The Elements of Honor

by Flanagan

Chapter 7: The Sentence

A young colt was searching through the forest in the daytime, he was looking for something or somepony. He snuck around trees and through bushes, trying to find what he was searching for. It seemed like hours that he was searching, but he was determined to find it. His quest drew him further and further from the woods into a less dense wooded area. A small meadow of sorts, he continued his search, not at all phased by this change of landscape.

Hearing a loud thundering boom, he jumped at the sudden noise amongst the quiet woods. He looked up in the air to see quite a sight; a rainbow had suddenly appeared in a bizarre circular shape across the sky. He was dumbstruck by this event, so much that he could only stop and stare at the rainbow until it disappeared. He was still looking up when he heard a rustling in the bushes not far from him, he jumped a bit at the noise but he was very quiet about it. The thing he was looking for might have been right behind that bush, and he didn’t want it to know he was there.

He crept towards the bush, silently sneaking closer and closer to his goal. He noticed that a tree was on the opposite side of it, that was where he was going to come from to get whatever was behind that bush. He continued to creep towards the tree, not making a single sound as he got closer and closer. After a few tense moments he was at his goal, again he heard that small rustle from the opposite side of the tree. He waited for a few more, tense moments 3... 2... 1... NOW!

As he jumped out from behind the tree he was very surprised by what he found, it was not what he was looking for but it was something. Now he was literally kissing a small long maned filly, their wings both fully extended form the shock and awkwardness of their encounter. Then another colt’s voice called out while to two were still frozen in an awkward first kiss.

“Hey big bro,” it called, “you give up lookin’ for us yet?”

Greatsword woke up from his ‘flashback dream’ as he had begun to call them. As usual, he was up before his newly identified brothers. He heard a knock on their door. He walked over to the door to open it and when he did he saw that same, sky blue pegasus that he had seen the day before, only far more chipper than usual.

“Hello, Comet.” Greatsword said with a smile.

“Hey bud-I mean Greatsword.” he said smiling back. “I’m happy for you three for finally finding out who you are. Sorry about that ‘still not knowing your past’ part though.”

“Well, thank you, I guess.” Greatsword said looking at the clock on the wall it was still very early, even for Comet, he wondered what prompted his visit so soon. “Comet, what are you-”

“So, Record Keeper, huh,” Comet interrupted Greatsword with a deviant grin, “I never took you for one who would go after the bookworm type of mare.”

“What?” Greatsword said caught off guard. “Do you-”

“Hey, buddy, I’m not judging.” Comet interrupted again, “After all she is a very, VERY good looking bookworm, and that flank of hers is one of the best I’ve-”

“Comet…” Greatsword interrupted his friend by placing his hoof in his friend’s mouth. “I can’t have friends that aren’t stallions?”

Comet removed Greatsword’s hoof from his mouth, “So you two aren’t…” he said tapping his hooves together, “like that?”

“No Comet, we did go out together, but with my brothers and the rest of the 1025th as well, remember?” Greatsword said to his friend who was looking at him, rather embarrassed, “we talked a lot, but it was mostly about her job details, I tried to start conversations with you but you were with Flare Flash and having a great time. I didn’t want to interrupt that. Yeah we left early, but unlike us she had to be at work the next day, nothing happened, really, nothing.”

“Oh… ok…” Comet was clearly embarrassed for making such a hasty judgment. “well, sorry for that, guess I shouldn’t jump to conclusions.”

“Is that all you are here for Comet?” Greatsword said, smirking a bit as his friend’s rather normal assumption.

“Well, no, not really” Comet said, “but we actually have to be in front of Princess Celestia while Princess Luna is still awake, she sleeps through most of the day, you know. Princess Celestia wants her sister to hear what will become of us, and buddy; it’s probably a doozy…”

“Alright I’ll wake the others right now. We’ll be out in five.” Greatsword said looking at his brothers then back at Comet.

“Ok, I’ll wake the rest of them,” Comet said as he turned around, “I’ll see you in five...”

Some thirty minutes later the whole of the 1025th were in the royal throne room again. This time, however, it was not for identification. The three had informed Princess Celestia the day prior, before they went out on the town. It was for their punishment, they had injured nearly three hundred Lunar Stallions in their skirmish two days ago. It was actually amazing they didn’t kill any of them, but that was not the point, they were about to answer for what they had done.

Commander Garrison bowed towards the Princesses to begin their trial “Greeting, my ladies.” he said as he was on his knees.

“Good morning, Commander.” Princess Celestia said as she motioned him to stand. “Now let us begin the trial. You and your unit are accused of provoking public unrest, breaking into the royal city, some three hundred counts of assault and battery and disobeying direct orders to stay out of Canterlot during the celebration. How do you plea?”

“Guilty to all charges, your majesty,” Commander Garrison said, “but in my defense, that tower guard was being an ass about the whole thing...”

“That will be noted in the hearing’s final statement, Commander.” Princess Celestia said smiling a little.

“AS FOR YOUR PONIES, COMMANDER,” Princess Luna said to get the attention of the others. “How do they plea to these charges?”

“Guilty to all charges.” the 1025th said simultaneously, as if they had rehearsed it, and more than likely, they did.

“Very well,” Princess Luna said looking her attention back to her her big sister, “We have no further queries, sister, and as by law we hath given thou the authority to give a deserving punishment for these ponies.”

“And I shall Luna,” Princess Celestia said to her sister then towards the 1025th, “I have come to a decision for your trial ponies, by the power that I have been granted by my sister, I declare you Guilty of all charges.”

“As we should be.” Commander Garrison said.

“And as for you punishment…” Princess Celestia began, smiling deviant, “I sentence you all to one year of military service under Princess Luna…”

“WHAT?!” both the 1025th and Princess Luna exclaimed in disbelief in unison. They were completely shocked at the sentence that Princess Celestia had given them.

“The 1025th will be members of the Lunar Guard for that period time,” Princess Celestia raised her hoof to silence all of them before they could argue her judgement. “If you obey her orders as well as I know you can, I will drop the charges from all of you.” Princess Celestia rose from her throne and proceeded to walk down the stairs. “Now if you will excuse me,” she said looking back at the still baffled ponies and alicorn, “I am expecting a letter from my most faithful student. You should all become better aquatinted with one another, after all, you are going to be seeing each other for the next year.” She let out a small laugh and left the royal throne room.

“I-I, got a BAD feeling about this.” Cannon Fodder said as he and the rest of the 1025th looked up toward the still baffled Princess Luna, her mouth still agape from her hearing her sister’s punishment.

“For once, Cannon Fodder, I agree with you…” Flare Flash said, his wing still in bandages. “She’s going to get us all killed, when we’re not expecting it, I just know it.”

“I doubt that, Flash,” Comet said trying to reassure everypony, “she might just have us do guard duty for a few weeks and then let us go.”

“That’s WAY too optimistic, Comet…” Long Shot said back to his sky blue counterpart. “we all got skills her guards don‘t have, if she isn’t going to kill us she will utilize us for the whole period she has been given.”

“Evers gonna happen, I’m sure I ain’t gonna be likin’ it one little bit.” Ridge Cracker said, placing his hoof up and down on the tile.

“Well, why doesn’t somepony just ask her?” Camo said as the 1025th turned their gaze from Princess Luna to him. “We can’t just assume things like that anymore, remember what happened last time we did that?”

“That is an excellent point Camo,” Lug Nut said to his friend, “Now,” he began as he and the rest of the 1025th looked back up to Princess Luna, “who’s going to ask her?”

“Shouldn’t Commander Garrison ask her?” Patches asked the other ponies around her, “After all, he is our Commander.” They looked towards their usually undeterred leader, but he was frozen in the same look of utter disbelief as Princess Luna was.

As the 1025th began to try to decide who was going to talk to the Princess while their Commander was in his peculiar state, Warhammer began to make his way up the stairs. None of his counterparts knew that he had begun to do what everypony else was afraid to do, but he knew that it had to be done. By the time the rest of the 1025th realized that Warhammer was missing from the conversation he was already standing right next to Princess Luna. The two looked to be equal in height, if not Warhammer might have been slightly larger. Before all the ponies at the bottom of the stairway tried shout at him not to do what he was about to do, it was too late, he tapped Princess Luna on the shoulder.

“GAHHH!” Princess Luna shrieked in reaction to the sudden contact, “WHO DARES TO TOUCH THE ROYAL SHOULDER!” she yelled directly at Warhammer, but as before he was not fazed by the Royal Canterlot Voice, he just continued to stare deeply into the Princess‘s eyes. She quickly came back to her senses, seeing that Warhammer seemed to be the only pony in Equestria immune to such a tone. “We must ask that you not touch us like that without warning.”

“My apologies, my lady.” Warhammer said to Princess Luna, she was a little taken back by the deep, but gentle way that he spoke. “But the 1025th including myself are, as of now and for the next year, under your command and we wish to know your first order, your highness.”

“Ah… well, yes… right.” Princess Luna said settling herself back into her throne. “Our first order to our new unit is…” Princess Luna paused still looking at Warhammer, “we don’t really know what do order you to do… we were able to command the Lunar Stallions when we were Nightmare Moon because we used dark magic to brainwash and infuriate them, and we no longer have that power…”

“Then let me help you with your first order.” Warhammer said as he drew close to her ear, “Command us to train your Lunar Stallions, Princess,” he whispered in her ear, “we are under your command, and we must obey your lawful orders.”

“Uh, yes…” Princess Luna said awkwardly as Warhammer was still very close to her ear, “we shall give them that order…”

“Good call, my lady.” Warhammer said drawing himself away from her ear and walked down the stairs to the rest of the now speechless 1025th.

“WE HAVE COME TO A DECISION!” Princess Luna shouted, “YOU SHALL TRAIN OUR LUNAR STALLIONS! YOU SHALL MAKE TRUE ROYAL GUARDS OF THEM!”

After the booming order Commander Garrison snapped out from his trance, “Huh? What?” he said still dumbfounded, “What are we doing?”

“We’re training the Lunar Stallion corps, Sir.” Battleaxe said to the Commander, “No thanks to anypony in particular.” he said shooting a glance at Warhammer, who just nodded at his brother.

“Oh, well… I should have expected that order,” Commander Garrison said “well mare and gentle colts, hit the stables again, those Lunar Stallions are called ‘Lunar’ for a reason. Training will start tonight.” Commander Garrison then turned toward his new commander and chief “My lady, send us the best of your stallions this evening, we shall begin training then.”

“As you wish, Commander,” Princess Luna said looking toward Commander Garrison, “tonight you shall receive your first units of stallions to train. We hope you are up to the task, ponies of the 1025th.”

“My lady,” Commander Garrison began. “If you have learned anything about the 1025th, it’s that we make the impossible look easy and the unthinkable a simple task.”

Comments

[Theater Critic]

I smell Self Insert!

[ilydia752]

2765848 Yeah, Says you, and it is his story so why not? All characters have something of their creators in them.