The Equestrian Honor Guard
Chapter 35
By Honored Service
I woke up from another fitful night of sleep. More dreams about explosions and dead changelings haunted my sleep. I tossed and turned in my little bunk but was unable to get to sleep. So I got out of bed and suited up just as I had done the previous day. I picked up my duster and put it on over my armor and chest rig. I double checked to make sure that Sky’s red feather was tucked in the top button hole. Still there. And it was still just as shiny and colorful as they day she gave it to me.
I grabbed my helmet and left the barracks heading out towards the north platform that overlooked the city of Canterlot. The moon and stars claimed the sky now and they shown brilliantly in the night. The green flames that had consumed the city had died down and the smoke had stopped billowing into the sky. It almost seemed peaceful. And I would believe that if only it weren’t for the few dark shapes that zipped back and forth across the sky in the distance. Survivors, that had made it through my onslaught at the market square.
“If you keep sneaking out like this, ponies are going to wonder where you're heading off to.” Sky said calmly as she landed on the railing next to me. She had a smile on her face, this one wasn’t forced but it was genuine.
“I just had some trouble sleeping that’s all. I’ll be better after today. I promise.” I placed a hand behind her ear and scratched lightly. She pressed her head back and I continued to scratch her. We stayed like this for what felt like hours; just enjoying each other’s presence.
“Oh here.” She held out a wing to me that had my dog tags dangling from the red feathers. “I saved them and well you're back so here.”
I reached out and picked them off her wing. I looked at the little metal disks. “No here Sky, you should keep them.” I placed the dog tags around her head and pulled them down around her neck. “They look better on you anyway.”
She blushed and turned away from me smiling at the ground. “Thanks.” She mumbled.
I put my hand on her check and turned her head to face me. I gave her a light kiss on the lips and whispered, “No thank you Sky, for being the greatest thing to happen to me here in Equestria.” This only caused her to blush more as I pulled her in close for hug and wrapped my arm around her.
“Honored?”
“Yeah Sky?”
“I'm never going to know your full human name, am I?”
“Probably not.”
“Can’t you tell me now? Nopony knows we’re out here.”
I looked around and saw the indeed we were alone. I moved away from Sky and checked inside the doorway leading back into the castle. I ran forward and leaned over the railing and searched around for anything that could interrupt our moment. Nothing.
“Okay Sky, my full human name is Ta-“
“Ah hello Honored Service and Fast Skies.” The voice of Luna came from above. I looked up with extreme annoyance as the princess of the night descended from the astronomy tower above us.
“Good evening Princess Luna.” I said through gritted teeth. Sky just chuckled and patted my back with her wing. She leapt onto the railing and laid her head on my shoulder.
“It’s alright Johnson. I prefer Honored Service anyway.” She kissed my cheek and closed her eyes.
“I'm sorry Honored, I wasn’t aware that I was interrupting something.” Luna cocked her head and looked at the two us.
“It’s alright Princess. What brings you here?”
“I was just keeping watch over the castle. You may have dealt a devastating blow to the changeling army, but there are still a few left. And the Queen is still out there, and right now she is more dangerous than seven armies of changelings.” She looked back out to the semi-destroyed city of Canterlot. “Are you going to be ready Honored, to face her?”
I sighed and looked to the city. The destruction Queen Chrysalis had caused. “No, but I have no choice. It has to be this way.” I stroked Sky’s orange mane and looked down at her. She was snoring lightly into my neck. “I’ll be ready Princess Luna.”
“I believe in you human. I know you will do what you have too.” With that Luna spread her wings and took off into the night.
I looked down at the sleeping mare. I gently slipped my arms around her and picked her up. I carried Sky back down to her bunk and placed her in it. “Good bye Sky. I mean it when I say I love you. You silly mare. I’ll see you later once this is all over.” I kissed her forehead and saw a smile spread across her face.
I walked down the main hallway and to the large gates outside of the castle. I passed a lot of guards that were patrolling the area. They all saluted me or moved quickly out of the way, I acknowledged them with a salute or a good morning as I walked by. I was about to exit the castle when I noticed a large chariot begin to descend into the courtyard. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna exited the castle together and made their way over to me as I continued to watch the chariot land.
“Ah Honored, I'm glad to see that you showed up to say hello to the girls. I know your plan went off perfectly, but I still want the Elements to be nearby if things should go downhill.” Princess Celestia said as we walked over to the door of the chariot. A guard pony opened the door and a ball of pink energy exploded out of the chariot and talked me to the ground.
“Oh my gosh, Johnson or is it Honored Service now? I know how about both. Honored Service Johnson. Or no, what about Johnson Honored Service! I'm so happy to see you! I mean we all are, but I'm the most happy since the entire ride over here I was asking the girls if they thought you would remember us and by the look on your face I’ll guess that you do remember us!”
“Pinkie… I…can’t…breath!” I managed to choke out from the bone shattering hug that the pink party pony was delivering to me.
“Opps sorry.” She immediately let me go as the other ponies came out of the chariot.
“Howdy there sugarcube!” Applejack called out waving to me.
“It’s so good to see you again darling.” Rarity said as she bowed slightly. I returned the gesture of course.
“What’s up Honored? Still looking cool I see.” Rainbow Dash said nonchalantly while leaning against the side of the chariot; brushing a hoof against her chest.
“I hope he has been making friends while at training.” Twilight Sparkle commented to Celestia who only chuckled.
“Um…hi…again…” Squeaked Fluttershy from the back of the group.
“It’s great to see you all again. I just wish it wasn’t under such extreme circumstance.” I turned to look over at the large gates leading into the castle, both of which were damaged slightly from the changeling assault.
“Well it just aint right for them changelings to do what they been doing.” Applejack said and nodded at me.
“When we heard about how the entire changeling army was stopped by one guard and Equestrian Honor Guard no less, we had to come and offer our assistance.” Rarity said as she walked around me. “And I see you didn’t take care of the outfit I made for you. All scratched and ripped up. And what is this ghastly smudge here?” she pointed a hood at the back of my duster. That spot was the spilled green blood from a changeling that had been blown apart by a well-placed shot from my rifle.
“Um…that’s some war paint.” I said through a halfhearted smile.
“Well we need to clean this up at once!” She stomped a hoof on the ground. As I watched the mane 6 talk to one another about the bad changelings or evil Queen Chrysalis, I noticed a dark shadow appear behind one of the guards in the distance. I watched as that guard turned a corner and continue on his patrol.
But for some reason he about faced and began walking right towards us, breaking the pattern all guards had been instructed to follow for just this occasion. He got closer and I watched as sure enough his blue eyes flashed shiny metallic blue for just a second.
“Princesses and Elements get behind me now.” I steeped in front of them and unsheathed my knife and grasped it in my hand. The guard continued on its path straight towards the girls and me.
“Halt Guard.” I called out. The changeling in disguise stopped but then bolted straight at me. It dropped the disguise and the girls gasped behind me.
“Honored look out!” Pinkie Pie screamed through a mouthful of popcorn. She was eating popcorn at a time like this!? Whatever fuck it.
The changeling jumped at me and hit me in the chest. I rolled backwards with it on my chest and kicked it off of me with my legs. The changeling soared through the air and crashed into a stack of boxes. I got up and sprinted towards the dazed changeling; as I ran I flipped the knife in front of me and caught it on the tip and pulled my arm back. I flung the knife forward and it sailed through the air and struck the changeling in the center of its chest just as it sat up from the crash into the boxes. I jumped forward and gripped the knife and yanked it out of the changeling and spun on my heel and sliced the knife sideways spinning in a circle. My duster swirled around behind me as I moved.
SHINK
I stopped moving and waited for the sound to confirm the lethality of my hit.
THUMP
I turned my head and saw the changeling lying dead in the middle of the boxes.
“Clear!” I yelled to the courtyard.
The Princesses and the mane 6 all were just staring at me with their jaws on the ground, except for Fluttershy who was shaking and looked to about break down.
“Honored that was…” Princess Celestia said as she came forward to me.
“AMAZING!” Rainbow Dash rocketed into the sky and flew all around me. She landed in front of me and just stared at me.
“Um thanks?” I said shrugging my shoulders. I didn’t like upsetting Fluttershy like that, but I was made to protect, and I had done just that.
“Don’t you feel that was a little extreme?” Twilight asked. “You could have skipped the whole throwing knife trick and just stopped him with the blade.”
“But then it wouldn’t have been anywhere near as cool!” Rainbow Dash shot back to Twilight. Thanks Rainbow, at least somepony understands what it means to be bad ass.
Luna stepped forward and open her mouth to speak, but just as she did a booming voice exploded all around us. The voice had to tones to it. A low pitched female voice and a monotone voice that sent chills down my spine. The Nightmare.
“YOU FOOLS! NOW THAT YOU ARE ALL GATHERED IN ONE PLACE, I WILL OBLITERATE YOU AND YOUR FILTHY HUMAN PET!” The voice seemed to shake the whole world around us.
“There!” A guard pony shouted and pointed a hoof up to the top of the Canterlot Castle. There on the tallest spire stood a lone figure. Queen Chrysalis looked down at us with hatred in her eyes. Green flames surrounded the air around her as she stared at us. I watched in horror as 4 guards ponies dashed off to attack her. She just laughed and pointed her horn at them.
“NO! BACK OFF!” I screamed and waved my arms at them, but it was too late. Green fire exploded from her horn and engulfed all 4 ponies. Sickening screams were heard from the ponies as they dropped from the sky and smashed into the ground with a disgusting thud. “NO!” I yelled and unslung my rifle. I aimed it up at the queen and pulled the trigger down.
Round after round left the barrel and sped through the air to strike down the evil queen. I watched as a bright green flash occurred and she had teleported down the spire, every shot I had fired missed completely.
“HAHAHA! You can’t win human. Nothing can save you or your ponies!” She began to teleport closer and closer to the group.
“Celestia, Luna, get the girls out of here and to the Elements. Get them ready in case I fail.” I dropped the empty magazine from the rifle and loaded another fresh mag into the weapon.
“I thought you wouldn’t fail.” Luna said desperately as they galloped off towards the castle door.
“I can be wrong sometimes!” I yelled after them.
They all ran inside, but Princess Celestia stopped just outside of the door and looked back to me. “Be safe my little human.”
“I’ll try Princess, but I’ll do whatever I have to too insure that this ends here.” I gave her a crisp salute. “It’s been fun Celestia.”
She returned the salute, “Thank you,” she said and shut the door behind her.
I turned to find myself staring into the evil reptilian slit eyes of Queen Chrysalis. She slowly curled her lips into an evil grin and said, “Now that you have said your good byes it is time to die human.” She lashed out with a lightning fast punch and caught me straight in the chest of my armor. I went tumbling backwards and skidded to a halt on my feet.
“Hmmm I thought you would be tougher than this.” She charged her horn and sent a bolt of green energy at me, which I dove out of the way to avoid. An explosion shook the earth as I got back to my feet just in time to dodge a jab from the queen’s horn.
“Stand still so I can kill you slowly.” She spat out in that weird double toned voice. “Humans stopped me once before, but this time I shall prevail.”
I spun around and whipped out my pistol and fired three shots at her. She teleported out of the way as the bullets impacted the wall behind where she had been.
“Nice try.” I turned around and fired again, but to only find that she was teleporting faster than I could shoot.
“Oh you are clearly bested human, just let death take you.”
“God, can’t you bad guys just fight without the damn talking!” I jerked the gun around and fired six more rounds at the queen as she teleported in an irregular pattern around me.
Click Click.
“Shit.” I hit the clip release button and dropped the empty clip to the ground and fumbled with another one and loaded it into the Beretta.
“Oh human, you are doomed. Why can’t you realize this?” The queen stopped in front of me and jumped at me. I dodged to the left and brought the pistol up just as she passed by me, I squeezed the trigger.
BANG
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” The queen roared into the sky as I saw green gooey blood begin to leak out of a hole on her abdomen. She turned and looked at me in disbelief.
“Not so powerful now huh?” I asked her and leveled the pistol at her head. Wrong choice of words.
An explosion of green energy radiated out from the queen and blasted me back and off my feat. I flew through the air and crashed into the wrought iron gate that led into the castle gardens.
“YOU WILL BE SHOWN NO MERCY. ILL SKIN YOU ALIVE AND MOUNT YOUR HEAD ON MY WALL!” The Nightmare screamed at me. Whatever had been left of Chrysalis was gone. The Nightmare now had complete control of her body, and was radiating so much magical energy that even with my magic absorbing ability I wouldn’t last long.
I got up and broke the lock off the gate with a swift kick. I holstered the pistol and dashed off into the gardens at a dead sprint, trying to get some distance between me and the enraged queen.
I rounded a corner and stopped running. I could go left through the rose gardens or right through a hedge maze. Fuck the maze. I started heading into the rose garden when a green explosion obliterated the area in front of me. I was thrown back wards onto the ground coughing and having trouble breathing. Through the smoke from the fire, Queen Chrysalis emerged chackling loudly.
“And so ends the tail of Equestria’s last human.” Her horn charged for another lethal blast of magical energy and she aimed at me. I dove to the side and came up running to the maze.
“You are only further delaying your doom! Just let death overtake you!” The double toned voice screamed after me as I ran through the endless twists and turns in the maze. I stumbled and turned another corner as a throne branch caught my right sleeve and ripped my precious duster.
I ran through another section of the maze as I my eyes darted every in every direction trying to find the monster that was lurking for me. I stopped running as I came into the center of the maze. A large fountain sat in the middle of the hedge maze. I unslung my rifle and slowly moved towards it, rifle aimed and at the ready to waste the queen.
“Muhahaha.” The laughter seemed to come from every direction around me. I spun on my heel and fired a burst into the bushes behind me.
“That’s right, feel the desperation of your situation sink in.” Another blast of bullets into the bushes.
“Do you feel alone? Frightened? How about terrified?” The voice echoed all around me. I fired a long burst from the M16A2 into the bushes all around the fountain. I panted heavily as the weapon ran dry and just made a clicking noise. I released the empty magazine and began to grab a new one off my chest rig. Only three left. 90 rounds. 90 chances to kill this queen. 90 chances to end the Nightmare.
“Oh we can’t have that!” This time the voice came from directly behind me. I spun around still reaching for a new clip. The Nightmarish Queen Chrysalis was right there. An evil smile covered her face. She licked her fangs and moved in to strike me. I dodged right and dodged left as she threw punch after punch trying to hit me. I tried to jab at her with the rifle butt, which she nimbly avoided each time.
“Just. Sand. Still.” She said as she jabbed at me with her long sinister horn. I jumped back and slung the empty rifle across my back. I turned and ran from the wicked queen. As I ran bolts of green energy ripped apart the bushes and leaves around me. I hit the deck as a blot of magical energy exploded the fountain raining bits of marble and water everywhere. I got back up and took off towards the exit of the hedge garden.
As I ran, the queen perused me shooting bolt after bolt of energy after me. I finally found the exit of the maze and dove out of the deadly trap. I sprinted across the garden as trees and flowers were burnt and blown up by magical energy.
I stopped immediately to find myself looking straight down to the ground far below me. I had reached the end of the royal gardens and had found the edge of Canterlot. A waterfall roared next to me and plummeted straight down to a massive lake that rested under the city of Canterlot next to the mountain the city was constructed on.
“Nowhere to run human.” The sinister voice calmly said as I turned to face Chrysalis as she slowly walked towards me. Her eyes were glowing blood red and the green fire swirled around her. My heart felt as if was going to explode from my chest as she moved closer.
I backed up another step and felt my heel slip on the edge of the ground. A few pebbles fell off the edge and tumbled the long way down to the lake a thousand feet below. I gulped and looked back Chrysalis. She moved closer, smiling that evil smile.
“It ends here!” I yelled and whipped the rifle at my back and leveled it at the soon to be dead queen. “Goodbye Nightmare.” I squeezed the trigger.
Click
I looked down to see I never finished loading the rifle. I quickly grabbed a magazine off my chest rig and brought it to the rifle and feed the new clip in. Click. Back and ready for action.
SHINK
Pain ripped through my stomach as I looked down and saw Chrysalis pulling her head back from stomach. Her horn dripping red blood. I took my hand off the fore grip and placed it on my abdomen. It came back sticky with blood. I fell to my knees, coughing up blood as I landed.
“And so this is how you die human. I promised I would make you die slowly, and that’s just what I'm going to do.” Queen Chrysalis moved in again and lowered her head placing her horn on my chest. “Any last words human?”
I mumbled something but it came out gurgled from all the blood.
“One more time human, I'm afraid all your blood made it impossible to hear you.” She lowered her head closer to me to hear my final words.
“This is how you die Nightmare.” I lifted the rifle up with my right hand and placed the barrel right under her chin. She tried to move away in time but it was too late. I squeezed the trigger on my beautiful rifle.
BANG
Tink
The bullet passed through her jaw and out the top of her head exploding its way out sending green blood and brain everywhere. The Queen’s lifeless body toppled forward and landed on me plummeting both of us over the edge of Canterlot and towards the lake below.
It was over. My short time in Equestria was at an end. I had stopped the Changeling invasion and saved the day. I had protected the ponies from being destroyed by the Nightmare. Humans were just naturally prone to dying in the process to save ponies.
Memories flashed before my eyes from Earth and from Equestria. My human and pony friends. My time growing up on Earth and the skills I mastered there that saved the world here. The faces of friends and family rushed by as I felt the wind tearing at my face and hair as I plummeted down. The Queen’s still form falling along with me.
And Saddle Company. My dearest friends that I had in Equestria. We trained together, and passed with each other through boot camp to become Royal Guards, I would never have forgotten them.
And Sky. Even now as I fell through the air I could see the red father sill on my duster. Its shiny red color glinting in the sunlight. I could only fell pain in the fact that I was leaving her behind, but I had to die to save the ponies. She would continue on living and just like Battle Plan be able to tell her foals that she knew Equestria’s last human.
I closed my eyes and reflected on the life I had lived. It was a good one, not long, but good still. And the best part of it, was I was dying as to protect the ponies of Equestria; just as the humans before me had done. I was ready; I could only hope that death wouldn’t be as painful as a horn to the stomach.
SPLASH
I hit the lake hard and felt the cold claws of death grip me and pull me under the surface. I was at peace. Then blackness came over me and my mind went numb. And everything just stopped.