting a glare from Luna and Twilight.
“It's just. Every where I managed to track her some pony was saved, or helped out. From the ambushed evacuees where she started all the way to the dress makers shop. Everything she did almost helped some pony.”
“What about Miss Polomane? Having her work destroyed didn't seem like a good thing.” Twilight asks.
“Miss Polomane had a number of workers who she was trying to get to save her clothing rather than themselves. Because that clothing was destroyed the workers could get to safety quicker than if they had to carry it.” May reports.
“Even in the middle of a war some ponies are only concerned with the bits.” Jer'rahd grumbles.”So what's the crazy part?”
“I think she might have been guided to all those places.”
“By Whom Sergeant.” Luna asks.
“By PFC Thunder Roll Princess. “Sergeant May swallows. “ She said as much herself when she first ran off, she called his name and told him to get back here.”
The three of them stare at the sergeant, though Jer'rahd pulls out a bit of parchment and a quill writing out a note with his hoof. Luna glances over at it as he writes and smiles softly to herself.
“So you came to that conclusion as well then Jer'rahd?” Luna asks.
“I've experienced it, I know it can happen.” Jer'rahd mutters around the quill. Twilight leans over looking at what the unicorn was writing with a confused expression.
Luna takes it as he finishes signing her own name and rolling the scroll up before closing it with the Royal seal.
“Sergeant, please take this note to the stone smith working on the archway.” Luna says offering the scroll to the earth pony before her.
“Yes Princess.” May salutes tucking the note in his saddle bag and rushing out.
“So what's next on the list?” Jer'rahd asks glancing over to Twilight.
“There's a shortage of material for bandages and blankets for the relief effort. Rarity offered all the fabric she has but even that won't last long......”
“I think we have another offer as well Twilight. Jer'rahd make a note out thanking Miss Polomane for her donation to the relief effort and send some ponies over to collect all the fabric from her shop and warehouse that is still useable....” Luna grins.
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Rock Dust looks at the note, then the Guard before him then back at the note adjusting his bifocals on his spotted gray and brown nose as he does so.
He turned looking at the massive marble arch the Princesses had pulled from the very ground it self. He and his brother were retired stone carvers, far past their prime. There wasn't much the elderly pair could do to help with the rebuilding , though they offered their help any way and they had been given the task of turning the stone arch into a proper monument to the fallen.
“She sure about this? We were going to list all the names alphabetically.” Rock Dust asks before passing the note to his brother Quartz Dust.
“I don't know, she didn't tell me what was in it.” May admits.
The old white unicorn looks at the note then nods to his brother hobbling back towards the arch.“Just put that first one up there, yah got good timing sonny.” Quartz admits.
Rock hands the note to the earth pony Guard before hobbling over to look at the part of the arch his brother was working on.
May looks at the note, his eyes widening before he trots over to the arch himself watching the unicorns horn glow as he etched another name in the marble, placing a small ivy square around the pair of names,a decoration used to signify families that had fallen
May blinks smiling softly as he read the two names freshly carved into the rock, now together forever.
I'm not sure if you will get this, to be honest I feel perhaps it was a little forward of me to even ask for you to do this sort of messaging. I don't expect you to write back, but I felt I needed to write some pony while I was here who wasn't my parents. Not that, I don't write them mind you, but I just felt like I should write a friend or some one who isn't involved in this war. And well... my few friends are here with me so it's kinda hard to write them.
Any way, if you are getting this and didn't give a young blank flanked stallion a random address to humor him.
Thank you.
I don't know what you were thinking when I came up to you with this idea, I expect you probably thought I was just going to hit on you for being the prettiest mare at the Summer Sun Celebration. Likely you had a bunch of colts doing just that. I assure you I was tempted, but thinking on it I felt I would rather have some one to write to rather than just the potential for a last fling before being shipped off. That's if you would have even accepted that sort of offer, which I am sure a lady of your standing wouldn't.
Still it makes me regret not asking your last name. Perhaps you'll tell me if I make it back.
Amanno
==============================
Dear Crystal,
Well the first couple of letters didn't come back so I hope that means you are getting them. Nothing's changed here for me, after basic they sent a large group of us to this outpost this morning. Primarily pegasi and unicorns, most of the other earth ponies are at some of the western outposts. Not sure the reason for it, the officers don't tell the soldiers much, harder to spill secrets if you don't know them I suppose. Still I hear ponies are already starting to call this the War of the North. Kinda a weak name for it I think, but I suppose it's up to historians to decide that.
Not entirely certain what this war is about even. I know the Griffons attacked a town near the border , but there must be a reason. I doubt they are the ignorant savages that every ponies claiming, barbaric yes, but not savages. They have honor though it's primarily based on who is the strongest and most vicious. My father told me that the griffons follow a number of tactics like the dragons did in the great war. Strike fear with your attacks and keep the enemy scared of you.
My father's a wise pony, he let me use the sword he carried into battle in the Dragon War, with the promise that I bring it back when I was done with it. Mother didn't want me to join the Guard at all, my father was willing to let me make my own choice, though he wasn't really happy either. It's understandable, I am their only foal, they worry. Still my father got his cutie mark at the end of the war with the dragons. Maybe I won't have to wait that long.
Sorry I haven't written in a while, granted I’m still not sure you are getting these letters, so I’m just going to assume you are since none of them have come back. I know four or five of them were nothing but day to day fluff and I am sorry for that crude joke in the last one. It was funny at the time.
I can't really talk about what's going on, but I’m sure you've heard the news, the Griffons finally attacked in force. They hit an out post on the other side of the mountain from us here, killed nearly every pony there.
Every pony here is panicked, they're afraid we'll be next. Everyone's jumpy and the brass isn't very forth coming with information. This letters got to be short as the last mail courier out of here is leaving soon, and I still have to write my parents. Still if you don't hear from me again...... well, good thing you didn't know me that well huh?
Amanno
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Dear Crystal
Umm, hi... it's been what a month? A bunch of things have happened. None of which I can really talk about, but let's just say what every pony was worried about happened. I'm not sure what I’m allowed to say about it, like I said. I'm fine, this attack wasn't as bad as the first one cause we knew this one was coming. Still, we lost a lot of good ponies here, nearly lost me. A griffon got too close and managed to get a swipe in. Those metal claws they use as weapons sliced right though the Guard armor. I'm sitting in med bay now getting my stitches checked out. The wound looks bad, though you should see the other guy.... no wait forget I wrote that. A lady like you shouldn't be subjected to this sort of thing.
A couple of us are getting promoted, a few are getting shipped back home due to really bad injuries or being utterly useless in the battle. It's probably for the best that the ones who ran and hid leave. A lot of good ponies died here, some of them would still be alive if not for the cowards. I can't blame them really though, it was the first battle for a lot of us. Yet, I also can't help despise them for their fear, two of my friends are among the dead, and a third is being sent home without his eyes.
Sorry, I didn't mean to lay that on you.
Amanno
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Dear Crystal
Let me start out by saying, Princess Luna is terrifying. The Princess came to speak with those of us who fought and defended Unicorn Point, oh that's the outpost's name, and to bring a few of us into another unit of hers. She calls it the 42nd, some of the older Guards call it Luna's Hoof. It's supposedly been around since the Discordian War, so it's a fairly well decorated unit even if the numbers are small.
Remember how we saw Princess Celestia at the Summer Celebration? Well Princess Luna doesn't have that warm almost motherly feel to her. Not to say she's cold, but where you can image Princess Celestia calmly drinking tea or something and discussing problems calmly, Princess Luna strikes me as the sort to not bother talking about anything and simply doing what she thinks needs to be done. She's as imposing and as beautiful as her sister, but scary as well.
Then again perhaps I used up all my courage with mares writing this other pretty mare I know......
Amanno
=======================
Dear Crystal
It's been about a year now and I still haven’t gotten any letters back. I've been sending one out every other week I guess, but I never hear from you. I suppose that's a little forward to expect it, maybe I’m just optimistic. The others here think I’m wasting my time writing these letters to a mare who never responds. Still it's alright, I guess I have this image built up of you in my head that you read them. I suppose I take comfort in this more than anything else, that some pony else knows what I’m feeling out here. I do apologize for my babbling, but sometimes writing these is the only way I can continue here with any semblance of sanity.
I've seen things I wouldn't wish on any one, things that could be used to to write stories to scare foals, and adults alike. Yet most of us here barely give the horrors a second glance any more. Every pony’s emotionally distanced themselves from the war as best as they can. I know I’ve broken down sobbing a few times while writing these letters. They've sort of become my meter stick of how bucked up things have become.
The unit ran across some female griffons on patrol, not soldiers, just civilians who used to live in an Aerie we destroyed. The way they carried on at the sight of my Guard unit you would have thought Demons from Tartarus were after them. Last we saw them they were flying north away from the battlefield.
I've heard they've been rounding up all the Equestrian griffons putting them in some camp or another to keep them away from the civilians. Not sure if it's true or not, but is it because they might be spies? Or is it to protect them from our own ponies trying to take revenge for loved ones lost in the war?
Amanno
===========================
Dear Crystal,
Sorry about the moody or dark nature of the last couple of letters. I kinda have had a bad time of it. I know you recall I was a blank flank when we first met, even at my age, heh. Well I got my cutie mark a while back around the time the letters started getting mopey.
I suppose the mark can be taken as anything. It's a long gold and white feather with the quill at the bottom, wrapped in a wild rose vine with thorns piercing it and a single red rose at the top. That's what my name means by the way. My mother said she named me after her great great grandfather. Briar Rose. Amanno supposedly means Rose in old Draconic, that was my fathers hoof in it. He some what has a thing for draconic lore I suppose, maybe a hobby , but he knows a lot to only be a farm worker for the Pelts.
Don't ask me, my parents are weird.
Any way I got into a situation where my unit was surrounded. I had a couple of rookies uninjured and like two or three wings of Griffons ready to move in and finish us off. The only officer to survive was a pegasus by the name of Sunbeam. His wing was ripped off in the battle, he was never going to fly again even if we could find his wing, and so soon after making Major too.
Any way he told me to challenge to Griffon leader to a duel for our freedom, something about their honor would require them to do so if properly challenged. I though he was mad from blood loss but we didn't have any other options so I issued the challenge, shouting it out across the battle field.
Imagine my surprise when the leader accepted.
I don't know if you've met any Griffons before, but most of them are a little bigger than an average pony. This one, this one was bigger than Princess Celestia. In any case the duel seemed like a joke to him, something he accepted to try and drive home Griffon superiority or something. That I was an earth pony and not a unicorn or a pegasi just made most of his troops laugh harder.
Now I’m no where near the best sword pony there is, I got some lessons from my father and mother so I did alright during basic. I'm sure unicorns have fancier moves, but I’ve been told my skills are effective.
During that duel though, I could have give Princess Luna lessons in sword play. I cut the Griffon to pieces before the laughter even died in his throat and took out another three who tried to butt into the fight as well.
Major Sunbeam saved my flank from getting mobbed though. He shouted out that the duel was won and something about the dishonor that would happen if they went back on their leaders word. I didn't hear most of it, I was shaking so hard I could barely hold my sword in my mouth.
It wasn't fear though, I wanted to fight them all, to kill them all. It was then my cutie mark appeared distracted me from my blood lust and the Griffons who still wanted to fight. After a few moments more they all left, leaving us to make our way back to base.
I was rather messed up for a while after that, hence all the dark and moody letters. I'm sorry about those.
I'm only half sorry about how flirtatious some of them are though.
Amanno
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Dear Crystal
I reaaaaally am sorry for the last letter. I had no intention of sending that one out. A classy mare like you has no need to see a drunken soldiers rambling like that, especially not the limericks. I can't apologize enough for those. I really shouldn't have listened to some of the other Guards here and gone out drinking. I really shouldn't have compared that gem you have as a cutie mark to anything. I REALLY should not have done that in limerick. I didn't remember even writing a letter until the next morning back at base when I realized I dropped it in the town's mail box.
Tell you what, if you want to slap me for that letter, I wouldn't blame you. I'm on leave in a few weeks and I’m headed back home to Ponyville. I need to stop in Canterlot first. I'd pass it completely, but some noble wants to do a parade or something for a bunch of us who are going on leave at the same time. None of us want the parade, we want to go home for the short time we have, but orders are orders.
If you feel the need to slap me I’m sure you can find me. Just look for the light gray stallion with a short orange mane and tail, and a rather upsetting cutie mark.
Amanno.
******************************
Amanno stepped out of line groaning as he stretched.
Stupid parade, stupid speech, didn't these ponies know that not a single Guard forced to listen to them believed one word of the griffon shit coming out of their mouths? All any pony in that formation wanted to do was go home, something that was delayed longer and longer the more these idiots wanted to preach about how awesome they were.
Two hours in formation, two hours of nothing but noble rambling. Amanno just wanted to get home, maybe see if mom had cooked anything good before he slept for a day or three. He had a month, a little longer than some of the others, but his new rank had some advantages Sergeant in only a little over a year. Dad might be impressed, that was always a good goal when he could make the old stallion proud, granted making mom proud was harder.
“You there, stop!” shouts a voice.
The gray stallion blinks turning his head to look back, his eyes going wide as a lithe white mare with nearly blindingly pink hair strides towards him. Her green eyes met his own red ones as she stares up at him the point of her horn barely reaching up to his eye level.
“Umm.. can I help you miss?” Amanno asks his mind trying to tell him something about the mare, he knew her from some where, but where?
A sudden lash of her hoof was brought across his face as she slapped him. A few chuckles and laughs were heard from the other guards as he turns his head back to look at her. Now he recognized her.
“That was for the drunken limericks.” Crystal states flatly.
“Sorry...” the rest of his apology was cut off as she leans up kissing the cheek she slapped him on lightly.
“That was for the rest. Some of the letters were rather sweet.” Crystal smirks blushing a little as several of the laughs turned to appreciative whistles and rather base shouts of encouragement from other Guards for Amanno.
“It's Blueblood by the way. Crystal Blueblood.” Crystal states.
“Oh ...OH.... umm wow. You are a noble err, I guess I did shoot for out of my station there.” Amanno chuckles.” Sorry for bothering you with the letters, and thinking death threats at your relatives while they gave their speeches.”
“It's not a bother, it is something I agreed to.”Crystal shrugs.” And I rather wish my father would shut up some times as well.”
“Oh really? Then why didn't you send any letters back?” Amanno asks.
“Because you never told me your last name. They wouldn't ship a letter to a solider on the front without his full name.” Crystal sighs her horn glowing gold as she lifts a stack of letters from one of her saddlebags. He glances down at them noting that all of them had his first name and had been 'returned to sender.'
“Oops.”
“Well?” Crystal smiles. “ It's hard to send more letters until I know your last name.”
The dragons claws tore through the stone work, stopping his slide as he was shoved back. The force of the blows shocked him even now, even though the conflict had been going on for an hour. Despite it his opponent showed no more signs of weakness than she had when he first began his attack. Her eyes never left him the green orbs burning into him.
The out post was devastated, the explosives he had snuk into the main tower had leveled it in one glorious fireball, the walls fell along with the tower allowing the waiting squad of mercenaries and other dragons to rush the fort unobstructed by the towers magical defense. With the fall of this fort the pass though the mountains would be unprotected, the brunt of the dragons forces could march right into Equestria with a clear supply line from Cindervale.
The explosion was the only thing that had gone right.
By the time he managed to rejoin the attacking force after his infiltration, half of them were already dead. It had only been minutes since they had broken through the lines and rushed through the collapsed wall. And yet the Trolls, Rams, and most of the war beasts were slaughtered already. Even two of the other dragons had been killed. Just a pair of young Frost drakes, but these were ponies, they should have been destroyed and devoured by even one drake, and yet two were dead along with most of the assault force?
It was at that point he saw her. A single earth pony mare, a sword gripped in her teeth staring across the carnage strewn court yard. Her mane whipped in the wind racing down off the mountains a shower of red mist rained from her whipping mane and tail. Blood dripped from the mare, masking her coloration, her cutie mark and even the color of her armor.
None of it was hers.
Her eyes however are what caught the dragons attention. They were a bright green, a soft color, but there was a look to them he would never forget, one that sent a shudder along his spine. He had snarled and attacked, not even remotely afraid of some lesser creature, even if they held a blade crafted by a traitor to slay his kind. It would not be the first of those swords he had collected and destroyed, nor would it be the last.
That was an hour ago. He was bleeding from numerous wounds, and his wings were sliced clear through in several places, too many more cuts to the membrane and he wouldn't be able to fly out of here. She was bleeding her own blood now and one rear hoof was resting gingerly on the ground. Yet he felt he was the one who worse off in this exchange.
This was beyond infuriating. Earth ponies were nothing, they could not fly they did not have the magic that was the only real danger to his kind, yet here she was a lone mare fending off an army and one of the top officers in the Council of Flame, and her rank markings showed she wasn't even a Sergeant!
He shifted back a little more staring down at the mare as he reared up his head as if to breath flame at her, she didn't move. It was just as well he needed more time to stroke his inner fire before he could let out another blast that was more than a warm breeze. This made no sense at all to him. This spat in the face of everything Forgescale had taught him. This pony was not weak, this pony was not a coward, this pony on her own was a match for a dragon, nay, a entire force of them. He was the last left to face her, while fighting him she had killed three other members of the assault force and the rest of the mercenary cowards fled, he would see the blasted rams and orcs were served for dinner later.
“Who are you pony?” he snarls stepping back a little further. “One of the goddesses in disguise?”
She snarls in return taking a step towards him and he could feel himself moving back another step.
“I am Guard Vermillion Rose, monster. I am your doom.” the mare snaps. The blade's hilt leaving her mouth as she rose up on her back legs, catching and balancing the weapon on a single hoof as she stares at him, the tip pointed at his chest. Her green eyes unwavering.
He rears up fanning his wings to tower above her on his back legs.
The mare was unimpressed.
“I am Krisis the Stalker Son of Forge scale des....”
“Okay, shut up now. The only thing I needed was what to put on the little brass plaque that I’m going to nail your head when I mount it on my wall. That first part was plenty.” Vermilion grins.
Krisis steps back a bit more, the mares grin... that was more like a dragons predatory smile than anything he had ever seen on a pony.
“There is something very wrong with you mare.” Krisis grumbles.
“I agree, I'm letting you talk. But I can fix that.” Vermillion states, but the orange scaled dragon had already launched himself into the air and was winging away from the ruined tower, leaving the mare alone with the injured and the dead.
Krisis flinched slightly as he glides away on injured wings, his mind racing with the thoughts of the earth pony mare. She was nothing like anything he had ever learned from his kind.
No, that was not quite right. There were some dragons in Cindervale who were against this war. One in particular that he needed to speak with, to try and understand what was going on.
It was time to write to his mother, but all he could think of were the mares brilliant eyes.
To my 'perhaps not so much as I thought' idiotic son, Krisis.
Imagine my surprise when I received a letter from you. Particularly after our last falling out over the state of affairs here in Cindervale. Given your mindset and admittance to the Flame party and Forgescale's army, I expected that we would never converse again with out some sort of loaded political nonsense between us.
I may not have been the best mother, but I would like to think I had taught you something of the world. Granted reading of your accomplishments, though I still object to the targets, has shown that you did remember some of what I taught you. I can say the same of your sister Starscream, though I dislike how either of you go about it. The skill you two have displayed would have been better suited to our ongoing conflict with the Linnorm to the north rather than some misguided superiority and racial cleansing that the Flame Party spouts on about.
Which brings me to your letter. It seems something has shaken the belief that was crammed into your skull rather heavily. That you have seen something, or some pony, that has shaken you enough to question why you are even fighting, amuses me. Particularly when it is enough for you to ask me for advice despite our disagreements and my standing opposed to Forgescale and the Flame Party.
Now that all the taunting and stuck up 'I told you so' nonsense is past, there is really only one bit of advice I can give to you in regard to what you ask. You have shown you won't listen to me, and real life experience seems to be the only way you learn. So here's what you do, go find this Vermillion Rose again and speak with her. Ask her why she fights, where she finds the power to stand up to and defeat creatures far stronger than she is. I could tell you of the strength of ponies from all they have done and our own history with them, but I think it better if you get the information straight from the horses mouth.
Love,
Mom
P.S. I was right, I couldn't reread that last line with a straight face. Rahs stormed out when I was writing it grumbling about puns again. He says hello by the way. Well actually he said something about wondering if his stupid stepson had finally gotten a clue and wondering how many drakes he was going to have to murder to keep our daughter from sleeping with all of them, but that's another complaint for a different letter.
*************
Krisis sat back against the wall of his cave, looking at the scroll one last time before rolling it up with a sigh. He hadn't expected anything to come of it, he had sent the letter a good while back in a panic after his loss and the confusion over it. He had kept the scroll with him, being rather paranoid of even receiving the parchment.
Forgescale considered him a son, Forgescale's actual sons and daughters, hated him, but after what he had done to Snarlfang they were all afraid of him. Well Silver Claw wasn't afraid of him, quite the opposite it seemed given how the young drake tried to emulate him. Granted the young red dragon was barely old to to be out of schooling, let alone fighting a war as he was.
Given how the other seven children, formerly eight and not counting Silverclaw, were out for his blood, all it would take was one screw up and he was finished. The letter he sent showed his doubts about the direction the war was going and the belief in it at all. The letter he received was just as damning, and he did not need any focus on him at all right now. Particularly after that last raid.
Stone shattered crumbling down with the roar of an avalanche punctuated by the screams of those caught in the collapse. Shouts of pony Guard commanders running around filled the air as the titanic red dragon plowed though the wall as if it was little more than a child’s sand castle against a wave.
The great beast strode through the rubble, his scales glowing with a heat that rivaled the sun radiating from his form. The ponies in the keep rushed about around him, bolts and catapult shots striking futility against his scales, the few pegasi foolhardy enough to attack him directly barely got into range with their weapons before their wings caught fire from the heat of the dragon alone. A sweep of his tail ripped a larger hole in the wall and knocked a number of ponies across the courtyard, their flaming forms crashing into tents and other structures, starting a blazing fires within them adding to the chaos.
Forgescale the Terrible, or the Titan dependent on what side of his anger you were on, roared. The very sound seeming to make the air itself quake in fear and sending a host of Guards ponies into a panic, scattering them to the winds away from him, fear gripping their hearts as they ran. None could stand against him, none could match the raw power he brought to bear. This was what it meant to be a dragon god. Those that tried quickly found out their folly briefly before they found their end.
On a ridge on the other side of the woods a pair of dragons watched the scene as the minions of the Dragon Empire ran through the trees towards the rampaging dragon, they would never make it before the dragon god was finished, but they could aid in the clean up.
“Shards! We've been lashing out at that place for weeks with barely a scrap of ground gained and he shows up and waltz's in like he's knocking over a playing card tower.” A blue dragoness snorts. “ Why are we even fighting, when he can do that?”
“Likely so you can watch his tail while he rips into the castle walls.” The orange scaled dragon sitting next to her chuckles. “Besides he can't do this all the time, if he did he'd walk right into a trap made to take him out like Onyx Wing did.”
“Please do not compare him to that pervert. Onyx Wing got caught because he paused to fuck some pony. He's lucky you saved his tail.”
“I was told to save him, he's useful and even with his oddities he is still one of the Dragon Gods. Why don't you go shake your tail at him, maybe change him back to a proper dragon lover?”
The blue scaled female growls.
“If you weren’t my brother Krisis I’d hand you your own wings for that. You know damn well what power that pile of droppings has over anything with his blood. None of my eggs are going to be any where near that slaver if I can help it. ”
“You mean half brother Starscream, and that would still only be a valid threat if you could beat me. Which you can't.” Krisis smirks getting an annoyed snort from the dragoness next to him.
“At least I fight with honor instead of all that vile skulking about you do.”Starscream grumbles.
“Someone has to do it.” Krisis sighs adjusting one of the ram hide pouches hanging over his chest. “It's a necessary skill, some of us have to gather Intel and preform sabotage in a war. I just happen to be good at it. Forgescale thinks so as well, and are you seriously going to argue with him?”
“Maybe about who gets to be on top.”
“Better hope it's you cause he's four times your size normally. Also. Ugh. I did not need that mental image, don't you have enough egg clutches?”
“Only three...”
“This season.”
“Yeah well it's not like I have to hatch them. It's also not like more young wouldn't be appreciated given how many we've lost.” Starscream mutters.” And it is not as if you would even know which end of the female to stick it in if you had the chance.”
“Whatever and now you're trying your claw for Forgescale hmm? Might fit given how he doesn't seem interested in any one female for long and you don't stay with any one male long. You'll make lovely purple babies if he doesn't squish you.” Krisis grins, ducking a swing of the blue females wing. “ Come on. It's time to go clean up after him, put on your best flirty face Starscream and maybe he'll be happy to mount you in the rubble.”
The orange dragon shrunk down as he dove off the cliff dodging the blast of lightning his half sister shot at him. It would have hurt if it hit as he was only partially immune to the lightning and flame, but she wasn't really aiming at him either, which was good as there was no creature that could fly and fight in the air better than Starscream. On the ground and with time to plan, even if it was only moments nothing stood a chance against him, but he was never as strong a flier as others. So he had to be smarter.
Where he had needed to strangle one of Forgescale's sons to death with his own entrails, her skill, and possibly her loose mating practices, put her rather quickly into the position of Air Commander. The two of them flew over the forest claws brushing the tree tops as they moved towards the larger red dragon who was simply looking around the ruins of the keep below him with some small interest as if wondering if there was anything else to destroy.
The pair of them flew up perching on two sections of the wall that hadn’t been collapsed. Looking around as well for any other trouble.
There was little left of the keep. What wasn't crushed or burning was being swarmed over by the lesser creatures, the dragons conscripted, Orcs, Rams, and the like.
“Did any even try to surrender?” Krisis questions.
“Not to me, no.” Forgescale rumbled. “A number of them fled however so that was good enough. Krisis take some of the minions and scout the buildings you can get into. There is likely some Intel of worth here unless I accidentally burned it all.”
“Of course sir,” Krisis leans to move though he hesitates. “Might I pose a question first?” Krisis asks looking up at the massive dragon.
“Be quick, I do not wish for any of them to mount another attack.” Forgescale grumbles.
“Why are just the three of us out here? I am sure your actual whelps would be eager to give you back up.” Krisis responds.
Forgescale turns looking at the smaller dragon for a moment before a wide grin crosses the titanic dragons features.
“Why do you fight for me Krisis, what is your goal?”
The orange dragon blinks looking up at him in surprise before lowering his head a little one claw reaching up to scratch between his horns.
“To win this war, to end the domination of the ponies that hold sway of the heavens themselves to return them to the rightful owner ship of the strongest who can use them properly without fear of the power being stolen, as it was taken from both the griffon and the ponies before. With the greatest power held by one race the other races would be forced to submit and thus the weaker races would know peace. This is why we don't kill those that surrender or run, they are to be ruled properly and guided, not destroyed.”
“Straight out of the pamphlet. Though by no means incorrect. The griffons have shown that power will easily corrupt them and they will seek only their own gain. The ponies have shown that they are treacherous, spiteful and weak, the Dogs are worse than the griffons and the Zebra's are in no state to rule themselves, let alone anything else.“ Forgescale states, his voice rumbling. “ All of them will fight over nothing because it is their nature unless forced to be peaceful by a stronger force. That is us. Now then what do you think my children would do if they were given power over the sun and the moon. Or the other races without proper guidance?”
“Abuse the power, they seek it for their own ends, it is easy to see they care not for any one but themselves. Most take no prisoners nor do they let those fleeing escape. They seek to destroy and conquer.” Krisis admits. “ There are a few who actual follow the proper doctrine on their own.”
“Indeed. I am sure any of them would willingly slit my throat for a taste of my power. There are scant few I can trust at this point to truly watch my back when I need to work out some kinks. I cannot sit idly by all the time and watch.” Forgescale rumbles. “ There are perhaps three I can trust explicitly and one of those is opposed to my plans, the other practically worships me, and the last is you.”
Krisis blinks a moment looking up at him in surprise only to be distracted by a loud cough and an annoyed look from Starscream still sitting nearby.
“So why am I here then if you don't trust me?” she snaps.
“Ah I do my pretty little gem. While not as much as Krisis, I know what you want and it is something I am not unwilling to give to keep you loyal. “ He reached a claw up tracing it along the blue dragons neck scale, her muzzle turning a bit purple from the blush.
“Ugh, okay can you please not flirt with my sister while I’m here?” Krisis gags.
“Half sister....” Starscream snaps back annoyed at the interruption.
“Hah. Apologies, at any rate the ponies have much to account for. They sealed myself and my eldest son away in Tartarus along with his bride, and when we escaped he was destroyed along with his kingdom by the pair of sisters that rule Equestria now. If they can do that then attacking them directly at their home would be foolish, even as I am they could likely vanquish me and I would never have my vengeance on them or the Night's predecessor. “ Forgescale snarls at the mention of the one who came before Luna. It was not the first time he had focused on who ever it was and it was clear when he thought about that mysterious pony his anger was barely containable. “If one should fall I could easily have the kingdom, but since that is unlikely clearing out their forces until they are forced to surrender is our best option, though it makes for a longer battle.”
“It is said that they are lesser than us, their only worth is as food and slaves....If that is all we have for them I do not think they shall be surrendering any time soon. “ Starscream adds.
“While they are less than us there are a number of them that are quite exceptional, a few I have even trusted with my life, and would again if not for what transpired. Of those I trusted one's betray is a reason for this, and the other is no longer even a pony. Two of them are even sealed away in Canterlot. Prisoners of Stone on display like some sort of trophy in their gardens. With the sisters fall I will see them free and justice paid for their false punishment. For what she has done, misled or not, Celestia is to die.” Forgescale looks down at the orange dragon. “ It sounds if you are having something of a crisis of faith regarding this mission. Has your mother finally gotten to you?”
“No more than usual, it is likely nothing, you know my tendency to over think everything. You have answered my question sir. Thank you.” Krisis nods.
“Do what you believe is right Krisis, I bear your mother no ill will and will agree she raises a number of points for me to consider. She has not seen what I have however and the path I have chosen is the correct one, in time she will see that.” Forgescale grumbles turning away from the two and flapping his wings hard kicking up dust and ash as he lifts off the ground. The massive red dragon god launching into the air his form shrinking slightly as he rose to aid in his flying. It still amazed Krisis that Forgescale could alter his size as he did. The orange dragon knew the ability but he could grow no larger than his normal size, but he could shrink down to the size of a foal if need be, something that most dragons would not even think to do. Still the larger Forgescale got the less maneuverability he had in the air and on the ground, but he got stronger and tougher as a result. Though even his normal form was twice the size of Krisis at his best and was still much larger than his sister.
“Continue your scouting here Krisis ,see if there are any useful documents in the keeps remains. The horde can back you up. Come little gem I’ve worked down my ire and up my appetite.”
“Hope you plan to buy me dinner first.” Starscream grins sticking her tongue out at Krisis as she flies off with Forgescale.
“Lovely. I get the work and my half sister gets to be her usual slut of a self.” Krisis grumbled shouting a few orders for the Orcs and the Rams to start checking for survivors in the outlying ruins. The orange dragon himself moved into the half collapsed, and still burning rubble of what he knew to be the main tower of the keep. Having scouted this place numerous times he was sure he knew where the most important documents would be kept, orders, troop movements, forward plans and the like. He only hoped Forgescale hadn't burned them in his rampage.
Still he had no small swelling of pride to know he had the fire gods trust. But that pride was stymied by the other information he had been given. Forgescale all but admitted most of the teachings were propaganda and were, if not wrong, heavily altered to suit whatever dragon wrote the information. The great dragon had even admitted that he had been bested before by ponies and feared it happening again. That he had been friends with them at one point to feel betrayed enough to seek vengeance. He was unsure who the other friends he spoke of were, save one. He knew of Forgescale's contact with the Sea ponies and their Queen Aqua. It was clear that the mare was unhinged, he claim that the monstrous whale like creature that served her was named Andree and was actually her consort was proof enough of that.
There was clearly something wrong with her. Years ago she had claimed the worlds waters as soly hers, demanding ridiculous tariffs and possession of everything on the land that her waves could wash over, which was every city and town at sea level any where. Given the frighting power she had displayed with this proclamation it was unlikely any could contest her. Forgescale had gone to speak with her and she had relented on her claims outright. That had been the first jump start to Forgescale's rise to power. He had calmed the sea with little more than words.
But that was all in the past, the war was now and it now seemed to Krisis that it was all about revenge. Was there really something more to ponies? Some sort of power that they had that made them as strong if not stronger than the greatest of dragons? He knew he could take Forgescale's words as truth, the dragon god had no reason to lie about his goals. He needed a plan to cope with this worry he had, but what he needed most was more information so he might formulate one. He had to know the truth of the matter. What did Forgescale mean by there were those he had trusted with his life? His eldest son and bride were sealed away and his son destroyed? Why would that happen, when did that happen? As far as Krisis knew his eldest son was a fat snob of a red dragon back in Cindervale trying to drum up war support. Who were the other two sealed in stone at Canterlot that he claimed he could trust with his life? And the one that was no longer a pony?
He knew why the other dragons fought, power, land, control even honor to what ever Dragons Code they had. Forgescale seemed more noble than that before, but was his reason truly little more than revenge? And did knowing that even really change anything?
His mind wandered back to the scroll he had received from his mother, and the mare that made him send the letter in the first place.
His mother had told him to seek her out to ask her why she fought, how she was as strong as she was. Thoughts of his mother, Wisp Wing, bothered him as well. She hated what Forgescale was doing as did a number of others. Why was there such opposition if this was really the true path? Forgescale believed she was wrong, but what if she was not?
He shook his head hard enough for his scales to rattle shrinking down to pony size to fit into the keep's door with a low growl. He was over thinking again. He had a mission to do now, carrying on this line of thinking was pointless until he met the mare again. There was no telling when that might be in the middle of a war like this. She might even be killed before he got a chance negating everything.
It was not like he was just going to trip over her the first time he went out.
Krisis yelps as his fore claw catches on a bit of rubble sending the distracted orange drake tumbling to the floor with a series of curses. Scrambling back to his claws he turned to glare at the rubble he tripped over in his distraction his eyes widening.
“Shards...... you have got to be screwing with me.”
There in the rubble, was a battered, bloodied, but still breathing, earth pony mare he instantly recognized. The one that had started this whole line of thinking that had him questioning Forgescale.
Vermillion Rose.
================================================
That had been two days ago. He had taken the mare and tucked her into one of his pouches secreting her back to the cave in the mountains on the front lines he had claimed as his own. He had tended her wounds as best he could after gaining a book on pony medicine from one of the scribes with some vague excuse about needing it for a mission. He had reported back to Forgescale, having not found any real information before being dismissed. A small bit of time with his half sister had devolved into reminiscing of the size of Forgescale's …. 'dragon hood' and he quickly fled from that conversation as well.
Luckily all of it gave him an excuse to hide himself away for a little while. A secret plan, his sister's bragging, nothing any dragon would think twice about when regarding him. He still had to hide the mare away when Silverclaw paid him a visit from time to time for practice with his own size changing abilities, but Krisis was left alone other wise.
In his panic he wrote his mother again explaining what had happened, binding it with a spell that would cause it to detonate if any one other than her tried to open it. He regretted taking such a precaution as it was costly and to any one who looked simply screamed out something was important with the letter.
In the end until he received a letter back all he could do was wait for the mare to wake up so he could talk to her.
His gaze fell to the armor and the sword she had on her that he had brought with her. Such a weapon was rare even during the war.
It was forged by a draconic traitor for the Ponies....... or perhaps one who simply wanted to help them save themselves. He knew nothing about the weapons, only that they often broke when the wielder was killed and even when they did not, they became far to fragile to ever be used again. It would be something else he wanted to ask her about.
But here was a mare who had fought him to a standstill wielding one of these blades. Was this the source of her power, her strength? Or was she given the weapon because of the strength and power she had?
He drew the blade looking it over as it shimmered in the faint fire light of his cave. There was only one thing he was sure of, his life was not likely to be the same after this. Whether he was caught with the mare in his possession or not.
[ New Canterlot, [Redacted] ANMM, 5 years after the War of the Gods]
On [Redacted] of [Redacted], the event known here after known as ' The Noodle Incident' took place.
The parties involved [Redacted] ,[Redacted], [Redacted], and [Redacted] while participating in a Spaghetti luncheon for [Redacted] some how [Redacted] [Redacted][Redacted][Redacted] with [Redacted] and a [Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted][Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted]
[Redacted] and [Redacted] and [Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted] with [Redacted][Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted]
Thus concludes the full report. Signed [ Redacted ]
Royal Council Amediums
Amendium note 1 “Wow. I haven't seen this much red since Jer got a hold of that last stallion who got too grabby with Orange.” Statement made by Redric Pelt. Chief adviser of Equestrian Rulers
Amendium note 2 “What the crap is the point of having a sealed document on the incident , if the document doesn't have anything in it?” Statement made by Jer'rahd Kaisur Chief Military adviser and consort of Princess Luna
Amendium note 3 “Given the nature of the document and how easily it would be for a repeat of the incident, it's better to bury it all in red tape.” Statement made by Princess Luna, Co-ruler of Equestria
Amendium note 4 “I don't like the idea of hiding information.” Statement made by Twilight Sparkle. Chef adviser and consort of Princess Celestia
Amendium note 5 “Does any one else have anything to say before we close this thing for good? Statement made by Rhederic Pelt. Chief adviser of Equestrian Rulers
Amendium note 6 “ I do. My sister and her colt friend are freaks. Still Jerri and Artimas would be cute names.” Statement made by Princess Celestia, Co-ruler of Equestria.
Amendium note 7 “Oh please, don't tell me that if you and Twilight's genders were reversed you wouldn't try it at least once while you had the chance.” Statement made by Princess Luna , Co-ruler of Equestria.
Amendium note 8 “ Sure maybe if I hadn't been enlarged to nearly a story tall and Princess Celestia hadn't been shrunk to the size of a toy. But that doesn't excuse the pair of you running off to the bedroom the moment the idea to try it out came to you. It was a crisis!” Statement made by Twilight Sparkle. Chef adviser and consort of Princess Celestia.
Amendium note 9 “ A toy? Kinky.” Statement made by Rhederic Pelt. Chief adviser of Equestrian Rulers
Amendium note 10 “Don't even go there Pelt. You know what happened to my friends and even Discord because of this. I spent two hours trying to calm down the God of Chaos because Pinkie Pie was turned into a Chinchilla!” Statement made by Twilight Sparkle. Chef adviser and consort of Princess Celestia.
Amendium note 11 " Pffft jealous. Besides you had it all under control." Statement made by Princess Luna , Co-ruler of Equestria.
Amendium note 12 "How was every pony running around in a panic considered ' under control sister?" Statement made by Princess Celestia, Co-ruler of Equestria.
Amendium note 13 “For the love of the stars! What part of 'this is a sealed and secretive document do you ponies not understand. Why not just amend the whole damn story about the gargantuan monster made of spaghetti noodles and the fact we nearly lost all of Equss to.......... Sparkle..... why is your pen writing by itself...?” Statement made by Jer'rahd Kaisur Chief Military adviser and consort of Princess Luna
Amendium note 14
“It's a new spell I developed for my research, with Spike no longer my assistant I needed a way to record everything...... oh..... right.... I'll turn it off.”
Statement made by Twilight Sparkle. Chef adviser and consort of Princess Celestia.
[ Badly hoof written Amendium 15]
“New rule, no automatic recording devices are to be used when dealing with any documents involving a sealed class or in discussion of anything above a 2 PDR [ Potential Disaster Rating.]
Statement written by Jer'rahd Kaisur Chief Military adviser and consort of Princess Luna.
[Three years before the events of MLP FIM episode 1 ]
Greetings Princess Cadence.
Of all the ponies I ever expected to get a letter from I would honestly say you were not very high on that list. Just above Fluer de Lis to be honest. Still after reading your letter I can understand why you wanted my side of things. Those old Guard reports can get tedious and technical and trying to get anything out of Moskau is like pulling teeth on a live cragodile that just ate some one who disagreed with him.
Please forgive the lack of any formal address or the some what rambling nature of this letter. I retired six years ago, I’m old, and after forty years of bowing to it, protocol can bite my metal plated flank.
Still onto the subject at hoof. You want to know about Lt Lyra Heartstrings or what ever rank she has now? I assume you read the official report of her encounter in the Everfree and you would like to know more? Well really there isn't that much more to tell. Still my foals are in school and my wife went out shopping so I’ve nothing better to do this morning than write out what happened. But since this isn't an official report, it might be colored a little by what I saw and what I’ve had time to ponder since I retired.
I'm not sure your interest in the mare, but given your station and the official document from Princess Celestia that asked me to cooperate with your questioning I suppose I don't need to know and personally I probably wouldn't want to any way.
I suppose I should begin at the beginning, or at least the first time I met her.
PFC Heartstrings [ That's Private First class if you are unaware, it means she's just a step above Cadet, but still as green as a fresh picked sprig of broccoli, ] was not well liked when she first was placed in the Six Sixty Sixth division. Moskau hated green recruits, the only ponies who ever made it into the Monster Hunters had been in the Guard for a while already and had shown that they could handle themselves. The only time we got cadets out of basic was when our numbers were too low.
We were at that point. Princess Celestia had stepped up patrols in the Everfree forest particularly around the old ruins there. Clearing that place out alone had cost us a number of Hunters due to injuries and fatalities. That's the way of it, no one stays in the Six Sixty Sixth long. Very few, like myself and my wife make it to retirement. Most get a heartfelt apology delivered to their families along with a folded flag.
Still the job is necessary.
As such we got in about twenty rookies, Heartstrings among them. Right away we started weeding out the weak and the useless. It may sound cruel to you, but out in the field, hunting down things that like eating ponies for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, weak and useless are liabilities and can get more than just the ponies that display those attributes killed.
Heartstrings was thankfully stubborn. She was one of the eight that remained after our hazing and extra training. Still, with no field experience she was still disliked and often treated like a servant by the others. Again think of it how you will, but that's just how things were done, if the cadets could survive what we did to them, then they could survive what happened in field. After they made it through one mission we slacked off and actually started to accept them. But that first hunt was always the most unnerving for the older members of a Squad, because no one knew which way the rookie would go.
The surviving Cadets were split up among the Squads with Heartstrings being placed in my squad, 'Tartarus's Angels', don't ask what it meant , it sounded cool and that's why I chose it. The squad consisted of six members plus Heartstrings.
There was myself, at the time I was known as First Sergeant Ashen Fury. Before you ask yes I am related to Guard Captain Nicker Fury, that old goats my father, he's one of the reasons I joined the six sixty sixth, to get out from under his hoof. I specialized in tracking and demolitions. If you needed something to be found and then blown into a million little bits, I was your Earth pony.
My second in command was Sergeant Sandy Reed. She was our teams magic expert, being the only unicorn in the squad. To be honest I’m not sure how she put up with me as long as she did. Though since we retired that mare has been doing her damnedest to make me pay for all the times she followed my orders. I try to tell her to do something now and she's just as likely to beat me with a rolling pin as to look at me. Still she put up with me long enough to bare three foals with me. I must be doing something right.
The next two were the twins, even to this day I’m not sure I could tell them apart. Both of them pegasi both of them exactly down to the last red strand of their mane. They were also a bit spooky at times as they liked to finish each others sentences. Probably to screw with us, both of them were jokers. Corporals Fredrick, and Jeorhge Weasel. They were our heavy hitters and ranged support, barely a serious bone in their bodies but they fought better than any one else I've seen. They should have been Wonderbolts, but they preferred actual duty. Fredrick was our medic too, though he only had just above basic first aid. Still he knew enough to keep us alive until a real docs got there.
The next one was our odd mare out, particularly since she wasn't a mare. There's few Cows in Equestria, and fewer still Minotaurs. And I can count on one hoof how many of either of those I’ve seen in the Guard. Corporal Babe Ring, also nicknamed the Laughing Cow due to her inability to understand a joke, but to laugh any way, was our pig mare.
Okay hold on, I figure you might not get that. A Pig Mare or a Pig Stallion are what we call the heavy weapons member of the squad. In her case she had a portable balista that she carried around with her, a massive ax that likely weighed as much as both the twins, and more bolts for that beast than any of us could carry normal bolts.
Evidently she was a oddity for her kind as well, she was massive, I'm talking large enough that she could look down at the Princess. She had this odd blue coloration to her fur as well that she often dyed just so she wouldn't stand out on a mission. Claimed she used to be a lumber jack, pretty sure she went back to doing that when she left the Guard.
The final member of the squad was Corporal Belkin Fi. He was a small earth pony that was our scout, communications, and information specialist. He was also the youngest and the smallest of the group before Heartstrings came along , then he was just the smallest.
Heartstrings didn't fit in much at all. Not only did she have little idea of what we did, she also was still quoting the rule book on things that no one gave a rats flank about.
Stuff like that will eat away at an experienced Guard. By the book if fine in theory, but no plan, theory, or book learning will help you when the shit hits the fan.
Heartstrings had one more advantage to her aside from being stubborn. She was as chipper and upbeat as they come. Yelling at her for something felt like you were screaming at a puppy and not even the most demented of us could do that too often. Still all of us were expecting that nature of hers to be the first casualty of her first hunt. Monster hunting has a tendency to beat down a pony until all that's left is a lot of scars and a dark sense of humor. The only ones that remain all smiles tend to be the ones that went nuts and need to be wearing jackets that allow them to hug themselves.
We're a real hoot at parties.......
Wasn't long before we were sent out again. There were reports of a large reptile attacking various settlements along the border of the Everfree. There had already been a few deaths near Ponyville and few more missing along the road to Las Pegasus. One of our guard posts along the road was also destroyed and a few snake scales were left behind. It was mostly damage and we couldn't confirm that the missing ponies were killed by that particular monster.
Still something in the Everfree kills a couple of ponies on their own land and we get sent in to make sure it didn't get a second course.
Our first stop was the farm, a place called Sweet Apple Acres. Spoke with a mare there by the name of Granny Smith. Tough mare, the victims were her son and daughter in law. Their son was barely into his early teens at best, the next youngest was maybe seven. The third was a infant maybe only a few months old at best
The snake had evidently been going after the youngest two when the parents interfered. They managed to drive it off with farm implements, but the mother had her neck broken by the snakes attack and the father received several bites and succumbed to blood loss and the poison.
The daughters were both fine, though the elder one a one, Applejack I think, likely will need some therapy seeing her parents killed like that. Heartstrings was only a few years older than the colt and this hit her pretty hard. It was pretty easy to tell she wasn't expecting something like this. She seemed nervous and skittish since she heard what we were up against. The rest of us simply offered our condolences and told Granny Smith that we would take care of the monster before it could hurt any one else.
The creatures trail was surprisingly difficult to follow. For something of that size to move through the Everfree like it did was worrying and had the lot of us on guard the entire trip jumping at any hint of movement. Nothing came at us of course, which again was odd, just a short trip into the forest would likely have us encounter a maticore or a bug bear. Buck we never even heard a Timber wolf howl. It was like the rest of the forests predators were staying far away from the snakes trail as they could.
After the first day we found the remains of a dragon. It wasn't a big dragon mind you, as in it was only a little bigger than Babe, but even at that size a dragon is still a threat to anything any where. Now all that was left of it was some snake vomit. Snakes tend to barf up what they cant digest, bones, horns scales and the like, And that's all that was left of this dragon. It was still warm and gooey when we found it, so the snake must have just coughed it up. We were at least on the right trail.
That was something to consider too if it had just eaten a dragon, why had it attacked a farm?It couldn't have still be hungry. The fact it was willing to go after ponies even when not hungry made it all the more urgent that we found it. A monster like that was just killing because it could, not cause it was hungry. Belkin called the information in and we were told to keep tracking it, but they were sending another squad as back up the information we had gathered.
Another few hours into the forest and that's when things hit the fan hard.
Seems the creature had realized it was being tracked and doubled back. Our marching order put me and Babe in front, with Sandy in the rear. The twins were flanked out on either side with Heart Strings and Belkin in the middle with the most gear.
The snake hit Belkin first.
One second he was there still relaying our location on the com, the next there was a rustle of leaves and a massive head hitting the ground, then both the head and he were gone in an eye blink. Those of us in front hadn't even seen it happen, the twins missed it too. Sandy and Heartstrings had been the only ones to witness the last moments of Belkin's existence.
Babe had whipped around at the first cry of panic from Heartstrings, the cow had evidently glimpsed the thing yanking back up into the trees above us because she suddenly let loose with her balista loading it and firing again faster than most ponies can say 'reload' Sandy started flinging spells and the twins started tossing out those little blades of theirs while a few of my smaller bombs lit up the forest.
After about a minute of a display of fire power that even a artillery commander would call excessive, we finally stopped firing having cleared a swath of forest that would have given a logging company executive a hard on.
My apologies for that analogy Princess, forgot who I was writing too.
Heartstrings was freaking out and to be honest I felt like doing the same thing. We were standing in a clearing, our com pony gone and we didn't seem to have hit anything at all with that scorched earth attempt. The whole forest was shredded around and above us, there was no snake, no Belkin , and not even a drop of blood to say we had hit the damn thing.
I was on the verge of scrubbing the mission right there. Pulling back and waiting for reinforcement, this thing had ambushed us and vanished without a trace after nabbing Belkin. Let me tell you something Princess before that point in time I could track a albatross across the open sea four days later with a hurricane crossing between. And I couldn't even find a depression in the dirt that we didn't make ourselves.
No one would have liked the order, that thing just grabbed one of our own and every one was mad. Common sense should have told me how bad that was. Anger may a great fuel to keep one focused, but it also makes one reckless.
The decision was taken from me by Heartstrings. Some how the mare managed to calm herself down from what ever fearful panic had gripped her. She suggested that she and Sandy try and focus a location spell on the com box. Even if the device was destroyed, the fragments of the crystal would still be broadcasting on a track-able frequency for a few hours. Now I’m just an old earth pony, never paid much attention to magic unless the wife's using it, but even now I’ve never heard of any one being able to do that and when I asked her about it later she said it was just something she heard from a friend of hers.
Turns out if you know the frequency, you can indeed track a com box with magic.
Since Sandy knew the com frequency she tried it out and sure enough she found it. Given we had a time limit now and every one was still ready to waste this thing we continued after it following Sandy's lead this time.
It didn't take us long to find it again. We had just reached a rocky river bank when Sandy called out a halt. Her scan showed it was no longer moving and was very close to us. Given we were all on a pebble strewn beach with no trees above us for it to drop out of our focus turned mostly to the river itself. Sandy couldn't pin down it's exact location so the six of us kept our eyes peeled.
Damn thing still got the jump on us.
The ground exploded underneath Babe flinging her sky ward as the snake burst out from the beach underneath us with barely a tremor felt by any one.
Did some studying later to find out what this thing was. Seem the beast had come out of the mountains along our border with the Diamond Dogs and was a relative of the Tazel worm called a Tunnel Snake. The things are primarily ambush predators and are smart enough to set up multiple ambush points along a given area. They also dig faster than a Diamond dog on a sugar high. They don't normally get as big as this one , but it's not unheard of. They also don't have any natural predators, so in their mountain homes, Tunnel snakes rule.
Now back to the forest. I'm not sure if you have ever tried to lift a full grown Cow that's built like a brick shit house, but I’ve seen babe get on a three masted sailing ship and sink the thing by at least three apples. This snake tossed her in the air like a feather, and when she came down she hit the ground HARD. If you've never heard the wet splat of flesh and bone hitting rock Princess, I envy you.
Still we were all on the thing before it had finished it's first attack. The twins daggers bounced off it's scales and Sandy's bolts didn't seem to be doing anything either. Heartstrings had frozen again, her eyes wide, her spear gripped in her mouth.
I shouted at her to move as I readied a bomb, only for the things tail to smash into before I got the fuse lit, me flinging me into the river. The impact broke four of my ribs and being skipped across the water like a stone not only ruined nearly all my bombs but hitting the beach on the other side peeled off a good portion of fur and skin on my left side, and that was before by back leg got splintered when I came to a sudden stop against a bolder on the far side of the river.
The rest of it was a bit of a haze for me. I know one of the twins got bit in half and the other lost a wing and nearly collapsed from the poison. Sandy lasted a bit longer though she took a nasty bite on her foreleg that she still claims she can feel today.
I was up enough to see Sandy get bit, the snake whipped her about like a dog with a toy before it let go and she went flying to crash into the wood line.
I thought that was the end of us.
Then I heard Heartstrings scream, I wrote her off then. Clever as she was, this thing had taken out a full squad with out any sign of even a scratch on it. My squad too, we had the highest kill counts on Hydra in the Six Sixty Sixth.
I wanted to yell out at her to run, I tried to, at least some one should get out of here, but I couldn't even manage that with my ribs stabbing into my lungs.
Here's where it got weird. The screaming didn't stop. It just got louder and angrier sounding. I managed to roll myself up a little to lift my head and look across the river. Heartstrings was standing there, raised up on her back hooves with her weapon balanced on her fore hooves. Weirdest freaking pose I’ve ever seen, looked like something a show mare would do. It wasn't as if her rearing up was to make her look more intimidating to the snake, because that was clearly not working with how it was attacking her.
The snake was striking at her repeatedly, it seemed to blur with each strike.
And the crazy mare was BLOCKING EVERY SHOT!
This thing threw Babe into the air high as the Manterhorn and this unicorn mare was denying it with a strange ass stance with a Guard issued spear. Nothing against the Guard blacksmiths..... okay I take that back, the fools suck, most Hunters go out and buy their own equipment from smiths they trust the first time they are able.
The snake wasn't letting up either, it kept lashing out and she kept deflecting it, her horn was glowing though her weapon barely left her hooves so I have no clue what she was doing. I was told later she had put a shield around her weapon increasing the damage and durability of the weapon. Something else I had never heard of. She never did explain the crazy ass stance.
The last thing I recall before I blacked out a moment was the snake trying to pull back and Lyra rushing after it.
Dunno how long I was out , but I woke to Sandy working on patching me up. She had a bandage around her leg and looked like shit, but she was still the prettiest thing I thought I had ever seen at that moment. Likely how I wound up marrying her. Best, worst decision of my life there.
Any way some how I was back on the other side of the river and had a number of bandages wrapped around my torso. Fredrick, I think, was wrapped up too, though he was hobbling he had his brothers remains wrapped up and he was carrying them. I spotted Heartstrings next, soaked in blood and wrapping Babe up like a mummy.
Then Sandy pointed behind me. I will never ever forget that sight.
As I turned the only thing I saw was red. The trees, the grass, the rocks, the beach as far as I could see was blood red, even the river flowed a bright crimson.
What was left of the massive snake lay over the top of a dead tree, impaled in the branches. It's head lay at the foot of the tree, it's eyes missing and one of it's fangs broken. The creature had been gutted and what looked like skinned in a wide swath.
The bundle of skin lay nearby, wrapping something up inside it, Sandy said it was what was left of Belkin. Another large patch of snake skin was resting on the twins back, holding the remains of his brother.
Heartstrings spoke up , said we had to leave as the smell of the dead snake would attract more monsters. The mare didn't even look injured, barely seemed phased, but her eyes were dulled a little. I knew the look, all the recruits had it after and during their first battle. There wouldn't be a damn pony who thought her a rookie after this.
Given the fact that maybe two members of the group could even walk I told her to run out and meet up with the reinforcements. She ignored me outright. Her horn glowed brightly and damned if she didn't lift the lot of us up and start marching along the river. The damn unicorn even picked up Belkin's body and the twins despite protests from Fredrick that he could walk on his own.
She marched the lot of us out of the forest on her own with out pause to rest or even letting any of us drop even a bit from where she floated us. I've never seen a unicorn who could hold as much weight as that. Babe alone would have given Princess Celestia a hernia.
She wasn't going fast, barely a normal walking pace and I fully expected every monster in the Everfree to come after us. Four wounded, two dead, and one soaked in blood? Every damn creature withing leagues should have been chasing us.
We didn't even see a carrion bird circling overhead.
She stepped out of the forest just as the sun was setting, nearly walking right into our reinforcements. She didn't even notice them at first and through the group and was gonna keep going until Moskau got in front of her. I couldn't hear what the Guard Captain said, but Heartstrings simply stopped, set us all down gentle as you please, saluted Moskau ,reported the mission a success, and collapsed where she stood.
Aside from the one twin and Belkin we all survived. Granted with Babe and Fredrick's, I think it was Fredrick he never said, injuries they were forced to retire early. I switched to a desk job for a while before Sandy and I retired, with my injuries I needed a metal plate and some other inner armor on my back leg so my fighting days were over.
Heartstrings went on to do a number of more missions before I left, racking up a impressive number of notches on her spear.
I never really talked to her again, save once or twice when she came to see me and once when we threw her a party for her promotion to Squad leader. Honestly she didn't seem much changed from the oddly chipper recruit that had come out with us.
We gave her a gift as well. There was enough of the snake skin we brought back so the group of us chipped in and had it made into custom Guard armor. She seemed happy with it, but that was the last time I’ve really seen any of the old unit aside from Sandy. I've no clue what she's doing now , though I get letters from Babe every so often. Fredrick didn't take too well to the loss of his brother, last I heard he had moved back home and opened a shop or something.
So that's the report Princess. I'm not sure what you want with Heartstrings, but I’m pretty damn sure the mare can do anything you tell her too and better than any one else.
Now if you'll excuse me all of these old memories have got me a bit depressed, I’m gonna go spoil the foals a bit.
From the desk of First Sergeant [Retired] Ashen Fury
Princess Cadence set down letter, looking across her desk at the lime green unicorn sitting there, and couldn't help but offer a small smile. Lyra Heartstrings record was exemplary, there were a few notes here and there for some minor infractions, but none of them were worth note, as they were simply things that the Guard liked to complain about, so they would have something to complain about.
“Miss Heartstrings, do you know why I asked you here today?” Cadence questioned.
“No princess.” Lyra stated, sitting stiffly in the couch her forelegs in her lap. An odd position if Cadence had eve seen one, but she seemed comfortable, if nervous. Despite Cadence's suggestion to relax.
“I've received word that you are looking to transfer out of the six sixty sixth. Would you care to tell me why?”
Lyra swallowed a little before she exhaled. “ The post keeps me moving around and I’m trying to stay put, in or near Canterlot. A lot of my friends from school are here and I lost touch with a number of them, plus.....”
Cadence raised a brow though she could feel the brief wave of love the mare put out. Still she didn't buy it entirely. Still the dopey look she took was a dead give away as well that there was some one Lyra liked. Cadence could easily tell that, she she expected there was more.
“Is that all?” Cadence raised an eyebrow.
Lyra's expression fell as she looked away from Cadence.
“I've seen enough of this. Every season there's something new coming out of the woods and I see ponies suffer for it first hoof. I can't deal with that any more.”
“Really, but it seems you've helped a lot of ponies....” Cadence stated.
“And seen three times that number maimed and injured. I'm head of a squad now, have been for two years I’ve had a completely new group four times now. Yeah I might be helping ponies in the long run, but some of the things we get sent after don't even care about ponies and don't bother them, yet their deemed a threat and once confronted they become one. There's been no reason I can see to clear all those monsters out from around the old castle of the two sisters but we've been doing that for months now.” Lyra sighed.” I'm sorry but I’m tired of it. I enjoy being a Guard, but.... I’ve had enough of this....”
Cadence nodded, she had Lyra's latest mental evaluation and the doctor had noted high levels of combat fatigue from the mare. Given that anytime there was something to be dealt with they sent Lyra's squad out after it, the poor mare had been in the field nearly the entire three years she had been in the Guard. A victim of being too good at what she did it seemed.
“I see. Would you care to continue as a Guard, but not with the monster hunters?” Cadence asked.
“I've tried a transfer, but it's been shot down every time.” Lyra grumbled. “ They probably won't let me out until I lose a leg or something.
“If I asked they wouldn't stop it.”
“Really?!” Lyra perked up rather suddenly, surprising Cadence though her ears flattened as she narrowed her eyes at the Princess.”Wait, what's the catch?”
Cadence smiled. “You would be transferred to the Royal Guard and under go a few weeks of training here in Canterlot. Auntie Celestia has given me a new task since my old one of keeping an eye on her student is no longer necessary. The catch is that I’m going to be sent as an ambassador to speak with a number of other nations and I’m going to need my own small Guard detail. I've already chosen a few members of the team including Captain Shining Armor, Sergeant Minuette, Lieutenant Spitfire, and Staff Sergeant Twinkle Shine, the detail is only to be composed of five ponies and I want you to be the fifth.”
“The youngest unicorn ever to make Captain, a magical prodigy, a flier who made the Wonderbolts before she was old enough to be considered an adult, a known investigator for the crown, and then me? One of these things is not like the other Princess.” Lyra mutters.
“I've read your file Lyra. I've spoken with many of your old squad members and I received a letter from Ashen Fury himself. You've done things many thought and still think are impossible. While I admit that the team seems rather fantastical, we are not exactly on the best terms with a number of nations that I will be traveling to. It will be my job to fix that issue, and while I am not expecting trouble, Auntie Celestia practically ordered me to find the best Guards I could. She's been rather distracted the last few years. This was dropped on me rather suddenly as well. Still the mission is only supposed to last two years and it will be at least a year or a little more before we are ready to get underway. That should give you plenty of time to see your friends before we ship out.”
“I hope she'll understand.” Muttered Lyra.
“Who will?” Cadence questioned.
“No one just... don't worry about it.....” Lyra sighed. Bon Bon vanished for her job a lot too but trying to be Equss's best confectionery she had to go study in lots of places. Lyra hadn't told her she was a Guard, let alone she was a Hunter, she didn't want her to worry.
“Alright Lyra, but the question still remains, will you accept my offer?”
“Alright Princess. I guess I’m on board.” Lyra sighed.
“Thank you Lyra .. and please Call me Cadence.” Cadence smiled.
[ Three weeks after the capture of Sergeant Vermillion Rose of the 42nd Division of the Equestrian Guard.]
The dragon clutched his nose, cursing into his claws and she though she could see a little blood from her kick. Vermillion Rose smirked despite herself. That kick had hurt her likely as much as it had him with how how hard her rear hoof hit his face. Still she was quite thrilled to be causing her captor pain.
“What the shard did you do that for?” Krisis hissed.
“I told you to keep your claws off me wyrm. And I meant that.” Vermillion hissed back.
“And I told you I’m trying to change your bandages so you're not soaked in your own blood.”
“I'm barely even bleeding any more unless you open the bucking wounds by fiddling with the bandages.” Vermillion snorted. “Besides you were planning to put that gunk on me and I will not be marinaded to add flavor when you finally try to eat me!”
“I can smell the blood and if I can so can every other dragon.” Krisis hissed.” And it's not marinade it's the blasted herbs you told me to mix to try and treat your wounds!”
“ A likely story.”
Krisis threw his claws in the air and stormed off to the other side of the cave grumbling to himself leaving Vermillion to revel in her scant victory.
This was sadly counted as a civil exchange.
==============================================
This had been a rough two weeks. The first few days had been her trying to kill the dragon and then passing out from her injuries. The few days after that she had done her best to try and escape. The only thing she had managed to do was panic the dragon and find out she was in the middle of a massive series of caves the Dragon forces were using as a main base.
The location of this place was already known, though it was deep enough in dragon territory that the Guard couldn't get to it. Given her injuries Vermillion was quite sure she would never make it out of here alive, though she'd be damned to Tartarus if she didn't take as many of the bastards with her as she could before she went. Starting with this stupid orange one.
For a while after that she went back to trying to kill Krisis, usually failing due to her injuries. Granted the dragon surprised her a few times with what he could do and her injuries only played a part in her defeat. She never expected he could shrink smaller than her, nor change the very colors of his scales to blend into the wall or blind her with super reflective scales and a bit of his own fire.
Currently she was residing in a small room off to the side of the main cave, one that was sealed with a large rock and normally hidden from view. She wasn't sure why she was hidden away, nor was she certain where her sword was or even if he brought it with her when she was captured.
Why she was here was mystery as well. The creature showed no interest in eating her, so despite her taunting, that was out. It didn't seem to want her for anything lewd, she had heard horror stories and seen the aftermath of a Black dragon doing just that. Information seemed to be the only thing he was after, but when he asked questions, they were not the sort that she could see helping the dragons out . He didn't ask about troop movements, important locations, nothing like that at all. In fact he had only asked her one question, but he asked it more often than she was comfortable with.
'Why do you fight?'
Her first answers had been little more than her name, rank, and Guard number. A common response, one they were trained to give out. Though as he continued to ask the question every few days she came up with other answers or simply didn't speak.
She wasn't sure what the goal was, particularly since he was going to all the trouble he could to keep her existence a secret from every other dragon that came by.
This had led to a few almost comical situations where she had tried to escape, and he caught her and tried to hide her. Once he even hid her inside his mouth. She had kicked out a couple of his teeth in that episode and yet some how he managed to get her back to his cave without the other dragons being any wiser despite now missing a few fangs.
Granted it wasn't funny at the time because she thought he was finally trying to eat her and she'd be damned if she went down easy.
He finally seemed sated with an answer she gave at one point, at least enough to change the question a little. It was pretty obvious why Ponies fought. A enemy force was taking their land, killing indiscriminately, and advancing into their territory with vile intent. The only options were to fight or to be overwhelmed.
' That doesn't seem right.' He had stated. ' The concept is sound, but you are far weaker than us and you are still holding your ground in some conflicts. '
She had kicked him in the face then too, demanding to know how weak that felt while he rolled around on the floor clutching a bloody nose. Granted she had pulled open a few of her wounds with the kick and then and passed out not long after. She hadn't expected to wake up again, but she had and her wounds had been treated.
This dragon was confusing the fool out of her. Krisis was well known in Equestria as a massive threat. He had a rather sizable bounty on him and a promise of at least two jumps in rank to the pony who took him down, as well as over a million bit bonus from private organizations that suffered from his actions.. She herself had been promoted to sergeant far sooner than she should have been just by keeping him from advancing in one battle. They tried to make her a national hero for that and she fought the brass as hard as she fought Krisis to stay in the field.
And look where that got her.
Still, she could see that the Dragons were not as horrid as they seemed. Rummaging though the stuff he kept in the little secret room she found a few letters. Rather than show her anything that she might use against the dragons, it seemed to be a correspondence between Krisis and his mother. Krisis didn't seem to think she understood Dragon, though it was something they taught you before they gave you a Dragon Slayer blade and she had studied the written language as well.
The blades granted powers wouldn't work unless you spoke some dragon. Of course she hadn't had a chance to use them as anything more than a Moonlight spell to see with and a few of the sharpening and physical boost spells. None of them were very potent and only added a little to the strength and durability she already had, but against Dragons every little bit helped.
Still the letter told her a few things, most of them rather surprising. Starscream was related to Krisis. The air commander had a rather impressive bounty on her as well so it wasn't that much of a surprise to find two of the most wanted Dragon's were related.
The most important thing however was that Krisis was having doubts about Forgescale. That she was the cause of it surprised her more than anything else however. Rereading the letter gave her quite a bit to think about. It also made her rather worried. If Krisis got the answer he was seeking what would happen to her?
Perhaps she could make him doubt even further. Perhaps turn him against Forgescale even. It was a long shot, but if she could play on his doubts maybe she could convince him. It wasn't as if she could do much else with her wounds.
The next time he spoke to her she was more ready for him. She doubted he knew that she read the letters. Given that he kept them and her in a section of his cave that was hidden by a rock , it was fairly clear he was afraid of any one finding them as well.
'Why do you continue to fight?' He asked, the line much the same as always, though his expression showed he was getting to a point he didn't expect an answer.
“Why do you attack us?” she demanded back.
=================================
Krisis paused at that. She actually answered with something new. Granted it was a question of her own, but still. Maybe this was progress.
“To win this pointless war....“
“Which you started.”
“To end the domination of the ponies that hold sway of the heavens themselves to return them to the rightful owner ship to the strongest who can use them properly without fear of the power being stolen.
“Yes because surely you greedy lizards would use that power properly. And I’m sure that Princess Celestia hasn't let the sun rise on your empire since the war began... OH WAIT... it has. Such a problem....”
“It was taken from both the Griffons and the Ponies before. With the greatest power held by one race the other races would be forced to submit and thus the weaker races would know peace. This is why we don't kill those that surrender or run, they are to be ruled properly and guided, not destroyed.” ” Krisis began.
“Killing others is not a way to protect them.” Vermillion stated. “Neither is enslaving them. And I’ve seen what was left of some of those that surrendered. We had to identify their remains by their dental records.”
“Neither is betraying those who are there to protect you.” Krisis stated flatly. “ Forgescale was betrayed by your ruler and her predecessor. He was sealed away in a hell along with his son and his daughter in law. He and his son managed to escape only to find that your ruler had hunted down and destroyed one of his friends while he was gone.”
“How would he know this if he was sealed away?” Vermillion asked suddenly curious about this bit of lore.
“He learned all of this from the Sea Queen whom he shared a past with as well. His son returned to reclaim his homeland so that he could work to free his wife and your rulers attacked and killed him. Yet in all this Forgescale is still only seeking justice. He only seeks to destroy your corrupt rulers and bring about an era of peace under Dragon rule where we can protect those weaker than us.”
“And to do that you will burn farmland and starve thousands, destroy villages that have nothing to do with the war, and collect mares to try and breed for some sick fetishes....” Vermillion grumbles. “ And I would suggest you not say those were isolated incidents because I know full well that Onyx Wing is still in Forgescale's inner circle and I have seen the liberated camps of others who do the same as him.”
Krisis said nothing but exhaled softly.
“It sounds like victor's logic.” Vermillion stated finally.
“What?”
“That story. It sounds like victors logic. Or in this case losers. First off if the Princess could seal him away in Tartarus why are we having a war at all? “ Vermillion commented.
“Because he is prepared for them now. He was betrayed before so it was most likely he was not expecting the attack that sealed him away.” Krisis stated.
“Alright I can buy that, now what about his son, as far as I know the Princesses have only gone out once before the war began to deal with a issue. There's a big deal back home about why they haven’t done it this time. And that last time was in the far North only about sixty years ago.”
“That seems approximately the time his son was rumored to have been killed, it must have been then that the deed was done.”
Vermillion's ears flatten and Krisis swore he heard her growl.
“The Crystal Empire? There was no Dragon in the Crystal Empire. Just a mad stallion who enslaved every pony and worked them nearly to death in the mines. The Princesses went to rescue those that Sombra enslaved and the damn unicorn wiped the whole city off the map, locking it away in time the moment he started to lose!”
“Sombra......? I have heard him use that name before... just once...” Krisis muttered.
“My mother was a filly when she was forced to flee from her home. But she and my grandmother both remember how it was. Ponies were being starved to death, tortured for no reason or outright killed at that mad stallions whim. He kept the whole country locked in an endless ice storm that only the Princesses managed to get past and then in the end he doomed every one there to share his fate. My grandmother cried herself to sleep until she the day she died because she lost my grandfather, Briar Rose, to that monster. If that thing was the son of Forgescale then we know two things now. One Forgescale is an asshole, and two this whole story reeks of hypocrisy. It looks more like a jealous spat with a ex mare friend than a revenge tale.”
“What? How do you figure?” Krisis stammered.
“Sombra was a unicorn we have a ton of records proving this as well as a few survivors that saw him. There's no way that power mad monster would have hidden in the body of a unicorn to torture ponies if he could have been a dragon. Which means if that thing was Forgescale's son he must have had an affair with a pony. Given his fixation on the Princesses it must have been one of them, or more likely that predecessor you mentioned.”
Krisis sighed sitting back on his tail thinking over her words.
“I'm a descendant of the Crystal Empire, one of the most horrific events in Equestrian history until this damn war of yours started. You want to know why I fight? Because there are those that cannot and I’ll be dammed if i let them suffer as my grandparents and mother did because some one who thinks they are stronger claims to know better. And now that I know that monster was the son of this monster, I’m only going to fight that much harder to destroy you all.”Vermillion snarled.
Krisis looked down at her watching the mare for a time as she met his gaze with her own green eyed glare.
“I need to think on this. “ Krisis said finally stepping back to close the rock again, leaving her in the small darkness of the hidden cave seething.
Krisis sat on the cliff ledge, looking out over northern expanse as the sun set. The golden glow reflecting off the snow capped mountains and the lengths of plains below him. He wondered briefly if one of those snowy expanses hid the Crystal Empire below it, or if the place was locked in another realm like Forgescale had been. He sighed softly, his scales slowly changing to match the sun set and the encroaching night. It was a bit of a nervous habit to use his magic like this, but it helped him focus. And he needed that right now.
“There you are.”
Krisis lifted his head, noting a young red drake scrambling over the rocks coming towards him.
Silverclaw was not the best flier yet, then again he was only at best twelve, so that was rather expected. He was however a quick study of what Krisis did and practically idolized the orange dragon much to his other siblings disdain.
“Silverclaw what are you doing out here?” Krisis asked.
“I heard about that fight you and Balor had. That brute didn't manage to hurt you did he?” Silverclaw demanded.
The fight itself was something Krisis had staged, provoking the temperamental dragon and letting him get a hit or two in so that the injuries Vermillion had done to him could be explained to the medical staff. Krisis had then broken Balor's arm in four places and dislocated his tail. It not only helped hide the damage he had received, but served as a reminder to others that he was still not a Dragon to be crossed.
“Nothing that couldn't be patched up with a few spells. How he's survived this long with that hair trigger of his is a mystery. All I did was ask him if he had any luck with my sister.” Krisis chuckled.” The answer was no of course.”
He rather liked the young drake. Inquisitive, skilled, and smaller than most of the others of Forgescales brood so he was more relate-able to the small orange Dragon. Silverclaw also had a more honor in his tail spine than most of Forgescale's whelps had in their entire line. He was surprisingly honest as well, which might have been a reason Forgescale doted on him more than any others.
“Hah I didn't think he could take you.” Silverclaw laughed. Krisis sighed a little looking back at the sunset.
Krisis smirked.“ Surely that couldn't be the only thing you wanted.”
“No I heard you were leaving soon to do more scouting and Intel gathering. Where are you going this time?”
Again that was a bit of a fallacy he started. His goal was actually to get Vermillion out of here and give himself some time to think things over. Most of his thoughts and plans lately focused around the Pony. Particularly her eyes. They looked like gemstones, and not food gemstones either, but the kind you couldn't eat because of their beauty. Those green orbs haunted his sleep sometimes. Krisis rubbed his forehead, he had been thinking of that mare quite a lot recently. That couldn't be healthy.
“Well?” Silverclaw demanded.
“When have I ever been able to tell you where I am going?”
“Awww.”
Krisis chuckled a little glancing at the smaller dragon a moment. An idea came to him, perhaps he would have an answer.
“Silverclaw , has your father ever mentioned some one named Sombra?” Krisis asked.
“Huh? Oh sure, he's my fallen big brother. Father talks about him all the time. The ponies killed him off while he was trying to save his wife, but he took out the whole city out before he was defeated. A true Dragon warrior.” Silverclaw smirked.
“And you are sure his name was Sombra? That was the name of one who supposedly enslaved the ponies in the north.”
“Who cares, they were just ponies. They are supposed to serve us any way.”
“So do you know who was his wife?” Krisis asked continuing on.” The one he was trying to rescue?”
“I dunno... father doesn't mention her, but she was supposed to be really powerful and she was tricked by the same pony that betrayed father. That's why we are going to wipe them all out.”
“Wipe them all out?” Krisis blinked.
“Yeah. Father said we can't trust any of them, even if we make them servants like the Ram's and Orcs they are still gonna try and fight back, cause they are stubborn and stupid. Better to take them all out and be done with it now.”
“That goes against his own doctrine.” Krisis muttered.
“Yeah well, I think father is realizing that he can't ever truly stop Ponies from being aggressive, so it's better to destroy them all. I mean if a snake bites you once, why would you pick it up again?” Silverclaw asked .
Krisis frowned at that. Vermillion wasn't a snake. She was simply trying to protect others. He believed that. He was less sure on what her superiors thought , but the pony believed in the Princesses the same way he used to believe in Forgescale. But unlike his own resolve, hers seemed unshakeable. Could she be that blinded that she believed her lies over his truth? Or was it that what he took as truth, was the real lie?
“I suppose that makes sense.” Krisis rose resting a claw on the drakes head with a smirk. “ I'll see you later whelp don't do anything I wouldn't do.”
“Is there something you wouldn't do?” Silverclaw asked as Krisis took to the air.
Krisis paused, his wings fanning downward keeping him hovering. “If you asked me that a few days ago, there might have been.”
The orange Dragon glides back over the mountain leaving the drake to make his own way back.
===========================================
Vermillion jabbed the bit of old claw into the wall again, digging in deeper into the side of the cave wall. She had started trying to tunnel out of here about a week ago after their last big conversation. The tunnel was big enough for her to lay in now with only her rear hooves still sticking out, not much but this was solid rock, so that she made any progress was impressive. Anytime she heard the dragon come in she hid the hole behind the makeshift bed she had been given, The rock was easily scattered about or dropped into the toilet bucket she was given.
She yelped as the rock sealing her in the small room was suddenly was yanked open, flooding the secret area with light. She hadn't heard him come in and now she was busted. This was likely was not going to end well.
The orange scaled dragon spared a glance at her in the hole then started gathering up the scrolls and letters and other things in the small room including her bed and old bandages, taking the lot of them to a cooking pit and tossing them in, lighting them ablaze with a sudden blast of fire.
“How are you bandages?” Krisis asked clearly distracted as he started rummaging around his room packing things into the pouches on his belts.
“They're fine. What the buck are you doing?” Vermillion demanded, confused about why he said nothing about the hole.
“We're leaving.” Krisis responded.
“What do you mean we!?”
“Exactly as it sounds. Unless you want to continue to dig your hole. Though I would suggest another direction, about a dragon lengths that way is a lava tube that keeps this place warm.”
Vermillion pales a little at that information, the hole had felt warm. “Why would I go with you? Not sure if I believe you on the lava or not any way.”
Vermillion took a step back as he dropped a small bag before her with what looked like some food and water, her sword laying across the top of it in it's sheath. The mare's eyes widen at the sight of her weapon, she wasn't even sure he had this. She shifted her gaze from the sword up to the orange scaled creature as he looked down at her clearly concerned.
“I want to stop this war, will you help me?” Krisis asked.
So this is what it feels like to be a Pegasus Vermilion thought to herself as she looked over Krisis's shoulder down at the night shrouded landscape below them. It had been two weeks since they had left the Dragon camp, they had taken a wide path around the mountains circling around Equestria to come across from the Western sea. Currently they were flying over some woodland with the Ever Rest mountains in the distance to the south, the snowy peak illuminated by the full moon making the massive mountain almost glow with a silvery light all it's own.
She hunkered back down on his back, her body bundled up in a large number of furs and scarves. Only her eyes were visible, and even they were covered with a pair of goggles that they had retrieved from a fallen Pegasus they had found leaving the Dragonlands.
She hadn't trusted him at all when he had asked her to help him. This seemed like a build up and betrayal. Like this was the plan all along of why he captured her and kept her alive. Though after a few days of travel away from the Dragon lands, and a few nights of civil conversation it became clear to her that he had no damn clue what the buck he was doing.
For the first time he didn't ask her any questions, he simply talked himself. He told her how his mother and step father along with a large number of others were fully against the Flame Party and Forgescale's actions, though there were enough still in favor that the council of Dragon Gods simply let him do what he wanted. It was not as if any one had the power to stand up against Forgescale anyway. He was the Dragon God of Fire, and his flames could even burn those who could bathe in lava. He had full control of his fire, messaging flames, healing flames, any thing that could be done with fire he could do as well, including sheathing himself in it like armor. While some of this was well known in the Guard, not all of it was. Krisis was giving up important information for nothing it seemed.
Over the next few weeks their conversations became a bit more casual. He spoke of his place in the Flame Party, what he had to do to get to that point, then it slowly moved away from military matters. He told her about growing up in the Dragon lands, being the mixed breed runt where he had to use his brains and skills more than muscle to progress in society. He told her of the creatures called the Linorm and the agreements with the Rams that allowed them to live on the slopes with the Dragons without being hunted. Most Dragons ate ores and gems with meat being a rare thing that most never developed a taste for anyway.
She told him of life growing up with her mother and grandmother. Of her Grandmothers stories of a city made of Crystal that had been lost to time when she was a little girl. She told Krisis of her father whom his mother had met while growing up in Equestria. Of her life with them, and her reaction when they were both killed in the early days of the war by a raid of Orcs.
Despite having nothing to do with the Orc attack Krisis apologized for it. When it happened three years ago he had not been in any position to be issuing orders. His own placement as one of Forgescale's adoptive son came only two years ago when he stole information on troop movements and wiped out two of the Guard Captains on his own. He claimed he didn't take missions that would put civilians at risk and from what she knew of his attacks this was true. He might sabotage a bridge to prevent troop movements, but he had yet to be known to take out a town just to finish off a few soldiers like other Dragons.
While they were still enemies for the most part, she found herself liking him a little. At the very least she only kicked him once since they had left the cave for making a inappropriate joke at her expense.
And it wasn't that hard of a kick.
=================================
Krisis shifted his head to look back at Vermilion. He could feel her warmth through his back from where she sat between his wings.
He had fully expected her to attack him the moment she had the chance. He had returned her sword after all. Even after they had returned to pony controlled lands she didn't. Well she had kicked him after he made a joke about her butt tattoo, a red crystal rose, but in hind sight perhaps he deserved that.
Still the more they talked the more he found himself liking the mare and being very glad that he had saved her. Granted this didn't help him in his current situation. He had no idea how to stop this war. He couldn't beat Forgescale on his own and the Dragon God was the driving force behind the war. If Silverclaw was telling the truth, Forgescale had no intention of stopping with just beating the Princesses. He might have been alright with that a few weeks ago, but now he knew it wasn't right.
He had thought of a few ideas where he might offer his aid to the Princess of ponies, but he wasn't sure what sort of aid he could offer. He was tempted to simply fly to the Zebralands and just hermit himself there forever. Though Vermilion managed to convince him other wise. She was not likely to survive a second attack by Forgescale and he didn't want her to suffer more by dragging her with him and letting others suffer.
It was during one of their talks that she had suggested meeting with one of her superior officers. He doubted that would accomplish much and the word of his betrayal would be passed around far too quickly if they simply marched in. Thinking on it though he suggested speaking with one of the Princesses.
She was against it of course, but he pointed out it wasn't as if he could do anything to them. Their very presence kept Forgescale away from Canterlot and he was no where near as strong as Forgescale.
Discussing it further they decided it would be best to try and meet with Princess Celestia, Vermilion had reservations about Princess Luna. Krisis found that odd that a pony would be afraid of her own Go , but he didn't question it. Forgescale had spoken at length about Celestia's evils, though Luna was only ever brought up when something she did screwed some plan or another. Krisis thought he might like Princess Luna, the mare had once dammed up a river so her forces could make a surprise attack on a draconian fortress. After a hit and run strike the small force retreated across the dried up river with a large collection of Draconic ground forces in pursuit. Once her ponies were across the dry river bed she let the river free and wiped out over half the pursuing forces with the subsequent flash flood. Her tactics and prowess impressed him and he found it fitting that many were calling the Princess of the Night, the Goddess of War.
================================================= [ Canterlot, One week later]
Given that Vermilion was a Pony who was supposed to be dead and Krisis was a Dragon with a sizable bounty on his head, both of them came to the conclusion that simply seeking an audience with the Princess would be right out.
Krisis shrunk himself down to match Vermilion's size and the pair of them disguised themselves as servants and managed to make it though most of the palace to the Gardens. Krisis scaled the wall out side the Princesses chambers and slipped inside through her balcony door. He had carried Vermilion up with his tail, focusing on his claw holds on the slick marble of the tower. Once inside the large room he returned to his larger size and sat in one of the corners of the massive chamber with Vermilion sitting on the floor before him.
A small fire was burning in the hearth, and a steaming tea tray sat on the table ready to be poured. The room was quite large, bigger than his cave had been even. A great many bookcases covered the walls and a towering ceiling stretched into the edges of the light above covered in murals. It was a impressive room, with one large double door on one side that likely led into the hall and a smaller door on the other side that most likely led to the Princess's bed chambers.
Vermilion was clearly nervous at this point, being this close to royalty he could understand it, they were about to address the Ponies God in person. It was a humbling thing to meet ones ruler. He felt the same way every time Forgescale pulled him aside to speak with him.
Krisis was nervous too, but for an entirely different reason. This was the mare that supposedly banished Forgescale and his family to Tartarus. It was this mare that kept the Dragon God from attacking Canterlot directly. She could probably destroy him in a instant if she so chose. Just in the few moments he had been sitting there he had planned out at least three ways to escape the room should things go wrong. He had six to start, but disregarded three of them as he wouldn't have been able to take Vermilion with him, and he wasn't going to leave her to whatever punishment might await for some one bringing a Dragon into the Princesses chambers.
“Is she asleep?” Krisis whispered after nothing happened for some time.
“It's just after sunset, she should still be awake a while yet, maybe I should go knock, I mean there is tea ready on the table.” Vermilion whispered back pointing to a low table surrounded by cushions.
“Two cups, was she expecting some one else?” Krisis asked.
“Maybe Princess Luna? One of them has a little moon on it.” Vermilion suggested.
“Lulu is that you?” A voice called from the other room.” You're early, did your morning meeting go well?”
He heard soft hoof beats in the other room and looked towards the door leading to the Princesses bed chamber. He swallowed hard as the door swung inward. What was she like? The doors were towering things, how big was the pony that frightened the Dragon God, what did she look like, was she covered in armor? Did she burn like the sun as others had said?
Krisis had built up a number of things in his mind for what Princess Celestia looked like. What he did not expect was a tall white unicorn to step out of the room, her mane and tail were wrapped up in large pink towels, and she had a massive pink fluffy bath robe that was draped over her slender form. The kicker however was that all four of her hooves were covered in fuzzy pink bunny slippers whose ears flopped as she walked into the room.
Krisis blinked in confusion, had they gotten the wrong room? Glancing down he noticed Vermilion bowing though looking back up to the Princess he saw that she had just now noticed the two of them her eyes widening.
“Um... hello....” Krisis muttered waving a little.
When the mare screamed Krisis wondered how he had ever expected any other outcome. He was moving the moment the doors burst open, a flask of black liquid smashing into the hearth, the fire igniting it and filling the room with smoke in a instant. His tail wrapped around Vermilion as he flung open the balcony window and dove out of it. He tossed another vial, this one broke against the wall and formed a crappy illusion of himself out of the wafting smoke. It didn't need to be perfect, he directed it to shoot straight up into the sky heading towards the clouds.
He himself grabbed the edge of the balcony swinging himself underneath it. He curled Vermilion up against his belly and tucked his head to his chest as he plastered himself to the under side of the balcony, wings spreading out to help with the grip. He quickly changed his colors taking on a pattern to match the balcony's underside, blending in perfectly.
He shushed Vermilion quietly and clung there listening to the sounds of the Guards rush around for a while a number of them taking off after the illusion. After a time there was some coughing and a loud booming voice shouting orders. It took some time but things started to quiet down and no one had yet noticed their hiding place. Krisis was alright with that. Not being discovered meant he could live another day.
He was highly distracted by Vermilion however. The mare was laying against him, he could feel each shift and move she made as well as every breath, his muzzle rather close to hers tucked in like they were. She remained as still as he was, they could hear the Guards talking as they searched, she was being made out as a collaborator, luckily no one had seen her very well except Princess Celestia.
Despite the effort he was going through to cling to the underside of the balcony and keep his scales matching the underside of the stone work, including shifting the shadows and the movement of the moonlight, this was rather nice. Vermilion felt strangely good against him and he chose to focus on that over anything else.
Still Krisis winced as he felt heavy hooves thud against the balcony just as dawn was rising.
“They could not have gone far Tia. Their illusion, while crafty, was of a low quality and could not mask them long.”
Vermilion flinched and mouthed to him that that was Princess Luna.
“Indeed sister... but I still find it odd. Why go to all the trouble of sneaking into my chambers only to run away without doing anything but mask their escape? Nothing was missing from my chambers and the mist spell he cast would not be harmful to any one short of a Breezy.”
Krisis knew that one was Celestia.
“I do not know Tia, perhaps they were there for something else and your cry startled them. I find it more worrying that there is a pony working with the dragons, and a decorated officer at that. “ Luna muttered. “ Are you certain it was Vermilion Rose?”
“Given how often her face was in the paper after what she did, I am quite certain. I met her once or twice as well after she gained her sword. A sword she still wore last night.” Celestia pondered, “ The last reports had her among the fallen.”
“This is true, though like many attacks often there are no bodies left, we thought her gone, but to arrive here and in the company of Krisis of all dragons.” Luna scoffed.
“Do you think she has turned?”
“I do not know Tia.... It is possible, though given her drive to destroy them I do not see it being possible, perhaps mind control?” Luna offered.
“You know as well as I do that the blades are supposed to protect from that sort of thing.”
“True, unless there is a work around the Dragons know of, I still do not trust the weapon's creator entirely.” Luna suggested. “Will you be alright sister? The day court has been canceled save for emergencies should we post more Guard before I retire?”
“Nay...in fact lessen it a little. I am wary, but also curious as to why they came. Perhaps if an opportunity presents itself they will return and I will find out what they wanted.” Celestia commented.
“I do not like this idea......”
“I expected you would not Lulu....” Celestia chuckled, the hooves that had been thudding on the balcony fading as the figures head back into the castle shutting the balcony doors behind them.
[Two years later, the end of the first Dragon War]
Beakers and dodads hummed and whistled in the room she sat in, Walls were covered in runes and various devices sat around at the edges of the room against the walls thrumming and making odd noises. Krisis had no idea what half of this stuff did. He watched as a white unicorn mare with a lavender mane and a reddish purple slash of magic as a cutiemark trotted a large machine past him and into one of the few free corners of the room.
“ What does that do?” Krisis asked looking at the device.
“Oh that's the machine that goes 'PING!” the mare responded chipperly, hitting a switch on it and showing the machine did indeed go' Ping'.
“Are you certain of this Krisis?” Celestia asked softly redirecting his attention to her. “There is only a small chance this will succeed.”
“Approximately sixty percent Princess.” a unicorn stallion with a gold mane and tail and a red coat responded his cutiemark covered by a white lab coat.
“Yes, thank you for that Guppy.....” Celestia sighed.
Krisis shifted a little, resting in his normal sized form looking rather like a puppy after it's accidentally been kicked as he tried to stay in the circle the unicorns had drawn on the floor.
“Not exactly much choice otherwise Princess.” Krisis sighed. “I was spotted by several Dragons that knew me when we destroyed Gold Scale camp. The remaining Flame party might not recognize a pony, but they knew me by smell as a Dragon and they know I helped kill Starscream and stole her eggs, eggs that are also Forgescales. There's no way I could go back to any land held by Dragons without it being a death sentence.”
“You could stay here, you wouldn't be the first Dragon we have allowed into Equestria.” Celestia mentioned.
“While I do plan to stay here Princess, I can't as a Dragon. I've done too much to your Guard for any one to truly forgive and forget my actions during the war, plus any hint of my presence will bring what ever forces Silverclaw can muster down on my head. He took his fathers imprisonment and my betrayal rather hard.”
“It always hurts when your hero turns out not to be who you thought they were.” the third unicorn in the chamber stated. The mare seemed a mirror opposite of the male, with a red mane and tail and a gold coat. She too wore a lab coat hiding her cutiemark.
“Are you certain it isn't simply due to Vermilion” Celestia questioned noting the orange dragon wince.
“I can't deny.... that there might be something to that....” Krisis muttered.
“Does she know you are here?” Celestia asked.
“No. She knows what you told us about it before, but not the risk or that I am attempting it.” Krisis admitted.
“Why have you not told her? Surely if she cares as much for you as it seems, she would be against you risking yourself needlessly.” Celestia questioned.
Krisis sighed softly at that looking away from the solar Princess. “She does.... but I can't even touch her with out her flinching. She sees me as me, but also as a Dragon. I don't want her to have to live with that or worse, not live with that and leave me.”
“I seriously doubt she would leave you. I would think after all that you two have done in the last two years, you are a staple of her life.” Celestia sighed.
“Yeah... though I want to be more than that, and I don't think that's going to happen unless I'm not a Dragon any more.” Krisis sighed.” Besides. Not sure I can bear the thought of outliving her like I would if I stayed like this.”
Celestia flinched at that, letting out a small sigh before attempting once more to talk the young Dragon out of this.
“Would dying before her be that much better?” Celestia commented.
“You were the one who suggested this to me Princess. I'm the one sitting in the circle ready to go through with it. If I die here then she still has most of her life to find someone who will care about her, but if I don't die, well, I'll make sure she won't need to find any one else.”
Celestia sighed and nodded lightly. “Fine... I see I cannot change your mind.”
“Err can these three be trusted.... if my name gets out and who I was turned into, it will be worse than if I remained a Dragon.” Krisis muttered.
“Golden Guppy , Sunshine Lollipop, and Gally Angel are former students of my school for gifted unicorns. They are also close advisers of mine. I have trusted them with nearly everything up to this point in regards to the war. The least they will do is keep your new identity a secret.
“Sparkle, Princess.” Sunshine, the white unicorn stated.
“What?” Celestia asked.
“It's Sunshine Sparkle now, or will be in a few days.” Sunshine smiled reaching a hoof up to move her mane to the side to show the gold ring around her horn.
“Really? He finally asked you? That's wonderful, I do hope I get a invitation to the wedding.” Celestia chimed.
“Really!?! Beat me to it … dang...” Guppy, the only male unicorn snorted without sounding too put out by the revelation. He was clearly trying to look upset but he was failing.
“Pity guess you'll have to settle for me.” Gally, the mare who looked like an odd opposite of the gold and red stallion stated sticking her tongue out at him. Evidently they were not related.
“Pfft that's not settling, that's upgrading.”Guppy snorted getting a titter from the mare and Celestia.
“Ummm....” Krisis muttered as the group of unicorns who were supposed to be casting the spell to turn him into a pony devolved into a giggling group of school foals along with the Princess. Still he listened in when talk of the engagement went on. If he was going to be a pony he needed to know what sort of courtship rituals they went through.
==============================================
[ Two years later]
Tiger Pelt grunted a little as he looked out the window of the small trading post that rested in the middle of what could maybe loosely be called a town. There were maybe ten buildings in the whole place, one of them was his little shop and the rest were an assortment of farms and small homesteads. There were a number of them going up in various places however as quite a number of refugees from the war and retired soldiers were coming this way. Some moved on to settlements that were springing up further south on the other side of the Everfree Forest, but more than a few stopped here.
“Da, there's some ponies on the road.” a filly called out.
Tiger looked over at his youngest daughter who had propped herself up to look out at the snowy road and the two figures walking along it.
“Travelers?” He asked?
“Look it, looks like a mare and a stallion. Stallions got a sword like Grizzly used to have.” the filly exclaimed.
The older stallions sandy orange ears perked at that and he rose from his chair by the shops little stove moving to the window as well to have a look.
Grizzly had been his oldest son, he was killed in the war, but on one of his last visits home he had shown off a sword he had been given by Princess Luna herself. He called it a dragon Slayer blade. Grizzly had been a trader since he was a wee colt at his momma's withers and he had seen a lot of swords and weapons , but never one like that.
The mare outside was bundled up in a great many furs and she walked with a obvious gait that showed she was likely with foal. Even if he hadn't noticed that, the stallion next to her was fretting over the mare like a bee over a flower. He was also carrying a huge pack on his back. Tiger could see the sword on his side and it indeed matched the one his eldest son had been given. He had seen a few ponies with them come through.
“Good eye little one, why don't you go out and invite them in. Probably could do with a bit of warmth. Nearest settlement on that road is the other side of the mountain.” Tiger muttered.
The little filly nodded pulling open the door and darting out into the snow. Tiger watched his youngest run out into the snow, gauging the couples reaction to her. Both of them tensed up a little, though his daughter did tend to be loud and surprising despite her small form. He watched as the two turned and walked towards the shop following the little filly.
“Here you go pa.” the little filly stated as the two ponies followed them in.
Tiger nodded a little gesturing to the stove, which both of them immediately gravitated to.
“Welcome. Hope Beaver didn't startle you. She's a bit loud and kinda bossy, enough that her brothers have taken to calling her maw when she yells at them.” Tiger smirks getting an annoyed snort from his daughter. The little blue filly going back to her stool by the fire and grabbing her book pretending to ignore him again. “Names Tiger Pelt. I manage the store out here and run a couple of caravans that come in an out. You folks looking to pass through or thinking of settling, town ain't much yet but it's growing.”
“Was that a sales pitch?” The mare asked with a smirk. He couldn't see much of her, though she had some rather pretty green eyes.
“Maybe. Judging from yer stance yer expecting soon. We got a doctor and plenty of land if you can deal with it. “Tiger shrugs. “More ponies means more business for me so yeah I suppose it is a sales pitch.”
“Not much of a farmer.” The mare muttered,” Though I do appreciate the invite in from the cold. Was starting to get a bit chilled out there.”
“You should have told me, I would have set up camp again and gotten a fire going...” the stallion responded. Tiger raised a brow, his voice sounded odd, like it should be coming from a pony much bigger than he was.
“If we stopped every time I felt a bit of discomfort we'd have never have gotten any where.” The mare sighed.
Tiger chuckled as the stallion grumbled.
“Tell yah what... we got a couple of empty cabins that tha caravans use when there here. Ken let you rent one out for a bit. No sense letting a mare with a foal on tha way wander round in tha snow.” Tiger muttered. “ Bunny'd have mai hide if I did that.”
“Ma would pull Da's tail right off and flog him with it.” Beaver chimed up.
“We don't have that many bits......” the stallion responded.
“S'fine, spect you ken do a little work. Sides I recognize yer sword and I know what it means. Lotta folks might be trying tah fergit about tha war and every pony who served in it. Pelts ain't gonna ferget something like that. We'll work something out fer longer term if yah wanna stay here. Town ain't been officially named yet, but most of us locals been calling it Ponyville.” Tiger shifted a little looking over at his daughter. “ So then if yer up for it , yah still haven't told me yer names.”
The pair look at each other and the stallion shrugged a little letting the mare take the lead in this.
“My names Vermilion, this is Spartan.” the mare stated. Vermilion and Spartan Kaisur.
At first there was nothing and then there were the Spirits. Next to nothing is known about these creatures save that they are immensely powerful and are also referred to as Gardeners, depending on whom is asked.²
These beings created the world of Equss and it was thought that they made countless other worlds before and after this creation, though the how and why is know only to them.
Once there was Equss the decided to fill it with life. Countless plants and creatures were placed in the world of all manner shape and form. Some did not survive the new world, others thrived or some how managed to simply exist, being neither successful or not.
The Spirits took note of this and created a new type of creature with witch to warden and watch over the others. They made this creature smarter and adapt at aiding the wilds, yet still hearty and swift enough to flee if their charges were less than agreeable.
This race was called the Caretakers and were later known as the Zebra.
With the wilds tended the spirits realized that this idea was good and decided to make others to aid in places the Caretakers could not go easily, or even at all.
The second species was given gills and fins so it might move among the sea life and see to the roaring waves and currents that most circles of life began from.
These creatures were called the Mer, and they are now known as Seaponies. In the ageless times these creatures evolved splitting into three types.
The swift Dolphin occupied the shallows, treading into the rivers and lakes where the others would not.
The Deep ones, Who preferred the cold darkness of the bottom of the world, relaying on the Dolphins to bring them tales of the places touched by the light.
And the strange Thid. The first of the races to discover the wonders of magic itself.
Again the Spirits noted this and realized this was good.
The third race created were more adapt to the crushing depths of the land, tunneling easily through even the hardest rock able to ease the tensions on the new worlds core to turn a turbulent fault line into little more than a quite collection of rock.
These dwellers of the Deep were called Loup, and they became what is now known as Diamond Dogs.
The fourth race were created to hold sway over the very air, the new world was rife with wild weather and untamed winds that caused harm and pain to those living on the world.
This race was given wings and the ability to shape the weather as they saw fit. They were the first to feed on the others as the energy for flight required more than simply plants could provide. New species were created for this race to feed on.
These were the denizen of the air, a dominion larger than all others to tend to ensure that the other creatures of the world would be safe.
These creatures were called the Gryph, and became what is known today as the Griffons.
The Spirits noticed that things were not perfect. There were places that even the races created could not go, things between what they could do that needed tending.
And so the fifth race was created. A race that bore traits of the others as well as the skills.
Like the Mer they were based on this race had three types, though unlike the Mer these types did not evolve out of necessity but simply due to the Spirits will.
Their bodies resembled the Caretakers, though in far more vibrant colors as it was thought that the Spirit creating them had more of an artistic flair.
The first of this race was called Earth, for it would be the very soil and earth that they tilled following the Caretakers in tending the plant life, and the Loup in tending the surface of the world.
The second were the Avarials who aided the Gryph with the weather, though their forms were built more for speed than the staying power of the Gryph, so they might be the first to any issue and be able to hold it until the Gryph showed to fix the problem. Their smaller size and speed allowed them to avoid needing the energy that meat provided, though they were allowed to partake if need be.
The third was based on the Thid. Though the Spirits let the cycle of life and death continue, the souls of those passed on would oft get lost in their way to return to the world, or the life the Spirits had made beyond it.
Thus the Magi were mad and given access to the world of the arcane as well as the divide between the worlds so they may aid those who could not continue on their own.
Thus the fifth race was created, the race of Equss.
It was with the creation of the Magi that the Spirits must have noticed something amiss. As they created a sixth race.
A race of strength, great size, and armored flesh. A race of tooth and claw and violence and rage. A race whose very breath could set the world aflame. A race that could survive any where on this new world and thrive no matter the place they chose.
A race that needed to feed on nothing but rocks to survive, rocks that were plentiful and made to nearly every flavor that could exist despite having the markings of a alpha predator.
The final race was that of the Dragon, and they were made to care for and watch over all the other races of the new world and protect them.
The Spirits looked on their work and decided they had done well.
It was then, that one of them took note of something. The races created oft looked to the Spirits for answers to things, becoming far to reliant upon them for what they desired.
This Spirit realized that it could not be left like this.
The answer it chose was to create something new. It took the Equss, being as they were the most questioning and fashioned a creature that blended all the parts they three types were made of. It was granted breath by the Spirit itself and a portion of their power. It would never age, never die and it would act as the voice of the Spirit, tending to the Equss as they tended to the world. It's coat would be a blinding white that contained all the colors of the Equss.
This was the first God, the first Alicorn. A stallion who was named Zacherle.
The other Spirits saw this creation and sought to make ones of their own for each of the races.
The God of the Dragon - Troph The God of the Mer- Munificence The God of the Caretakers - Grace The God of the Loup- Forthe The God of the Gryph - Mirth
The Spirit who created Zacherle took note of these others and realized there was an unbalance, so another Alicorn was made, a balance to the first. A Mare whose coat seemed to absorb the light one of unrivaled beauty that was beloved of the Spirit.
The second Alicorn. Bonnie.
Seeing that the balance was now set the Spirits gave a last look over their creation and departed. There are no answers to why or even how, but it is likely they went to craft another world as they had likely done countless times before and countless times since. ³
¹ Not many historians actually believe this era even existed, though recent contact by Princess Twilight Sparkle with entities who existed during this time has lead to it being added in most history tomes.
² Troph, Bonnie, and Grace claim Gardeners, Munificence, and Forthe say Spirits. Mirth says 'Party Wizards' but most ignore her.
³ An experiment was done and added to these notes by Princess Twilight Sparkle, and Dragon Lord Spike Sparkle. A single tome was drawn by Lord Spike's power that should have the answers to what the Spirits were. The book was blank save for one image of a rabbit like creature, hunched over a desk with a odd glowing square before it. This was widely considered a failure as it made little sense and the book was returned to whence it came.]
