The next day, the group met up outside the pharmacy. Dangersignal was no where to be seen, but then again, he was a railway Alicorn who was always away on journeys. They assumed he got called away to handle a heavy goods train and that he wouldn’t be joining them.
If only they knew that behind that complex mass of emotions, logic and hard work was a cold, calculating mind. A cold and calculating mind that made every pony-from the royalty down to the common criminal shake.
A running joke amongst the other guards is that Dangersignal could make any super villain that came into Equestria blush and leave in sheer disappointment. Many of the railway ponies said that he was so cold and calculating that he could easily read a signal with his eyes close.
Of course, when Shining Armor ever talked about Dangersignal, he always praised him for his work ethic. Twilight could recall many conversations she had with her brother about the Alicorn, but something stuck out in her mind.
“That pony’s so bent to protect his honor that he’d stage a betrayal to get even with the pony who damaged his honor.”
‘Nah,’ Twilight thought. ‘He wouldn’t do that.’
All the same, she was slightly puzzled. She barely knew any of these ponies, but it seemed that she could not get a solid grasp on Dangersignal. One minute, he’s bursting used storm clouds, the next, he’s on a steel train from a Smelter’s pit clear up to Las Pegasus.
However, she noticed that the others were lost in their thoughts about the large dark red Alicorn. Something about him rubbed every pony in the group the wrong way. He actions, his demeanor, the way he held himself. He seemed to be hiding a lot more than what was first known.
However, deciding that the Alicorn could be opened up later, like a line of dead questions in a courtroom cross-examination, she pushed Dangersignal out of her mind. Things might have been better if she hadn’t.
The group, once all accounted for, departed for the Everfree Forest. Of course, they all heard tales of the place as foals and fillies. Something told them that this place might not be the worlds most enjoyable place to be.
“Why couldn’t Luna and Celestia have chosen the White Tail Woods for their Castle of the Two Sisters?” Rainbow Dash snarled. “Everypony who has an ounce of brains wouldn’t set hoof in the woods!”
“Extra security,” Dragonstorm huffed. “If you were in their horseshoes, wouldn’t you want to have that extra security? If no pony ever set hoof in those woods, then you’d have no reason to build there. With monsters like Manticores, Timberwolves, and the like, wouldn’t you sleep, knowing your enemies are at bay?”
“Fair point,” Gemstone said. “I know I would.”
The group soon reached the edge of the woods, where upon Rainbow Dash tried and failed at scaring the others. However, the wind whistling through the trees made every pony feel scared now. Dragonstorm looked at them and after letting his lime green ethereal magic surround his horn, he took the lead.
“I’ll act as a light,” he said. “That way we don’t tire out the unicorns. Sometimes, a simple light spell can be tiring to say the least.
As they entered, Rarity looked at the bright red Alicorn.
“What did Nightmare Moon mean when she said your brother was afraid of the dark? I mean an Alicorn can’t be afraid of the dark, can they?” she asked.
“He isn’t as afraid now, because he does night time postal runs and other night trains, but when we were foals, he was born as a Pegasus. He didn't have the same luxury as me and our parents didn't want him tiring himself out flying, so one night, he was coming home from a late night school function and was hit by a renegade fruit cart,” Dragonstorm said.
“That had to have hurt,” Fluttershy said.
“He was in hospital with several broken bones and needed stitches where a handle for the harness had sunk itself into his body, just missing his stomach,” Dragonstorm continued. “During the time he was healing, he only ever had one visitor. Princess Luna. She visited him as often as she could, comforting him.”
“What about your parents?” Twilight asked. “Didn’t they go?”
“No, they had too much to do, being secretaries for the leader of the Crystal Empire. Lucky for us that he healed well,” Dragonstorm said. “For not long after that, our parents gave birth to a baby sister, who had a disease; they were all killed in a train wreck and me and my brother were pulled to safety just as Sombra took over.”
“Wow,” was all anyone could say.
“From there, we became guards and moved quickly through the ranks, until we were suggested for a trial of a new guard regiment, the Plain Clothes guards. We were turned into Alicorns for said trial and basically given this form to try and make up for all the losses we had.”
“Did you guys have any other interesting adventures or misadventures?” White Orchid asked, hoping to get something cheerful out of the Alicorn, instead of misery and pain.
“Well, Soarin and Dangersignal became close friends after Dangersignal managed to get Soarin out from under some deep, deep trouble,” Dragonstorm said.
“Wait, you mean Dangersignal, a simple working type Alicorn, and Soarin, a Wonderbolt, are friends?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Correct,” Dragonstorm said. “Lemme guess, biggest fan of the Wonderbolts and Soarin in particular?”
“How’d you know?” Rainbow Dash asked, staring wide eyed at the bright red Alicorn.
“Anytime you talk, when it’s not boosting your own ego, your always talking about Soarin being your idol,” Dragonstorm said. “Anyone would think your in love with him.”
Rainbow Dash went red with embarrassment and glared coldly at Dragonstorm. She liked Soarin, but wasn’t in love. Now, she was ready to smack both Dangersignal and Dragonstorm. Dangersignal for being Soarin’s friend and Dragonstorm for making a cheeky remark. Before she could do anything, Dragonstorm gave a gesture and started to move forward.
“Come on, we have work to do,” Dragonstorm said.
The group followed the Alicorn, staying close to him and close together. They had heard him say that safety in numbers was a good thing. Carrying on into the woods, Shaydefire, one of the Thestrals joining the ponies on the journey looked towards Dragonstorm.
“What was this trouble that Dangersignal got Soarin out from under?” he asked.
“Two charges-blackmail and extortion. There was a small ring of Cloudsdale pegasi who were the kings of blackmail and extortion. They needed a fall pony and Soarin was chosen, by having his name drawn out of a hat,” Dragonstorm said. “Dangersignal made the courts look like a bunch of uneducated imbeciles.”
“Ouch,” came the reply. “Hopefully the judge and Celestia came out looking better. I mean, he wouldn’t intentionally make the ruler and the blind eyes of justice look like idiots.”
“Well, he did, when he proved that all the evidence that the prosecution had was manufactured by the culprits and that they were getting away with clean cut extortion and blackmail. He told the judge that if he hadn’t been so half-baked, then the trial would have been suspended until the right culprit was caught. As for Celestia, he told her that if she had actually hired investigators and had cops ready, then they wouldn’t have resorted to breaking a few legs and having to get the ever famous prisoner transport van,” Dragonstorm said.
“He actually gave Celestia a piece of his mind?” Darkseige asked, disbelievingly. “No pony has ever done that.”
“Celestia was most certainly embarrassed,” Dragonstorm said. “But Dangersignal saved her from any more embarrassment and even put right the wrongs.”
“The guy seems like a miracle worker,” Rarity said. “Always mysterious, yet fixing any problem. He must be perfect.”
“Far from it, Rarity,” Dragonstorm chuckled. “I know him all too well, seeing as he is my older brother. He’s headstrong, takes nothing sitting down, cold, calculating, sharp tongued, silent, prefers to suffer alone, closes his feelings to everyone and acts like a genuine tough guy. He does have a softer side and all you have to do is actually show him that there are ponies worth trusting.”
“Really?” came Rarity’s reply. “I never knew that.”
“Yeah,” Dragonstorm said then face hoofed hard. “Augh!”
“What’s wrong?” Fluttershy asked.
“Remember when I was listing off my brother’s flaws and I said he was headstrong?” Dragonstorm asked.
“I do,” Shadow Prowler, the third Thestral on the team said.
“Well, he knows something about Nightmare Moon and is going to try and handle it alone, which means he’s going to…”
“Betray you to get even?” a cold, hard voice asked.
The group looked around, but couldn’t see anything. Dragonstorm tensed quickly and gave a growl. The other guards took that to mean “Trouble on the horizon. Be at the ready”. Just then, the woods were lit up with a deep maroon ethereal magic and they could see something that froze them to the spot with fear. Dangersignal, with a look of deranged happiness that could make Nightmare Moon blush.
“I knew your headstrongness would kick in big bro,” Dragonstorm snapped. “Your not fighting her alone!”
“I hate to contradict you, baby brother, but I am not here to fight her. I’m here to tell you to back off,” he said. “I have given my honor to Nightmare Moon and I work for her now.”
“Backstabbing little…!” Shadow Prowler roared, launching himself at Dangersignal.
The dark red Alicorn slipped aside and whispered in the Thestral’s ear, “I have a plan, run with this improvised plan.”
The Thestral chuckled in agreement and actually got physical in a few seconds, tackling the dark red Alicorn to the ground, smashing through tree branches and even breaking down a few rotten trees. The group watched the fight and even winced when the two fighting ponies were nailed by falling trees.
“Serves him right!” Rarity huffed. “Betraying us like that.”
The others agreed and when Shadow Prowler returned, the group was heading back on their way. However, they weren’t done with Dangersignal. They might have gone and finished what Shadow Prowler started. Something told them that they were in for a jolly good fight.
Continuing onwards, the group wondered what Dangersignal was planning. They didn’t have to wait long. At a small clearing a third of the way along their journey, there was Dangersignal, standing there, his wings flared out. Standing beside him was Nightmare Moon.
“Ye got tae be kiddin!” Hurricane hissed. “I believed ye were a great friend!”
“He’s chosen the right side,” Nightmare Moon cackled. “He knows where to put his honor and he has made the right choice.”
Nightmare Moon wasn’t paying attention to Dangersignal, who was giving her the cold and calculating look. Shaydefire noticed that his commander was definitely playing it strong with one card. Nightmare Moon walked around the other ponies, shaking her head in a pitiful way.
“Sorry to say this, you are all failures,” she said. “I’d have considered you, but your working for that spoilt Princess Celestia. She’s too perfect and has no remorse for any actions that she took 1,000 years ago. She has no consideration for any pony who doesn’t worship her!”
Dangersignal was now hot under his non-existent mane. No pony ever talked bad about Princess Celestia. However, to prove he was a stallion of honor, he told Nightmare Moon to let him handle them.
“Please, Milady, I can dispense with these pathetic fools,” he said. “I know how to deal with them.”
“Very well. Make it quick,” she said and turned into the same dark blue mist and vanished.
“Get him!” Rarity roared.
The group stood ready and on Dragonstorm’s command, the guards jumped into action. The Thestrals tackled and pinned Dangersignal down, each Thestral holding down one of his legs. Dragonstorm gripped his older brother’s head and held it down by the horn.
“Twilight, your chance to shine!” came the order.
As the lavender unicorn came forward, Dangersignal lurched and shook them off. He then took to the air and stood on a tree branch. Turning around, he glanced around a tree, and the scent of his prey was still in the air.
“Toy with my honor will you, you’ll pay for that!” he snarled and kicked off, only to be slammed hard to the ground by Rainbow Dash, Hurricane, Storm Blast, Aquatis Storm and Fluttershy.
“Your not going at her alone!” Rainbow Dash hissed, glaring coldly at him.
“This isn’t your fight!” Dangersignal bellowed. “I created this monster and it’s my duty to put it right!”
That startled Fluttershy, but that only made Rainbow Dash even angrier. She was about to smack him hard when Gemstone pulled her away. Dangersignal stood up, none too steady and it actually took him time to catch his breath.
“Nightmare Moon is Princess Luna, as I already said,” he explained between gasps and pants. “I gave her my word of honor that…”
“We know all that,” White Orchid said, trying hard to resist smacking the older Alicorn.
“Well, by letting her become Nightmare Moon, I felt like I betrayed my honor and that Nightmare Moon is the monster that I created from that betrayal,” he said, as a tear trickled down his cheek.
“Betrayal of one’s honor is indeed painful,” Twilight said. “But your stunt, we can call “Betrayal in the name of Honor” as you were trying to show that you have honor and are willing to betray us to stop our nemesis.”
Dangersignal said no more. He turned and started off. The group stayed behind, not sure what to make.
“Get moving!” he barked. “We’re not going to stop Nightmare Moon standing about, feeling sorry for ourselves!”
“Yes, sir!” Dragonstorm and the Thestral said, grins spreading across their faces.
“We have our fearless leader back!” Rarity said.
Dragonstorm walked alongside his older brother, comforting him and telling him that he can make amends when all was said and done.
“If I can,” he said. “Betrayal of honor is one thing, but betrayal of yourself is something that can’t be healed quickly, but betraying some pony who looked up to you as an older sibling that they wished they had really stings.”
“Oh, well, if you want help at any time, I’m always here for you,” Dragonstorm said. “You can trust me. We’ve always been there for each other ever since that day.”
“Thank you,” Dangersignal whispered. “I owe you own, youngster.”
“No problem,” Dragonstorm said.
The group noticed that they were somber and quiet. Surprisingly, it was Rainbow Dash who flew up to the two Alicorns and asked them what they were talking about.
“Oh, well “That day” refers to the day that me and my older brother here got some news. Our parents were taking our baby sister, who had some kind of rare disease, to Canterlot when their train rain into a landslide. They were killed in the subsequent wreck,” Dragonstorm said. “Dangersignal basically took it upon himself to be the bigger brother.”
“Oh,” was all Rainbow Dash said.
“At least we got something good out of the deal, new friends,” Dragonstorm said. “Also, high ranks and became Alicorns for a trial of plain clothes guards. Luna and Celestia said that by making us Alicorns, it would at least show us that there were ponies who understood our situations and that they hoped it’d cheer us up, which it did.”
Rainbow Dash smiled and said that it must be awesome to be Alicorns. Dangersignal smiled wryly for the first time since the fight.
“It’s awesome when your having to correct misconceptions of what Alicorns are supposed to do, which I promise to tell you after this,” he said. “My…My word of Honor.”
“I know you’ll keep it,” Rainbow said, kissing Dangersignal on the cheek.
Luckily, he was dark red, so no pony saw him blush.