//------------------------------// // Threatened // Story: Raining Metal // by thecakeisalie //------------------------------// A sunny day, a cloudless sky, and heat rising quickly. The perfect summer day in Equestria, if it wasn't for one thing. Despite the warmth, the situation room in Canterlot Castle felt ice cold. A transmission from Marence in the east, to Gryphony in the west, detailing an alliance, and plans for an invasion of Equestria, had just been decoded a few minutes ago. It was perhaps the worst news in over a thousand years. "So, General Ironhoof, you say that this is definently credible?" Asked the Sun Godess again. "Yes Ma'm." The general replied. "Sister, it seems we must enact a draft if we want to have a chance of survival. We should also inform the populace why they're getting drafted." The Moon Godess said. "I agree Luna. This is an unfortunate turn of events. But we must do all we can. Even we shall have to fight, I fear." "Yes sister. I will go organize the draft. I shall also command the industrialists to start producing weapons. We will need them." With that, Luna left her sister alone with the general. "You may go, General. Good job with that transmission." "Yes Ma'm." Ironhoof said as he left the room. The first war in almost 2,000 years, thought Celestia to herself. This will be a much worse threat than Discord ever was. Then she left to check her armor. A leader has to be prepared, after all. Midnight opened his eyes to a white room. A steady beep- beep- beep was coming from his left side. As he looked around the room, he realized he was in a hospital. An invention of his own, and here he was, trapped in it. The irony dug at him, and he laughed. This brought Applejack into the room, followed by a cyan pegasus mare with a rainbow mane and tail, a small yellow pegasus he vaugely remembered seeing on his way into town, a lilac unicorn, and a pure white unicorn with a purple mane and tail. "So I've got a welcoming party, huh? That's new," he joked. This had the unexpected result of causing a pink pony to pop out of empty space, bringing confetti with her. "Party?" Pinkie said, bouncing off walls, "Where? No one pulls another suprise party on me!" Applejack interrupted, saying, "These two," at this she pointed at the two pegasi, "Want to say something." Fluttershy squeaked out an apology that Midnight couldn't really make, but accepted anyways, while Rainbow just sat and huffed. "I'm not apoligizing! He scared Fluttershy!" "Whatever, I don't really care," Midnight said as he sat up and started to get out of bed. "No harm done anyways. I'm fine." "But the doctors said you had three broken ribs!" Twilight exclaimed. "Surely that's not 'fine'." At this point, Midnight's horn glowed slightly, then he ripped out the needles in his foreleg, took off the moniter patches, and jumped out of bed. "Good as new!" He smiled at the unicorn. "See, I'm just fine!" A nurse burst into the room with a crash cart, just to discover her patient was moving about just fine. "You should be in bed! And don't take off the heart moniter!" She scolded, trying to get Midnight back in bed. "Nah, I'm good," he said, and jumped out the window, lowering himself to the entrance of the hospital with magic, no strain showing on his face. "See? A- ok!" "But... But... that's not possible!" The nurse said, retreating from the window, "And you didn't check out anyways!" "Umm... ok." Midnight gave an eyeroll at the unnecessary formality. The system he'd created hadn't had that kind of inherent stupidity in it. "Just a sec." After being given a clean bill of health by an astounded doctor, and discharged, Midnight walked out of Ponyville hospital with his new boss, Applejack. She was one of those rare mares that made him wish it was ok to have a romance occasionally. But love, or even a casual crush, was one of the first costs of being immortal. "Since yah don't seem to have a place to stay, you can sleep in the barn tonight, 'k?" Applejack instructed. "Awesome! Been forever since I've had a real place to sleep!" This was only half true. Midnight didn't sleep, and he didn't need to eat either, but he found it was better not to let orthe ponies know that. It invariably lead to difficult questions, or charges of insanity. "I'd like to introduce yah ta my friends. That ok?" "Those the ones from the hospital?" "Yep." "Alright. Fine by me." "We're havin' lunch at the cafe. Come on." The pretty white unicorn took one look at Midnight and gushed, "WHAT have you done to your mane? This simply isn't acceptable! It's so... uncouth! You must come over at the first opportunity, and I will fix it for you!" "That's Rarity," Applejack said, "And the other unicorn is Twilight Sparkle. The shy yellow pegasus is Fluttershy, and the one that tackled you is Rainbow Dash. The other earth pony, the pink one, is Pinkie Pie." "Nice to meet you all." "You know what this calls for? A PARTY!" Pinkie, as typical whenever a party was mentioned around her, popped into the air. "I think that's the last thing on his mind now, darling. I mean, he did just get out of the hospital." "But I haven't been able to throw a new pony party since Twilight moved in!" "Maybe later sugarcube. But he's promised tah work the farm while hes here. He migh' not have time." "Aweeee. Well, how about a work the farm party? I've never done one of those before!" The pink pony bounced up and soared away before anypony could tell her no. After Pinkie left, the group just devolved into normal discussion. "Did yah have a good time at luch?" "Yeah, but you're friends are a little... well, weird." "Ah know. But you ge' used to 'em." "Well, I'm gonna go to the barn. I feel kinda tired." Anything to get away from the crazy ponies he'd met today. The pink one actually scared him a little, she seemed unstable. Like an explosion just waiting to happen. "U-huh... Well, yah can find you're way to the farm, righ'?" "Yep. I'll be fine." "I'll see yah all later then. I got a friend to deal wit'." "Alright! Bye!" "Yep." As Applejack trotted away, Midnight headed to the farm. A couple of days of break, he thought to himself. It's sure nice to take things easy sometimes. Applejack took a quick glance back. An undescribable feeling had taken over her stomach for a second there. Figuring she must have just eaten too much, she continued into Ponyville.