//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: MLP A New Generation 3: The Rise of Armored Hoof // by TwiShine45 //------------------------------// Quarter leapt from his chair, ready to defend their campsite from this intruder. The newcomer was coated in a thick layer of brush, signifying a rather treacherous journey through the forest. It seemed that they’d come in a great hurry, almost like they’d received some important piece of information that the band needed to know about. Needless to say, the crash had awoken everypony in the group, and they all shuffled out of their tents to see what had happened. Quarter and Mane were the only ones who were somewhat alert. The rest rubbed their faces, trying to retain some form of composure in the face of this new entity. “Alright, who are you?” Quarter asked in a voice that ranged somewhere between a curious intrigue and a thunderous threat. “You should know me!” Came a very familiar, feminine tone. “…Crystal Scales?” Mane asked. Suddenly, the mass of undergrowth came loose and there stood the pretty pony/dragon hybrid. She looked around at what was supposed to be Armored Hoof, and shook her head. These were ponies that she’d known since she was born. They’d been gifted long lives to spread the magic of friendship through song. It was their task to keep the legends of Equestria alive. So, it was fair to say that she had a few questions about their current position. Namely, that it was the last position she’d seen them in when the Great Rift War struck over 1,200 years before! Anger burned deep in her veins. She’d desperately hoped that they would have attempted to help reconcile all ponies together. But, it seemed that they’d rested on their collective laurels. Thankfully, Sunny and her friends had done more than enough to accomplish the task. Crystal had also felt magic waves from the fight between Sunny and Luster, and she knew that the evil Alicorn had been defeated. It seemed that Equestria was back to normal, but something still seemed wrong. Crystal couldn’t put a hoof on it, but she knew she’d found a clue. If Armored Hoof were sitting around on their rumps, then problems continued to abound. “Yes, it’s me,” Crystal said, “and I must say, I’m mighty surprised to find you just sitting here…in the SAME campsite from over 1,200 years ago!” “Has it been that long?” Quarter asked sarcastically, rolling his eyes. “You know darn well it’s been that long,” Crystal said, eyes flashing, “and you’ve done nothing to uphold your end of the bargain with Celestia!” “Hey!” The group’s drummer, Skins Mare, said defensively, “we’ve done…stuff.” “Oh, yeah?” Crystal asked. “Name one concert you’ve played in that time. Name one friendship that’s been affected because of your music. For Celestia’s sake, name one SONG you’ve written in that time! I mean, your instruments have probably rotted away to nothing but framework and strings by now!” “My drums still work!” Skins retorted. “But are you using it in the way Celestia asked you to when she gifted it to you?” Crystal asked. “Have you forgotten your pact?” “…No…of course we haven’t,” Quarter said. “Believe me, we’d be out there playing for all the ponies of Equestria…if only they’d come together.” “I can’t believe what I’m hearing!” Crystal thundered. “I mean, really. You’re supposed to be Armored Hoof, the band on a mission from the royal pantheon themselves! Now, you’re just sitting here, wasting away. In case you didn’t know, Quarter Note, Equestria has been made whole again. A group of ponies, led by the newest alicorn princess, brought life and love back to our land. To top it all off, they defeated Luster! Scarlet Wing is no more!” Quarter’s ears pricked at the last bit of Crystal’s statement. Scarlet Wing being no more was the best news he’d heard in a millennium. However…with as tightly knit as the group was…he was almost certain that a splinter cell would exist somewhere. Nerves still gripped his stomach, and his fear plagued his mind. It was almost as if King Sombra himself were surrounding him, pounding away with a magic darker than any ever conjured up. Quarter continued to fret over what he deemed a failure…both in his music and in his inability to woo Princess Twilight. “Don’t mind him, Crystal,” Mane said, stepping over to where she stood. “He’s frustrated because of the whole Twilight thing.” “Oh, brother,” Crystal said, rolling her eyes. “Quarter, that’s been well over 1,300 years now. You can let it go.” “I can’t ever let it go!” Quarter said, whirling back around. “I wrote an entire album for her!” “Need I remind you that we did albums for all the princesses?” Glowing asked. “I mean, Celestia, Luna, Twilight, and Cadence all have records dedicated to them.” “But…when I wrote Twilight’s lyrics…” “I know, I know,” The band’s bassist, Thumper Trot, said, “you wrote them from a special spot in your heart. But that doesn’t mean you hang on to something that never was.” “Thumper’s right,” Mane said, “it’s time to just…let it go.” Quarter sighed. “Maybe you’re right…but still…letting Twilight go…is gonna be the most heart rending…painful…difficult thing I’ve ever done…” Meanwhile, back in Maretime Bay, Sunny and her friends hosted a celebration. The town wide festival proclaimed the truth of Scarlet Wing and Luster Dawn. There were multitudes that attended, each taking in the wonders and attractions that the street fair had to offer. Vendors touted their wares to the locals and visitors alike. Foals squealed with delight on any of a number of rides. Finally, to top it all off, Pipp and Zipp performed a few songs as a sisterly duo. It had been a number of years since they’d sang together, and Zipp considered it another way of apologizing for doubting Pipp. After they finished, Sunny stepped to the microphone amidst a sea of roaring ponies. “Thank you, Maretime Bay!” Sunny called. “As you may have noticed, my Alicorn abilities are permanent…and I have been named the new ruler of Equestria!” This remark was met with a terrific cheer. Everypony loved Sunny, and they were very happy with her in charge. But, one pony in particular seemed to cheer louder than anypony else. Sunny took notice of this and decided to meet with this Earth Pony after the rest of the show. She then took the opportunity to tell of the continued threat Scarlet Wing posed. This dampened the mood a bit, but she reassured everypony that Maretime would continue to thrive. They just needed to be ready to defend every aspect of it. Afterward, she jumped off the stage and made a beeline for that mysterious mare. Sunny’s curiosity was on full throttle, and her friends made haste after her. They noticed that her planned speech had been cut a bit short, and that her hooves seemed to have a fiery tinge to them. They called after her, trying to get her to stop, but to no avail. She was going after this pony, no matter what.