//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 // Story: Soldiers Die // by Gimtek //------------------------------// Chapter 6 Shield Princess Luna sips tea from her cup. The warmth had gone from it a while ago now, but she did not mind. Her focus was on recounting the events of so long ago to her friend. "Luna, what is out west?" Twilight asks slowly and sips her own drink. "I could tell she traveled farther than the borders of Equestria before she blocked our tracking spells..." She trails off, looking out the window, worried about her mentor. Luna lets out a light sigh, hesitating before opening her mouth again. "It was a beautiful land without a name. In the early days after the founding of Equestria and my Sister and I took the throne, we guided the united pony tribes into an era of prosperity. As the tribes flourished, settlers spread throughout the land and established settlements all over the continent." "Was a beautiful land?" The unicorn nervously asks, unsure she wants to hear the answer. "A large valley, miles and miles across, surrounded by mountains on all sides and teeming with all sorts of wildlife and flora I have not seen since it was regrettably destroyed." Luna sighs again and frowns. "It turned out that a large number of dragons had laid claim to the land. They destroyed our settlement and most of the ponies in it and then turned focus on Equestria. After a short series of skirmishes on the borderlands, Celestia negotiated peace with their elder, Grithore the Ageless, to stop the bloodshed. The two became good friends in over the decades that followed and the land was eventually developed and settled by dragon and pony alike in harmony. Peace was not everlasting though, some of Grithore's underlings sought to usurp him and destroy all of the pony 'invaders'. Grithore and a scant few dragons loyal to him were all that were left when Celestia arrived after his call for help. When her life became endangered in the battle, she lashed out instinctively and the sun came to aid her. Grithore and Celestia both told me afterwards that when they awoke after the battle, the entire valley was destroyed, every plant and animal reduced to ash, many dragons were dead or fleeing to escape the sun's wrath, the ground itself is black and lifeless." Twilight grimaces and shifts uncomfortably. "They now call the valley Celestia's Scar." "That's terrible..." Twilight hangs her head down, feeling horrible for her mentor. "So long ago, I had no idea." "In all of the battles I fought alongside my sister, I had never seen my sister use that much power without the use of the Elements of Harmony. I believe she was more frightened of herself than the dragons that fled that day were. She vowed to never again go into battle and risk destruction of that magnitude again on this world. While Grithore remained friends with my sister, many dragons came to fear and hate ponykind. He kept his loyal subjects away from Equestria, but there were plenty of rogues that sought out battle on our borders. That is why I controlled the military during the time of our story. I promised her I would make sure she never needed to raise her horn at another creature." Luna drops her head and closes her eyes. "A promise I broke personally in my own weakness." She looks out of the window again into the night sky. The unicorn was shocked to hear all of this information, none of it existed in any history books that she had ever read. Collecting herself, she looks up at Luna. "Please continue." Xiphos had caught up to Celestia as they left the keep, staying a few steps behind her as she led the way to Star Swirl's tower. The ponies in the courtyard were doing their normal morning routines, starting their day's activities, bowing to the passing princess, and giving the occasional curious look at the pony tagging along behind her. "It would be considered difficult at best to guard a princess from behind her." Celestia directs a stern comment over her shoulder. "Please come alongside me, commander." a look of panic sweeps over his face for a moment before he looks serious and quickly catches up and marches alongside the princess. "I'm sorry, Princess." Xiphos looks directly ahead, becoming attentive and alert to the surroundings as they walk. "I won't let it happen again." "I'm sure it won't." Celestia says before she stifles a laugh, making Xiphos turn his head and give a befuddled look. "I'm sorry I couldn't resist! The look on your face was worth it though!" she giggles loudly and looks forward again with a big grin on her face. "Relax, commander, you are doing a fine job escorting me." She says as she quickly reverts to her usual soft, gentle tone. Xiphos lets a small laugh and a smile escape his mouth and releases out a large breath he had inhaled in relief. "I'm still sorry, I should have been more attentive to my duties, princess." Celestia again smiles at him. "You are correct, Xiphos, but remember the main reason for your assignment as my bodyguard." She looks up the side of the tower, their destination. "Star Swirl and myself believe you can speed up our research significantly and end this bloodshed." She looks down at the tan earth pony. "After our visit here we will go see if your armor is finished. After all if you are my personal guard you will need a uniform befitting the role." "Yes, princess." Xiphos stands at attention. "At ease, soldier." the princess jokingly says as she smiles softly again, "Oh, and watch your flank, I normally do not teleport other ponies and I don't quite have the hang of bringing others with me." "Watch my flan--?" Xiphos starts as he and Celestia disappear in a golden flash of light. Star Swirl runs around his laboratory, digging through stacks of papers and books, frantically searching but not finding. His assistant Gyruss follows him, picking up debris and cleaning up spills as fast as Star Swirl makes them. A golden light briefly fills the corner of the lab followed by a loud thud and a male voice yelping in momentary pain. Xiphos stands back up, rubbing a red spot on his flank which he landed on upon arrival, the princess giving him an apologetic smile. "We can't start yet, I haven't found it!" Star Swirl shouts as he flings another pile of papers onto the floor. "I've been looking all morning for the spell and can't find it!" Celestia walks over to his desk and looks around as well. "We wrote it just the other night before Xiphos arrived, it should be here on your desk." She levitates a stack of books up and looks underneath, finding nothing. "We were going to memorize it and test it just when you arrived." She looks back at the earth pony in the corner that has come over to help look as well. "What exactly are we looking for?" Xiphos asks, wanting to help the frantic unicorn and concerned looking alicorn. "It was a powerful spell we needed for our research." Star Swirl mutters a curse and stomps his hoof down hard in frustration. "Gyruss, did you move anything off my desk?" he glares at his assistant. The red unicorn steps back instinctively in reaction to the look he recieved. "N-no sir, I merely swept the floor and incinerated the trash while you were all away." He immediately went back to cleaning up the messes left behind by the frantic bearded unicorn. Celestia approaches her student and rests a hoof on his back. "Please don't lash out at your assistant, it would not be his fault. The window was left open, it is possible a breeze blew it to the floor or into the trash, we left a lot of scrap paper everywhere and it could have blended in well." Star Swirl just sighs and walks to his desk and takes a seat. Celestia offers another apologetic smile to Gyruss who is still cleaning up and nods in appreciation. "All that work for nothing." he pulls another piece of paper out and levitates a quill to it. He makes a few scribbles then stops and looks back up at his mentor. "How much of it do you remember?" Celestia pauses a moment. "A lot of it actually. We can possibly rebuild the spell by tonight if we work hard enough." She stands at his side by the desk. "Are you feeling up to it, though? It's only been--" "I'll be fine." Star Swirl snapped at the princess. He begins to write on the page before him again before stopping and setting the quill down. He turns to Celestia, who had taken a step back, and quickly gets up. "I'm so sorry, Princess... it's just... I..." he is silenced by a hug, Celestia holds her student gently. "Shhh, it's okay. I forgive you." She calms him with her soft voice. Xiphos silently observes, reminded again of Misty, her funeral still fresh in his mind despite all of the other recent events. "We can take more time if you need it." He slowly pulls away from the hug and returns to his seat. "No... we must do this while it is still fresh in our minds, then I will take a proper break." He swallows hard and picks up the quill again, jotting down some symbols. From the corner, a red unicorn watches with a slight frown at the trio at the desk. It was supposed to delay them longer than just a day, the master needs more time. He pulls a small flask off a shelf that was concealed behind some books along with a dagger. I can only hope that this thing works on the princess long enough for me to get my target. He lobs the flask in the direction of the ponies distracted by Star Swirl's writing. A moment later a sound of glass shattering followed by an intense burst of light that fills the room. "So we used this theorem here in conjunction with this--" Star Swirl stops entirely, the aura around his quill releases the feather and it plops onto the desk. Xiphos blinks and rubs his eyes from the burst of light temporarily blinding him only to see Star Swirl and Princess Celestia completely motionless. A quick galloping noise from across the room catches his attention as he sees a small black creature racing towards them. It's green eyes focused on the blue unicorn at the desk, brandishing a dagger in it's teeth. Xiphos quickly leaps between the hostile creature and the motionless ponies, catching the attacker off guard momentarily. It halts it's charge and throws the dagger expertly towards it's target, only to have it impact the earth pony in the upper foreleg, imbedding itself a few inches deep. Xiphos howls in pain after blocking the dagger and tries to pull it out with his teeth but cries out again when he touches it. He stands on three legs, shifting the weight from his injured right foreleg as he sizes up the invader. "That magic explosive was strong enough to paralyze the princess! How could a mud pony possibly avoid it's effect!" Gyruss's voice comes from the attacker's mouth. It hovers just off the ground with thin insectoid wings, keeping some distance from the wounded soldier in front of him for his own safety. Impossible! There's no way this can be... must act fast, he's wounded, I can take him despite his strength... He buzzes quickly toward Xiphos's right side, taking advantage of the wounded leg and kicks him hard to the ground. "You destroyed that spell, didn't you?" Xiphos yells at the changeling as he limps back to his hooves, only to be knocked down and into a bookcase by another flying kick. He started to feel a little dizzy, he was starting to feel the blood loss from his injury, the dagger had been knocked out of his leg, only a warm flow of blood replacing it, and from the amount, it appeared to be from an artery. The attacker turns back to his target and grabs the blue unicorn's head. "Yes, I was sent to delay the research as long as possible, failing that, I am to eliminate Star Swirl." The changeling begins to apply pressure to the blue unicorn's neck gently as it gets ready to snap the pony's neck. "This is going to feel so good after cleaning up after this slob for so many months." "No... my student... Please don't do this..." Celestia manages to speak but still cannot move, pleading for Star Swirl's life. "Already coming out of it, Princess?" the creature pauses and looks up into Celestia's eyes, which are tear filled and staring back at him. "Don't worry, It will be quick, so I can attend to you ne--" It's grip on Star's neck becomes loose and the changeling slumps over the desk, a dagger deep in it's back. "Xiphos?" Celestia calls out as loudly as she can. "I still cannot move, are you okay?" A loud thud is heard behind her. Her eyes widen in a moment of panic. "XIPHOS?!" she strains to move her neck, but the effects of the explosive are still too strong. "Say something, anything!" Tears begin to drop down the sides of her face. "Xiphos..." Xiphos opens his eyes, shielding them with his good hoof from a bright sun in front of him. The pain in his shoulder is gone, as is any trace of a wound. A shadowy silhouette of a pony approaches. As his vision focuses he makes out a pink mane and tail. "Thank goodness, Princess, I blacked out there and wasn't sure if..." He stops as the pony gets closer, he notices her blue coat. "Misty?" "Look what the cat dragged in, or rather the changeling i guess." She giggles and hugs him tightly. "I'm sorry..." He embraces her back tightly, smiling and calm. "I don't understand... I was with your brother and the princess..." His eyes widen "The princess! Are they okay!?" He looks around, a bright light in all directions limiting his vision. With a sudden realization he slumps down on his rear and Misty takes a seat in front of him. "Yes they are both fine, you don't see them with us do you?" Misty jabs at Xiphos' ribs. "You saved them, but I'm afraid you were hurt pretty badly." She frowns a bit. Xiphos holds his hoof to her cheek, brushing it gently. "Whats with the sad face? I get to say what I regretted not saying my whole life now." she puts a hoof over his mouth, stopping him momentarily. "We don't have much time. I was allowed to see you and I want you to know I love you. I waited more than my whole life to say it I suppose." She lets out a small laugh. "What do you mean we don't have much time? I just got here, I'm dead, right?" Xiphos looks into her eyes and and can tell there is more. "You are not dead yet, just on the edge of death, close enough for me to hold you if only for a moment. I may not ever get another chance." She embraces him again tightly. "Harmony asked me to tell you to be her shield and to be strong, and stop getting ambushed." She sniffles back some tears "Okay the last one was from me." She manages another weak laugh. "Harmony? I don't understand!" Xiphos holds onto Misty as tight as he can. "I don't want to go back now! I lo--" again he is stopped by a hoof to the mouth. "Promise me you'll tell me the moment you get back here." She says, staring into his eyes, trying to smile. He sat there for a few seconds, slowly taking her blue hoof and holding it over his heart. "If our plans succeed and we bring peace, it might be a long time." "I know, and I'll be the proudest mare in the afterlife when you succeed. I'm not going anywhere, but you have a world to save and a life to live still." She motions around herself. Her hoof passes through his chest as he begins to fade. "No wait!" Xiphos shouts out into the light. "It's time I guess... remember to be her shield, she needs you as much as Equestria needs her." Misty's voice becomes distorted in his ears as he vanishes completely, leaving the Blue mare alone, smiling. She looks into the light, listening. "I know, Harmony, but I will still love him." "Wait no!" Xiphos thrashes out, suddenly feeling pain again in his foreleg and falling back onto a soft mattress. He looks around as his vision comes into focus. He is in a bed in a small room, a warm fireplace illuminates the room with it's dancing flames. Seated next to the bed, and asleep, is Princess Celestia, her crown a little crooked, her pink mane a bit disheveled. He slowly reaches a hoof out toward her but stops to let her sleep, even asleep she looks tired. "How long was I out?" he asks himself. "Almost three days." A cold monotone voice answers him from across the room. Xiphos, startled, turns his head to see Princess Luna seated in the shadows on the opposite wall. She was adorned in her regular crown and regalia, instead of the battle armor he saw her in last time. "It appears you kept your vow to me." She rises and approaches Xiphos, her eyes glowing ever so slightly in the low light. "I always keep my promises, princess." He laughs a moment then winces in pain as his shoulder moves. Luna goes over to her sister and straightens the crown on her head carefully. "She never left this room." Luna says softly, "When the bomb's effects wore off she began trying to heal you but apparently your natural magic resistance applies to positive magic effects as well. She exhausted herself to keep you barely alive until doctors arrived." "Is she okay? And what was that bomb?" He asks the Princess of the night while looking at the slumbering Celestia. "She is exhausted, but physically fine." Luna goes to the window and looks out at the moon hovering overhead. "As for the bomb, our student examined what remained and determined it to be some sort of powerful paralytic spell held within a vessel so anypony could use it once created. I do not know who is powerful enough to create a spell that strong save myself and my sister." She turns back to Xiphos in bed, who is still looking at the pink maned princess gently snoring. "I had to cast a sleeping spell over her to make her rest, she had not slept since the incident occurred three days ago." She looks back at her sister, then to Xiphos with a smirk. "When she awakens she will be fine, now that her shield is awake." "Shield? How did you..." he barely manages to sit up, then he looks back at the window at her. "I tried to view your dreams while you were out, I was attempting to find a way to awaken you." Luna confessed. "I saw everything, but was unable to interfere, Harmony forbid it. Please do as she asks and continue to be my sister's shield, I will be continue to be her sword." "I swore to protect her, and I will for as long as I am able... I will be her shield." He looks at the sleeping princess for a moment and smiles, when he turns back to the window, Luna had already gone. Feeling a little tired again, he turns and lays back again. "Good night, Princess."