//------------------------------// // Return Of The Warrior // Story: The Fallen Solar Stallion // by GaleWind //------------------------------// 1,000 years later….. In an isolated part of the everfree forest, stands a statue of stallion clad in armor. Time has shown that the forest has ensnared it with vines, trying to reclaim the land it sits on. The expression on its face shows sadness so strong, that the skies themselves would weep. However no tears are shed for this statue as the plaque beneath tells with just one word. “TRAITOR” It has been 1,000 years since that fateful night when Princess Celestia cast the cursed Burst Spear and turned him to stone. Since then, he could not interact with world, only listen. Over the years that past, he has heard from the occasional traveler or passerby news of the changing world. Politics, new towns being discovered, everything and let the last few years he heard news with great interest. One bit he took strongly was nightmare moon being vanquished ay the elements of harmony and Princess Luna returning. Even if the curse still held even though the evil in the Princess had been purged, he was glad she was back to normal. He heard of discord being turned back to stone by the six mares that hold the elements, a fitting end for him. He had also heard of changelings, the insect race of ponies that feed on love, and their queen had attacked Canterlot, only to be repealed by the love of the royal couple of Princess Cadence, an alicorn from the news, and captain of the royal guard, Shining Armor. The latest news he heard was that the elements of harmony and the royal couple had saved the crystal empire, which he didn’t think was real, from the returning evil of King Sombra. However, besides the news he had also heard the stories that travelers had told themselves. There was one story though that caused him to cry in his mind. It was the story of how he had betrayed his duties, how his name was cast into infamy, how his family discarded him from their lineage but, the worst one was how he had killed his wife and filly before his betrayal. “Have I not suffered enough that now I have to hear my own misdeeds and the tale of their deaths which is full of lies? Please, make it stop,” he sobbed in his mind. It continued until he heard the sound of breaking of stone. The statue started to crack until a flash of light covered the surrounding area. When the light disappeared, the statue was gone and in its place was Burst Spear, in the flesh and blood. He slowly opened his eyes, wincing while they adjusted to the sun after being stone for so long. As his vision cleared, he took in the area and breathed in deep fresh air for the first time in a thousand years. “I’m free, I’M FREE!” he yelled before coughing for not using his lungs in such a long time. He spotted a nearby stream and galloped to it, dunking his head into the water and drinking in the clear and clean water with a smile. He looked back into the water to see his reflection but, he was shocked at what he saw. Not only did he not age at all but, the lunar stallion armor and his staff were still intact, as if the hands of time had not claimed them. His first thought was to go to the nearest town to find information. He noticed an old, discarded cloak in the bushes and draped it over himself, covering his whole body. He threw the hood over his head and walked south, catching a sound of loud horns in the distance. In Ponyville… Banners were put up saying “WELCOME PRINCESSES AND GUARDS OF EQUESTRIA” and in the center of the small town was a gathering of ponies behind two groups of guards. On the left side were solar stallions with a flag depicting the sun and on the right side were lunar stallions holding a flag depicting the moon. In front of the large crowd was a stage and on it held very important figures. The rulers of equestria, Princess Celestia and Luna looked out among the gathering with caring smiles. Behind the princesses stood the mane 6: Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, FlutterShy, and Pinkie Pie. To the right of Celestia stood the captain of the royal guard, Shining Armor and his wife Cadence and to the left of Luna stood the captain of lunar stallions, Echo Break. The solar monarch spoke with a voice a mother would have “Greetings my little ponies and I thank you for allowing the royal guard to use your town for their competition for the next few days,” after speaking, the crowd stomped their hooves in approval and the soldiers saluted. Before speaking again, the crowd was silenced by the sound of screams coming from the distance as one word was shouted. “HYDRA!!!!!” The roar of the three headed beast stomping through the town caused fear and panic as ponies ran for somewhere to find somewhere to hide. “GET THE PRINCESSES AND THE CIVILIANS TO SAFETY AND STOP THAT BEAST!” ordered the two captains to the troops. The saluted and begun to carry out their orders, Shining Armor hugged his wife and told her to go with the others when he heard something land on the stage. He turned around there stood a solar guard commander, Blitz Bolt. “Captain, me and my lieutenants will get the hydra’s attention and distract it while the lunar stallions handle the civilians,” he said with an emotionless, yet stern face. “You all work together commander, put your feelings for them aside and protect these ponies,” Shining yelled but before he can continue he heard a scream. “APPLEBLOOM” Applejack yelled as she saw her little sister in the beast’s path too scared to move. She screamed and the others gasped as the hydra raised its foot and was bringing it down on her. Before Twilight or the princesses could use their magic on her, a hooded figure grabbed the little filly and moved out of the way just in time. The figure galloped forward a few feet and let the filly out of his hooves and saw as she ran and embraced her sister. He could see tears coming from the orange earth pony and turned around to eye the rampaging beast. The hydra lowered its middle head to eye the hooded figure. When it was about the figure’s height it roared in pain as the hooded stallion had spun on his front hooves and bucked the head with his hind legs. His cloak got snagged on its teeth and was torn off, revealing Burst Spear underneath. “A lunar Stallion,” princess Luna said as she saw the figure. “Is he one of yours, Echo?” “No, I don’t think so, I’ve never seen him before,” said the lunar captain. They were wondering who this stallion was but, they were surprise when they saw him get stand on his hind hooves and bring out his staff. However, what really surprised, especially the solar princess, was when he stamped his staff onto the ground and a spear tip came out. The others gasped but, Celestia just looked at the stallion with a thought in her mind. “Could it really be him?” “He needs assistance!” shouted Echo Break but, before he could use his wings, the solar princess held him back. ”You’re Highness?” She didn’t say anything and just beckoned everyone and her sister to watch. The hydra growled and blew fire at the stallion but, Burst Spear reacted and in a split second, he twirled his staff in front of him, deflecting the flames as they came out. The hydra’s three heads stared in disbelief because it was expecting charred remains. The head on the left lunged at him but, Burst jumped up avoiding the attack and landed on its neck. He bucked the back of its head with enough force that the head shot forward a bit before blacking out. The beast roared in frustration as it tried to shake the stallion off. He ran up the neck of the unconscious head, leapt off it and used his spear to pierce the right head’s jaw. The beast roared in pain and blood seeped from the wound. He used the momentum of it swinging its head up to get rid of him to launch into the air but, not before he hit its head retracting the tip and launched quick thrusts at it. The attacks hit pressure points in the head and neck causing the second head to pass out. The center and final head looked around it and began to panic, trying to find the small attacker. It heard one last thing that sent shivers up its spine before everything went black. “NO ONE HARMS THE INNOCENT WHILE I BREATH” he said in a deep based before slamming his staff on the top of its head with the force of coming back down after being thrown up. Its eyes rolled back into its head as it came crashing down to the ground with a loud crash, ending the fight. Everyone that was still outside watching the whole thing stared in disbelief and amazement upon seeing something that could be seen in a movie or reading in a story. “Awesome” was the only thing that came out of rainbow dash’s mouth before going silent again. Burst Spear got off of the hydra’s head and walked towards the group of ponies. The guards that were in his way moved away from him as he walked by. He continued to walk and stopped right in front of the group and then all eyes were on him. Princess Luna noticed the medallion on his staff with a crest of two crescent moons interlocking and realization hit her and looked towards her sister, both knowing who this is. He placed his staff onto his back and settled down on all four hooves Applebloom walked away from her sister and the group and stopped right in front of the stallion and looked up. Burst noticed this, looked down and said in a caring voice. “Are you okay, little one?” he asked. She nodded yes and one last thing came out his mouth before he fell to his side and past out. “Good” They noticed this and didn’t know what to say or do. Princess Celestia walked towards the fallen stallion and looked at him. “1,000 years have passed but, your patience; skill and heart are as strong as they were when I first met you” “Princess, you know who this is?” Twilight asked and Celestia nodded. “My little ponies, may I present, Burst Spear.”