Chapter 5 Gallus’s Mission
With her friends in tow, Twilight headed to the hotel where Gallus was staying. She walked inside and was lucky to find the griffon in the Dining Hall.
“Good morning Gallus!” Twilight said with a smile as she approached his table.
Gallus looked up from his bowl, which was full of cooked worms (as Griffins were birds they sometimes ate insects as well as plants and animals). Twilight managed to prevent herself from forming a disgusted face. Though she heard Rarity make a small moan behind her.
“Oh… Professor Sparkle! Your highness!” Gallus said bowing in his seat. He then noticed Twilight’s friends. “All my former teachers!”
“Good to see ya Gallus!” Applejack said.
“Tis indeed!” Rarity said, managing a nervous smile while keeping her eyes off the food.
“Very wonderful!” Fluttershy said.
“Haven’t seen ya since the graduation party! That was-“
“Two months ago,” Gallus told Pinkie.
“And twenty two days!” Pinkie recalled.
“Hey!” Rainbow Dash said waving a hoof.
“So…” Gallus looked at Twilight. “Are you… doing okay?”
Twilight sighed, looking at the ground. “It hurts a lot to lose a family member. Shining Armor and Cadence were the first friends I ever had.”
“Are you going to go after the thing that killed them?” Gallus asked.
Twilight shook her head. “Now that I’m ruler of Equestria, I have to rule and have others fight for my kingdom… like Celestia did. Which is why I’m here… Gallus. I want you to go after the thing that killed my brother and sister in law.”
“Me?” Gallus said.
“Consider it part of your initiation into the royal guard,” Twilight said. “I’ll be supplying you with a few soldiers to
protect you.”
Rainbow Dash scoffed. “Those royal guards never seem to really get a job done. When have they ever saved Equestria? We were always the ones doing that, kind of makes having an army look useless.”
“Well… perhaps that’s another reason Gallus should join the guard. So he can share the magic of friendship with them,” Twilight suggested. “Then perhaps they wouldn’t be so useless.”
“Great! Maybe one day I’ll be Captain!” Gallus said. “I’ll bring you that things head!”
“That won’t be necessary,” Twilight said. “It will be enough to know that my subjects are safe. Trap the thing in Tartarus, turn it to stone, whatever must be done. But I do have a suggestion. You should do this mission with your friends from the school.”
“Really? You want me to get the gang back together?” Gallus said.
Twilight nodded, her strength wavering as she felt the weight in her heart intensify. “I have faith in friendship more than anything. You all helped unite the races of Equestria against the Legion of Doom and you will need your friends to defend Equestria as I need mine.”
The other five ponies gathered around her as she bowed her head.
“We’re here for you, Twilight. Always,” Fluttershy said.
“Yes Darling, you need time to mourn for your loss,” Rarity said. “We shall deal with ruling the kingdom for a couple days as the Council of Friendship. Just tell us what you need.”
“Thanks girls. I have to get everything ready for the first day at the school of magic and paper work. But… Flurry needs me… and I honestly don’t feel like I’ll be able to do anything right now.”
“You can leave that to us!” Rainbow Dash said. “You just collect your thoughts.”
Sighing, she choked out. “Spike, send a letter to each of Gallus’s friends in their lands. We need Equestria’s next generation of protectors on the job.”
Spike wrote the letters with a heavy heart and blew out. They then returned to the Castle, leaving Gallus to wait for his friends to arrive for their mission.
Across Equestria, the letters began popping up in the homes of the other members of the no quite so young anymore Six. Occellus the changeling, Smolder the dragon, Sandbar the Earth Pony, Silverstream the Hippogriffin, and Yona the Yak. All of them received the letter informing them were needed to help save Equestria alongside Gallus, and they flew or took the train to Canterlot immediately.
When the (not so ) Young six were all gathered in front of the hotel, Gallus spoke to them.
“Hey guys.”
Under normal circumstances, this reunion would have been a happy one.
“Is it true that Princess Twilight’s brother is…” Ocellus started.
Gallus nodded.
“Oh no!” Ocellus said.
“Well, that’s why we’re here!” Smolder said, banging her fists together. “Lets find the thing that did this and make it pay! In the name of Princess Twilight Sparkle!”
“Yak not afraid of fight!” Yona said. “Yona big now!”
“Yeah, you certainly are. But still just as cute,” Sandbar said.
This caused the young yak to giggle. She and Sandbar had become Coltfriend and Yakfriend a few years ago at the School of Friendship.
“Okay lovebirds! Or lovecreatures! This is no time for jokes and flirting!” Gallus said. “The Princess gave us a mission! We have to find the evil creature and stop it before it hurts some creature else. We need to head to the artics of the Crystal Empire and find this thing.”
They all nodded. With that, the newest generation of Equestria’s heroes headed back to the train station where a mixed group of Crystal Empire and Canterlot royal guards awaited them. Among their ranks was Lieutenant Flash Sentry.
“Ah there you are!” Flash said as they approached.
One of the Crystal Empire guards, a brown earth pony with an eye patch and sword on his back looked at the creatures sternly.
“Are we really bringing them along? They’re only teenagers? What if they get hurt?”
“They helped saved Equestria once before, Starcutter.”
“Twice actually!” Smolder corrected. “If you count us bringing all the races together for the battle against the Legion of Doom. If we hadn’t done that Princess Twilight and her friends would have- you know.”
Starcutter shrugged. “Well, if you say so. That was fortunate you did that. I will trust Princess Twilight’s decision… but I think the Royal Guard needs to become more active in protecting Equestria.”
“I’ll be joining you guys soon. Princess Twilight said it would be good to have the magic of Friendship in the guard,” Gallus said.
“Well… we shall see.” Starcutter said. “Best be off.”
They got on the train for their mission, which sped off.