//------------------------------//
// A Dull Blade 
// Story: Hoping This Finds You Well 
// by Valiant Hearts 
//------------------------------//

"Welcome home daddy!

"Hello sweetie!"

The disoriented and blurry image was implanted within Solar's mind. 

The Soldier and his "Angel" or so he called them embrace each other as well as the child in a hug. Mixed with happiness, tears, and other feelings that even Solar has not felt, or not yet however.  

Just as Solar was about to see what was in the box he woke.

"W-what, it was a dream..." He sighed and looked up toward the sky only to see the everlasting night be perished by Princess Celestia and her great power.


"Hmm..." Solar kept thinking to himself putting his hooves to temples to try not to lose sight of the image from his dream. But to no avail. 
He sighed to himself and stood as he stretched out his wings and put his saddlebags back unto his waist. Only to feel a sudden tinge of pain across his flank covering his cutiemark as blood seeped out slowly and fell unto the clouds leaving a spot of red. "Gah!" His legs soon gave out and he fell unto his knees attempting to fight back the pain. 

He looked up to only see a gang of griffons and one holding up his claw licking off blood, without a doubt Solar's. "It's been a while since we've eaten, and we haven't seen anything appetizing to eat except you..." The gang chuckled menacingly and slowly flew towards him slowly.
Solar backed away as his eyes kept a straight sight locked on each one of the griffon's moves. "Just do us a favor and keep still, we like out meat tenderized!" The "Leader" or from what Solar assumed charged toward him and threw a claw in his direction only to slightly cut his cheek.

Solar quickly drew his knife and slashed all around him managing to cut some of the members. But was soon stopped from something holding him back. But it got worse, one of the griffons managed to bite his neck, drawing blood but Solar resisted and threw him off by struggling and bucking everywhere.

One of the bucks managed to connect with the griffon's beak and shattered it to bits. Now was Solar's chance, he managed to fly away as fast as he could, and he was lucky to spot something in the air, it was a dark blue with a tint of yellow but a claw reached his hoof and pulled him away from the possible saviors. 

His knife was locked tightly in his jaw and he threw his head back and head-butted the fiend while connecting the knife to his claw. Earning an ear shattering screech from the griffon which luckily enough managed to get the attention of the flying group of...something. Solar felt one last tinge of pain on his left wing and managed to catch a glimpse of a griffon's beak and a knife in his wing. 

Then they were soon knocked away by an unseen force, couldn't have been magic, and Solar fell towards a rocky mountain and knocked his head on a rock upon impact drawing more blood, the last thing he saw when he soon gave away from blood loss and fatigue, was a group of pegasi, all dressed in Wonderbolt uniforms then the blurry image faded.

"Daddy, look!"

That's very cool honey, did you do that?

The Soldier and his daughter soon sat beside each other practicing magic and that was all that Solar could witness before shooting his eyes open to a sting all over his body. As he gasped for air he looked around cautiously hoping not to see skulls and blood splattered around him.
But instead a window, and several Pegasi surrounding him with a worried and shocked look. Taking controlled and deep breaths to absorb the new setting. "W-where...where am..." All thoughts and feelings were put to the side as Solar desperately looked around for his saddlebags. "W-where is it?!" 

"You seem to care more for your belongings more than your own self, don't cha kid?" A bright orange and yellow mare walked toward Solar with what seemed to be a captain's outfit as she held the saddlebag up with her hoof. "H-hey!" Solar tried to get up and claim his sack before being held back by a hoof. A turquoise colored mare with a rainbow mane looked at Solar. "Calm down kid, we're only trying to help." Solar sighed and lied his head back. "Thanks..." This made the two smile and nod to each other. "I'm Spitfire, and this is Rainbow 'Crash'." This made the turquoise mare blush slightly and scoff. "It's Dash." 

"So...where are we?"

"The Wonderbolt's Academy duh!" Rainbow Dash smirked and chuckled. "In the presence of the greatest flier in Equestria!"

This made Solar somewhat interested in the situation he was currently residing in. "The greatest flier in Equestria?" 
Rainbow stared at Solar dumbstruck with a bewildered look on her face. "Y-you're not serious...are you?" 
Solar only stared at the pegasus with the straightest face he's ever had in his life and simply nodded.

A small glance toward Spitfire made Solar start feeling more confused than he's ever felt in a while. "You're not kidding are you rookie?"

"Rookie? What did I do to earn that title?" Solar just shrugged and looked toward Dash again earning the most hilarious look that he thought she could make.

http://img10.deviantart.net/fc0e/i/2014/090/4/1/mlp_rainbow_dash__guh___trixie__by_mewtwo_ex-d7avuhd.png

"Uhh...you ever heard of the Elements of Harmony?" Spitfire suggested.

"Can't say I have." Solar held a hoof up to his temple and rubbed the soreness of his wounds. 

This line even earned a look or glare from a couple of the other patients in the room as well as the two pegasi accompanying Solar. 
Even a pegasi outside hollered from the distance. "Are you kidding me?!" 

Solar just shrugged off the looks and lied his head back as if nothing happened.

"Kid, you really need to find out about the Elements, you might have met one and not even known it." Solar looked toward Spitfire. "Is it really that big a deal? I have my own problems and things to do, I don't have time for magic and monsters." Solar thought that might have been too harsh to lie upon the two but he spoke the truth, he had enough to worry about with his family and income situations. But the two mares insisted on telling him about the achievements on the  Elements and how they saved Equestria countless times, which was to be honest was amazing and made Solar feel like a colt at kindergarten. Learning history, which was actually one of his favorite subjects growing up.

"So, these Elements are what represent the power and strength of friendship?" The two mares nodded in unison. "Don't forget that I am one of the 6 Elements! The Element of Loyalty!" Rainbow blurted out and smirked toward Solar. He could only nod and listen to her babbling but he was actually thinking about getting back on his hooves and keep traveling. "So, I believe that I've been here long enough so I'll pay whatever I have to and be on my way, thank you very much." The pair looked at each other somewhat bewildered and stared at Solar. "Look Rookie, you're gonna be here for a while with those wounds, you could have a concussion or something worse." Solar's eyes widened. "N-no! I have to leave, this package is very important to me and I have to get it to it's destination!"

Spitfire rubbed her hoof on her face. "Sorry Rook but it's better to be safe than sorry." 

"I'd rather be sorry if it means getting this package to that family!" Solar snapped back and clenched his teeth which admittedly hurt his head but he chose to ignore it.

The two gave him worried looks and kept denying his choices to leave. But Solar wasn't finished yet, not until dusk comes upon them.





As the moon rose from it's slumber Solar stood on his hooves and felt dizzy. But he didn't care, he quietly trotted over to the desk where his belongings were and rested it upon his back, it seemed lighter, mostly because of the rest and food that he received from the care but he was sure to leave a small bag of bits and a note on the desk explaining himself.

Dear Spitfire and Rainbow Dash

I thank you both for your care and service but you both have no idea how important this is for me to complete. 
It's not that I'm not thankful but my time is short and I'd rather be in less trouble with my boss than he already would be with me.
I can take care of myself without your aid but this task is completely crucial to me. Thank you once again.

Solar Phoenix.

And with that Solar snuck out of the hospital and avoided all contact from any other ponies that were on duty. But he didn't expect his descent from the Academy to be so painful, with the account of the wounds that still haven't healed from the attack. Blood was still stained on his bandages and his coat. But luckily aside from a couple of bruised apples his supplies was as fit as a fiddle. He wished he could say the same about himself though. 

Solar limped quietly and quickly across the road till he saw a small light. "Maybe a campfire..." Solar peered through some bushes as quietly as he could and his eyes dilated at the sight.

A gang of griffons surrounded a campfire, with some small makeshift tents or shacks around them. "How does a pack of Griffons get their asses handed to themselves by a gang of namby wamby ponies?!" It was a female griffon and no doubt she was pissed. "G-Gilda please, we tried looking everywhere for food, there's just no luck!" The one called Gilda stretched out a talon and scratched the other griffon, obviously drawing blood, possibly leaving a scar. But something broke that tension, sniffing. The leaded lifted her head and took a deep inhale the exhale. "I think I found our dinner guys..." The griffon then began leaping toward the bushed where Solar took refuge. But Solar was quicker. He took flying toward the clouds, but Gilda was on his trail, with the scent of his blood in the bandages and his coat. 

He felt a claw wrap around his hoof and brought himself tumbling toward the mountains. 

GAH!!! 

He kept falling but the claw kept a tight grip around him and a greater force brought them both tumbling to the mountains. 
The last thing he saw while they fell was a giant shadow covering the moon, then darkness...