A week has passed since storm arrived in ponyvile and went to study under twilight to learn more about his home. And he has progressed well storm has made friends with all of the elements of harmony, most of the citizens of ponyvile and even the minotaur who is quite nice when he isn't drunk. In fact he was a hard worker as storm learned one day when he offered to help applejack with the harvest and found him their. But their was something that bothered storm as the week progressed, with every study session under twilight one topic always came up but she refused to speak of it. Who was the mare in the moon and why was twilight so adamant about him asking Luna about it the next time the two met? Celestia only knows but storm would get his chance soon enough for at the end of the day he was due to canterlot to take luna up on her offer for employment. Most of storms time that wasn't spent studying with twilight was spent roaming around ponyvile and the surrounding area helping where he could and even getting into mischief. One such instance being that rainbow dash being the showoff tomboy she is decided it would be a good idea to challenge storm to a race of wings in sky's he didn't really know. Lets just say rainbows house needed major renovations and half of applejacks work load was done that day. Everypony got a good laugh out of it even rainbow though she did do her fair share of complaining. As the day neared its ends twilight and the rest of the elements quizzed storm on everything from proper pony edicts to ancient history. only relenting when the royal carriage arrived to take them to canterlot everypony save storm piled into the carriage storm opting to fly their. But as the carriage left ponyvile and its quite peaceful scenery behind something strange was happening at canterlot castle, and it bode ill for all involved. For as the carriage made for canterlot a small pony snuck out a back entrance of the castle and disappeared in a hidden tunnel. After hours of walking in the darkness the pony arrived in a hallowed out cave with a hole in the ceiling letting the setting sun light up the center but leaving the rest to shadows. As the pony neared the center it was surrounded by a sickly green aura and then it disappeared leaving a warped disfigured version of the pony bowing where it stood.
"I have great news my queen" the creature said rising back to its feet to see two sickly green eyes peering at it from the shadows.
"Everything is going according to plan all are in place for the attack tonight during the changing of the guard. We even have a special treat of the two princess being in the same place this evening as they challenge a new recruit for the guards."
"Perfect canterlot will fall before us tonight" a voice said as the creature stepped forward revealing itself and throwing its head back with maniacal laughter while swarms more spilled from the shadows and made for the sky. The creature was just barely shorter than luna with a dull blue grayish mane and a black jagged horn atop her head. Her wings were small and wiry like a insects and fangs poked out of her upper jaw.
"Canterlot shall fall before the might of chrysalis and the changelings" she yelled out triumphantly before taking to the sky's after her minions. Meanwhile storm and his companions arrived at the castle without incident and promptly ushered to the guards training grounds. To be met by both celestia and luna flanked by several guards in white armor and then several guards in black armor. Celestia smiled warmly when the group arrived all her little ponies smiled back where storm just stared back at her with a blank face but his eyes said it all. As she watched celestia saw a plethora of emotions fly behind storms eyes everything from unbridled joy to unease and storms twitching as he tried to contain his emotions. Which despite her best efforts earned a chuckle from celestia earning a confused glance from everyone gathered save storm who just smiled warmly dropping his stony façade. Everyone's attention was brought back the subject at hand when luna cleared her throat and storm realized he was surrounded on all sides by the guards in black armor.
"If we may return to the subject at hand" luna said looking at storm with a unreadable expression. Which unnerved storm slightly as it seemed luna was staring right through him as if he wasn't even their.
"To have the honor of joining my lunar guard you must pass one simple trial. You must best my finest guard pony's in combat and prove to me you have the characteristics required to join my guard." Luna said motioning to the many ponies around storm without any emotion.
"Tell me storm do you accept my challenge" luna said a slight glimmer of mischief visible as the first emotion in her eyes. At her question storm looked at the ponies around him and start to build a strategy. Many of the ponies were just regular earth ponies with a few pegasus and unicorns mixed in.
"Your not going to make this easy are you luna?" storm said with a deep chuckle spreading his wings earning a nod from luna.
"Very well princess challenged accepted" storm said before disappearing in a blast of sand and screaming wind.
And the battle ensued as the pegasus guards fallowed storm closely but slowly losing him as he turned abruptly flying straight at the airborne guards in a game of chicken. One the guards were bound to lose fore as they drew closer no pony broke off or veered away until right before impact storm dropped into a dive aiming for the unsuspecting unicorns directly below him. the unicorns tried in vain to hit storm with whatever spells they could think of as he plummeted towards them some even finding their marks but to no avail. And again right before impact storm altered his course to where he was flying straight up striking the two pegasus guards who were trying to strike him from behind knocking them out of the sky unconscious. establishing air supremacy storm focused again on the unicorns whose aim was improving the longer they fought and were now surrounded by the earth ponies who had their swords drawn and watching storm warily. Storm made a few passes above them earning some cuts and burns from the magic and steel. Storm made as if he was to pass over the ponies again but shot straight up at the last second not stopping until the ponies below were just specks in his sight. Confused the ponies below made the mistake of relenting on their magical barrage giving storm the perfect opportunity. Taking it storm started to fall back to the ground his jaws agape and fire building in his mouth until it was all he could see he released it and veered off to watch. As a blue and white fireball the size of a boulder screamed down at the ponies below. Right before impact the unicorns managed a shield spell before they were engulfed in flames and heat blinding all the onlookers temporarily. Storm alighted as the flames died to reveal a large crater with all ponies unconscious but unharmed in the middle. Before anything was said storm rushed to the ponies making sure they were ok and doing the same for the pegasus before facing the stunned princesses and his friends. A long silence fallowed as the princesses tried to absorb just how quickly storm had defeated the elite of equestrias military and the main six were doing the same thing save pinkie pie who was bouncing around saying something about a victory party for storm before she was hushed by twilight.
"Don't get so worked up just yet pinkie we don't know for sure weather luna will accept him into the guard or not" twilight said watching the lunar princess carefully.
"But how can she not accept him did you see that fight" pinkie said standing still for once looking at twilight as if she had grown a second head.
"I did see the fight pinkie I was right here but storms combat skills weren't what was being tested." twilight said a small smile sneaking across her face as luna approached storm rather quickly.
"That was quite a performance storm bringer nopony has ever bested my guards" luna said stopping before storm who crouched to look the princess in the eyes as he spoke.
"So tell me princess" he said "did I earn the right to join your guard."
"Indeed you did though not because of you combat skill that field was tested against the minotaur. No you earned this title by keeping calm in the face of many opponent's and taking them out quickly and effectively." She said a large smile plastered across her face. She made as if to speak again but was silenced when suddenly the sky and grounds went dark. confused everyone looked to celestia who was staring mouth agape in horror of the spectacle above her. Everyone tensed and looked up those who knew what they saw cringed or cried out in terror storm though was just alarmed but unsure what was going on.
"Well, well, well, what do have we here" a voice said behind celestia and luna causing everyone gathered their to spin towards the sound. Their standing in the entry way to the courtyard stood the creature from the cave flanked on both sides by hundreds of smaller creature that looked like her. The things that struck storm as odd about her was the strange shell on her back, the fact her legs had many holes in them, and that everyone was scared of her granted she had numbers but what was so bad about her. Without even meaning to a deep menacing growl sounded from storms chest as he stared at the strange creature before him. And as she looked at him first with fear and shock then contempt it struck storm why everyone feared her. she was chrysalis the queen of the changelings. The shock must have been apparent in storms eyes because chrysalis burst into maniacal laughter as her hoard slowly encircled everyone in the courtyard.
"I see my reputation precedes me and it must be fierce for a dragon to show me fear" chrysalis said staring at storm like he was a new toy she didn't know what to do with.
"My fight isn't with you dragon you may leave" chrysalis said as she slowly approached the two princesses only to have storm appear directly in her path so abruptly she ran face first into his chest. She looked up into his eyes fixing to give a snide remark before it withered and died on her tounge at the sight of his expression.
"If you have any problem with any pony here you have a problem with me" storm said glaring at chrysalis with a look that could kill with nothing but cold hard anger in his eyes. Before he sent her flying with a knee into her chest back to the other side of the courtyard. Chrysalis dragged herself back to her feet gasping for breath staring daggers at storm before her changeling senses told her something she could uses against them.
"So dragon tell me which princess do you love?" chrysalis said catching storm off guard and making his strong façade falter slightly.
"Is it princess celestia?" she asked in mock innocence approaching the dragon slowly like a predator would with wounded prey.
"Or perhaps it is the delicate princess luna?" chrysalis asked not missing the slight panic that flew behind storms hard eyes. Getting what she needed chrysalis horn lit up with a sick green color and she slowly began to change still approaching storm. Her jagged horn grew whole and changed to blue as did her eyes all the way to the point where their was a second luna standing before a petrified storm. He knew it wasn't the real luna but he was to preoccupied with trying to figure out what told her his feelings for the lunar princess. The imposter came within arms reach and stood back on her hind legs and wrapped storm in a warm embrace and whispered in his ear.
"Come with me i'll love you forever you. what do you say, stormy my love?" chrysalis was so engorged and focused on the love spewing from the young dragon to realize her mistake until it was too late. Quick as lightning storm grabbed the imposter by her horn and lifted her up over his head before slamming her down into the ground repeatedly on either side of him. When he stopped a sick green fluid was flowing from many points across chrysalis's broken and battered body. Still not finished storm brought the changeling queen to his face to look in her eyes as they slowly and painfully opened, when they did storm roared loud and strong in her face the sheer power vibrating the ground beneath him and pushing against his hold on chrysalis. when he finished storm felt week and looked around him to find many changelings attacking him rather pathetically trying to free their queen from his vice like grip.
"you want her you can have her!" storm screamed in rage throughing the beaten queen as hard as he could away from him self and focusing on his attackers. For every one changeling storm killed or sent reeling three more attacked him until he was nothing more than a mass of changelings fighting to get a piece of him. The rest of the ponies were faring better the princesses where casting spells and protected by their guards and the man six were holding their own in their own way. Twilight using magic, rainbow was flying around attacking anything that wasn't a pony, applejack was bucking just bout anything that moved and then their was pinkie with her party cannon blowing changeling's out of the sky by the boat loads. Everything went silent and stopped when a loud crack sounded from beneath the pile of changelings atop storm everyone watched with anticipation to see what would happen next. Beneath the changelings storm was growing desperate his was losing blood fast and their was no foreseeable way out save one but it would probably hurt like hell. Deciding he had no other choice storm opened his mouth once again and concentrated on fire and hoped like hell it would hurt. But when he released it storm was almost deafened by a loud crack and blinded by a bright flash of light as the changelings were sent flying in all directions. When he finally regained his senses storm rolled over and sat up and looked on in shock at the carnage before him. The battle was a stale mate as neither side was making any solid gains except for storm. All around their were wounded or dead changelings and a few ponies most of which were just wounded. During the battle night had fallen and everyone fighting had a hard time telling friend from foe all save luna and storm, one because night was her domain and the other because of his superior sense of sight. Storm scanned the masses looking for chrysalis and found her some distance away merely watching and nursing her wounds. Storm dropped to all fours and slowly crawled towards his target taking down the occasional changeling along the way. As he neared chrysalis looked his direction in time to see moonlight reflect off of one of his remaining scales. Her eyes widened as she realized she was in danger and made to escape but she was to late. With another primal roar storm left forward and grabbed chrysalis by her horn and shooting flames on the ground in a circle around himself.
"Call a retreat now or lose your horn bitch." storm said staring hard into chrysalis eyes and she nodded in agreement as slowly the changelings backed away and disappeared into the night. Satisfied storm took a look at the damage many dead changelings lay on the ground and a few unconscious ponies some severely wounded.
"This is the second time I have held your life in my hands and let you live don't make it a third cause you won't live through that one." storm said releasing the battered changeling and watching her leave.
"You will regret this day dragon mark my words." Chrysalis sneered before she disappeared into the shadow.
"Remember what I said" storm shot back before turning to face his friends with a warm smile. Everyone was battered and bruised after the battle but still they smiled.
"IT would seem you have more than earned you place in the guard storm, but not just any guard will do no you are to be the Guard captain." Luna said coming forward and wrapping storm in a warm hug which he gladly returned before succumbing to his injurious and fainting on the spot. Storm awoke three days later in the hospital with twilight asleep at the foot of his bed and the rest of the main six scattered across the room all asleep. and next to his bed storm found a vase of beautiful flowers with a note that read get well soon and welcome to the guard signed luna and celestia.