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// Chapter 1 An Unwelcome Call 
// Story: Boomer's Crisis 
// by WEKM 
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Chapter 1 An Unwelcome Call
It was a day like most others in Boomer’s shop. He was charging a crystal with his magic. It was hard. Most all unicorns can do magic with their horns, but Boomer had broken his as a young colt, and could only do one or two things with the stump of his horn. He could move some small things, but for the most part, his horn was only good for one thing. But it was spectacular in its own way.
When you get called to Canterlot by Princes Celestia, you go. Granted, when you are a pony with a job like Boomer’s, you don’t necessarily drop everything. That is because Boomer made explosive devices for Equestria’s army, as well as for the ponies who worked in mining and building, and a few times a year when he helped with the fireworks production.
Yes, dropping explosives is often a bad thing. Which is why, when Pinkie Pie popped in to announce his request to appear at the palace, with her usual, “Surprise! You’re never going to guess where WE’RE going!” it was a bad thing. For poor Boomer, time seemed to slow to a dead crawl as the blast crystal he’d been holding was launched up in an arc. All he could do is cringe in anticipation, which seemed to take about a thousand years, as it hit the floor.
THOOM!!!!
Boomer shook the soot and dust from himself, not that you could tell a difference. Most of the time, being charcoal black with some fine grey spots, he looked like a scorch mark in pony shape. He was impervious to blast magic. That was part of his gift, one of the things that made him special, as shown by the grey mushroom cloud that was his cutie mark.
Two hours of work down the drain.
He looked over his shoulder, and sure enough, Pinkie Pie had been standing perfectly in his blast shadow, and not even a hair of her mane was mussed. He would never understand how she could do that. No matter which way the explosive mishap she caused came from, she was always perfectly on the opposite side of him from it, completely protected from the disasters she wrecked on his shop.
He took three great breaths, willing himself to calm down. The stump of his horn went from its glowing red, back to its standard dull black.
And yep, she was staring at him with that wide eyed amazed look of wonder. He could already see her about to yell her standard, “That was GREAT! Do it again!”
But this time he cut her off, probably with more force than was really necessary, “WHAT!” He bit back the rest of what he was about to shout at her. Why did she have to push his buttons so much.
Nothing else was needed though, because Pinkie Pie had already launched into her announcement as she bounced around his shop like a spring. “We’ve been called to meet Princes Celestia. She has a mission for us. Ooooooo! I’m so excited!” He could feel his horn heating up all over again.
Boomer took one great hoof and put it on the top of the bouncing pink bane of his existence, and forced her to the ground. He’d stopped her jumping, but he could still feel the vibrations of excessive energy that was her whole being. With his other hoof, he spun her around, so she was facing the door, and shoved her through, before she could destroy anything else in his shop. “Outside with you! I’ll be out in a minute.”
A quick look around reassured him that nothing was left out that would be too dangerous. He grabbed his service cap, to hide his busted horn, and locked up the workshop.
When he stepped outside, he was at least glad to see that the Imperial Pegasus Chariot was waiting. It was a long walk from his home on the edge of Rambling Rock Ridge back to Ponyville, which is where he feared their ride to the palace would be. He doubted he could put up with listening to Pinkie Pie’s inane babble the length of time it took to get to Canterlot, let alone that trek as well.
However, he was spared having to listen to her, as she spent the whole ride with her hoofs out like wings, pretending she was flying, rather than riding in the chariot. Such joy on her face, he couldn’t believe how much like Giggles she was.
No!
He was not going down that train of thought again. That way only led to pain. He shut his eyes and mentally recited the ingredients for various explosive compounds. He was about to start through the list for the third time when he felt the chariot land. Counting to thirty, he risked opening his eyes.
From the streamers floating to the ground, and the fact that the pegasus ponies at the front of the chariot were covered in glitter, he knew that Pinkie Pie had thrown her celebration of arrival and was most likely streaking to the palace entrance. He was getting entirely too old for some of her shenanigans. He marched towards the gates with the proper air of a former military pony.
They were escorted right in to see the Princes. To Boomer’s surprise, Princes Luna was also on her thrown, along with Princess Celestia. That was unusual. Princes Luna wasn’t normally out in the throne room during the day.
A chill went up his back, from his tail all the way to the top of his mane. Something terrible was afoot. Military instincts didn’t die easily, but they were obviously dulled. He realized he should have caught on that something was amiss from the behavior of the chariot ponies, to the summons itself. 
Well, might as well get to it. Putting off bad news didn’t make it any better, or make it go away. “Sergeant Boomer reporting as ordered.” And then he bowed. He’d had etiquette nearly beaten into him in training. He would not embarrass his unit.
“You’re a SERGEANT?” Pinkie Pie gasped.
Before she could ramble on any more, he cut her off, “Was! I was a Sergeant. When I got out of the army, that was my rank. Therefore, when addressing a royal summons, that is the proper title to present myself as. Now be still.” He was still much too harsh with her. He just couldn’t help himself.
Princes Celestia must have noticed his discomfort though. “My dear Pinkie Pie. We need to speak with this pony for a moment. Why don’t you go and get ready for dinner tonight. We can talk with you then.” And of course at that, Pinkie Pie bounded off without a care in the world.
Boomer watched her go with a scowl on his face, until she was out of the throne room. Then he hung his head and let out a great sigh. Steeling himself, he then looked back up at his Princesses. “What’s wrong, and how can I help?”
Princes Celestia looked over at her sister with a wink, “Told you.” But Princes Luna held up a hoof, “Nay sister dear. He doesn’t know everything yet. His path is not set in stone, as we saw, but I too hope you are right.”
Now Boomer was a bit worried. Something big was obviously about to be dropped on him.
Princes Celestia continued, “We do need your help. Forces from the Nightmare Realm are again breaking into Equestria. If we can’t stop them, they could well drown our lands in horrors. Together, my sister and I have seen a glimpse of the future. With yours and another’s help, the dark forces can be stopped, but if the two of you are not there, then everything is in doubt. We may or may not prevail, but either way, the cost will be much greater.”
Ready to again offer his help most eagerly, he was surprised when Princes Luna again held up a restraining hoof, “Not so fast brave one. You have yet to ask who this other pony who must accompany you is, for I fear that she will be the reason for your refusal. Especially seeing as we know not if she will come back.”
Boomer cocked his head, what did they mean, “she”? Then his face fell in a horror all too real and immediate to him. “Pinkie Pie? Can’t it be anyone else? Please Princesses, NO!”
Princes Luna looked to her sister and her head hung in sadness. Princes Celestia looked back at Boomer, her face mirroring her sisters hurt, “Sadly, no. Both you and she must be part of the group sent to stop the invasion, or we may fail.”
Boomer looked up in desperate hope, “May, MAY fail. Surely you can’t ask me to take her along. Princes Celestia, your sister may have been still imprisoned in the moon, but YOU, you know what happened. How can you ask this of me?”
It was Princes Luna who looked back at Boomer with challenge, an almost fierce anger, “I too know what happened! But as we said, if she goes not, then success is in peril, and suredly many more will suffer. Yet, we shall not order you, even though we could. This must be your choice alone.” That last was said with such deep regret that he knew that she did indeed know what he had been through.
Boomer stood rigid but trembling in fury. His cap burned away revealing the stump of his horn going from glowing red, to white hot. Then his eyes too started to glow as he gritted his teeth as if in terrible pain. Everyone in the throne room backed away from him as they felt the energy building around him. Those who knew what was about to happen fled, the rest followed suit.
He was about to let the force loose, consequences be damned, just to burn the pain away, if even only for a moment, but a voice and face from the past drifted up from his memories. A bright young blue and white unicorn looked up at him with her brilliant eyes, filled with both fear and hope, “You do whatever it takes to stop them. You can help save us all.”
Boomer let out a wail of anguish and clamped down on the power. He couldn’t be selfish. They were counting on him. He couldn’t let others get hurt if he could stop it. As he let the energy drain away safely, he settled back to the floor, then crumpled to a sobbing heap. He felt a hoof gently touch his shoulder. He looked up, though he could barely see through the tears. It was Princes Celestia, with Princes Luna at her side. They hadn’t fled. They had believed in him. He almost couldn’t get the words out, “I’ll do it.” They nodded their heads, but they too hung their heads in sadness at the choice. In his head he answered that voice from the past, “No, I couldn’t save you all, and may not this time either.” 
The princesses weren’t the least bit surprised that he wasn’t at dinner that night. They understood. They told Pinkie Pie only what they knew she must be told about the mission they were about to send them on. They knew that some things couldn’t be told before, at least not if they wanted to succeed. Glimpses of the future always came with conditions, and costs for failing to heed them.
The next morning the reconnaissance patrol, along with Boomer and Pinkie Pie set out for the area of the suspected break through. Boomer had acquired another service cap. This time with his rank affixed. Although there was some confusion as the quartermaster tried to give him one with a silver oak leaf, one meant for a lieutenant colonel. He handed it back and specified one with First Sergeant stripes, and ignored the odd look the quartermaster gave him. He’d looked at his cap with sad eyes before putting it on. He touched the sergeant’s stripes gently with one hoof. Although he loved his service caps, he’d not had rank on them for nearly twenty years. Some things you just can’t escape.