The Elements of Honor

by Flanagan

Chapter 29: On the Wings of Angels

Scootaloo, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle walked into the Everfree Forest, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle still wondering what Scootaloo’s great idea was.

“What exactly are we doing?” Sweetie Belle asked Scootaloo, looking for something in the thick of the trees.

“We’re looking for my wood pile.” Scootaloo replied.

“A wood pile?” the two ponies behind her said.

“Yeah,” Scootaloo replied, “MY wood pile.”

“Why would ya want ta bring us ta lousy wood pile?” Apple Bloom asked, with a disappointed expression on her face.

“It’s not going to be a wood pile once we’re done, Apple Bloom,” Scootaloo said back to her, “it’s going to be an awesome half pipe!”

“Why couldn’t this wait ‘til mornin‘?” Apple Bloom asked.

“BECAUSE Sweetie Belle will probably have to leave when Princess Luna goes back to Canterlot in the morning.” Scootaloo answered.

“She’s right…” Sweetie Belle said disappointedly. “I have to go back on tour in a few days.”

“Oh,” Apple Bloom said, “I guess yer right.”

“Of course I am,” Scootaloo smiled, “Now, help me find this thing.”

The crusaders continued deeper into the forest, searching for Scootaloo’s wood pile. Their quest drew them further and further into the dark, until the they could barely see their own hooves in front of their faces. They pressed on however, undaunted, but unknown to them they were being watched by unfriendly and hungry eyes. The bushes behind them rustled lightly. Causing Apple Bloom to jump at the sudden sound.

“D-did ya’ll hear that?” she said darting towards her friends.

“And you said I was a chicken.” Scootaloo joked. “Come on, we should be close now.”

They continued on, until they reached a small clearing. Scootaloo pointed to a pile of large branches and smiled. “There it is,” she said proudly. “Let’s grab’em and head back to Ponyville.”

“We can’t just get started out here?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Ya been gone fer only three months an ya forget that the Everfree Forest is dangerous.” Apple Bloom said.

“Especially at night.” Scootaloo added.

“Oh yeah, right…” Sweetie Belle said looking around nervously, “let’s get back as fast as we can.”

The three ponies approached the pile, only to jump in shock. The pile of wood stood up and opened it’s yellow, glowing eyes.

“T-that’s not a…” Apple Bloom’s voice quivered, she and her friends gathered together shaking in fear.

The Timber wolf let out a chilling howl, signaling the nine wolves that had been stalking the ponies for quite some time to emerge from the shadows. Now was time to feed and ponies were a rare treat, especially in such a number. The pack of wolves drew ever closer to them, surrounding their prey ready to attack and feast at a moments notice.

“EVERYPONY RUN!” Sweetie Belle cried out as she bolted from the group, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo close behind.

The hunt was on. They ran as fast as they could, it was the only thing they could do to stay alive. The three darted through the trees and brush, hoping that it would slow down their pursuers, but timber wolves are fast and agile. If anything, it made the running ponies easier to catch. The three ran to a small clearing, the timber wolf pack not far behind. They could still hear the clattering of the branches that made up their bodies behind them.

“We’re not gonna make it!” Apple Bloom cried, her tears fell full of fear.

“Don’t say that!” Scootaloo yelled at Apple Bloom, her own eyes full of water. “Captain Greatsword said to never give up!”

“I wish he were here now…” Apple Bloom said between sobs, “he’d know what ta do.”

“That’s it!” Sweetie Belle called out, “we need to get Captain Greatsword!”

“We won’t be able to reach anypony at this rate!” Scootaloo yelled, “You two keep running, I’ll distract them!”

“Scootaloo! NO!” the two yelled out as she ran off in another direction.

“No time to argue!” She yelled running back into the woods. “Hey you stick-brained mutts!” she called out to the timber wolves, “you want dinner?” she smacked her flank twice, “You gotta catch it!”

Scootaloo sprinted into the forest, the timber wolves close behind. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle ran back to the town with tears in their eyes. Thinking that they had just let their best friend die.

Greatsword was walking slowly through the forest, thinking about all that had happened in his life since five years ago. He could hardly believe that he even lived this long in the first place. All the missions he had been on, being outnumbered ten to one on the easy missions, the odds even worse on some. He thought back on everypony lost to him, all of them good friends. He smiled a genuine smile for the first time in nearly two months when he remembered the good times.

The smile quickly faded however as he remembered how those memories were his and his alone. Flare Flash’s fear of catfish, Tower Shield’s diary, Ridge Cracker’s favorite color being pink, he was the only pony who knew of those things now. He thought back again this time to Record Keeper. He was the only pony who ever knew the pleasure of her kiss and much more. His heart sank even lower. He never wanted anything to happen to them, he would without second thought give every minute of his life away if it meant they would still be alive today. His thoughts were shattered by the sound of hooves sprinting to him.

“Captain Greatsword!” the two ponies yelled as they stopped and wrapped him up in there embrace.

“Girls,” he asked calmly. “What happened, and where’s Scootaloo?”

“W-w-w-e, we were gonna build a half pipe outta a bunch of wood Scootaloo found,” Apple Bloom said between exhausted breaths. “B-b-b-b-but timber wolves attacked us.”

“TIMBER WOLVES!” Greatsword yelled, “My Celestia, where the HELL is Scootaloo?!”

“She… she…” Sweetie Belle cried, “She ran deeper into the forest to give us a better chance of finding help…”

“YOU LET HER DO THAT?!” Greatsword roared, the two ponies were still clinging to him for their lives.

“W-we didn’t want to, she just ran off!” Sweetie Belle said crying into Greatsword’s chest.

“Damnit…” Greatsword growled. “You two keep heading for town, I’m going to get Scootaloo.”

“There were ten of ‘em Captain Greatsword!” Apple Bloom yelled out as he ran into the woods, “You’ll die if ya go in there.”

“I’m not letting another pony die!” he roared back ignoring Apple Bloom’s warning.

Greatsword found the small clearing the three were in earlier. He looked over the tracks, all hooves, none of the timber wolves followed Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. He followed a particular trail of hooves, the one that lead back into the forest.

“Scootaloo…” he said to himself as he rushed in the direction of the tracks.

Greatsword continued to follow the trail, which was now covered by paw prints and freshly broken twigs. The beast focused on Scootaloo, as the other two ponies said they had. He came into a small outcrop and saw something shining on its edge. As he grew closer he saw that it was what he feared the most.

“Blood…” He said as he dipped his hoof into the small pool and examined it further, “pony blood…” nightmares started to run through his mind, all the ponies he failed were haunting him. He shook off his darker inner thoughts and continued to follow the trail, which was now in a red dotted line.

The trail became even redder as he followed it, Scootaloo had been injured and seemed to be slowing down. The wolf tracks showed little change however, they looked as if they were slowing, but only to save their energy for the final blow. Then Greatsword heard a loud scream.

“SCOOTALOO!” he yelled, racing to the direction of the scream. “Hold on I’m coming!”

Greatsword arrived to see ten large timber wolves surrounding a lone tree, Scootaloo had managed to climb up it before they could reach her. She clung to the branch she was on for dear life, her flank pouring out blood.

“Hey you sons of bitches!” he roared to get the wolves attention, “why don’t you mess with somepony who’ll KICK YOUR ASSES!”

The timber wolves all turned their attention to Greatsword, who was walking slowly towards them. The wolf’s sap-like saliva dripping off their sharpened fangs at the thought of yet another pony, this one big enough to feed the pack for a whole week. The pack had never been so fortunate, but their luck was about to change.

Greatsword drew closer quickening his pace with every step, until he was in a full on charge at the wolves. He drove himself into the pack snapping the bodies of two of the smaller wolves in half. He continued to plow through them, being slashed and bitten at the whole time, but his own pain didn’t matter. What mattered was that terrified pony in the tree, thinking it was her last night alive.

“Scootaloo!” he yelled out snapping the head off of an attacking timber wolf with his hind legs. “Jump! I’ll catch you!”

“C-c-captain?” Scootaloo said weakly, “y-you came?”

“Yes!” he called to her, punching another wolf, “now jump! I’m getting you out of here!”

Scootaloo more or less fell out of the tree than jumped. She was too weak to do anything else due to the blood she had already lost. Greatsword caught the limp pony in his forelegs, forcing her forelegs around his own neck while he still carried her with one foreleg.

“Don’t let go…” He said to her as he started to run from the remaining timber wolves.

“Only if you don’t…” Scootaloo replied weakly.

Greatsword ran as fast as he could on three legs holding Scootaloo close to his chest as he sprinted. His wings were fully extended to keep balance as he ran. The wolves were snapping at his heels, trying to bring him down, so they could partake in a meal of vengeance for their fallen brethren.

“ARGH!” Greatsword roared as one of the wolves snapped his jaws down on one of his wings and trying to drag him down. Greatsword used the momentum to spin into the beast and with a powerful swing of his free hoof he struck the wolf, its skull in, but not before its teeth broke off in Greatsword’s wing.

He continued to run, never letting up, never giving up. ‘No more ponies will die because of me‘. He thought to himself, ‘especially ponies as young as Scootaloo‘. The wolves started to tire because of their chase and fight with the ponies they were trying to catch, but they weren’t about to let such an opportunity as a large pony escape them. They had tasted blood, and if their prey could bleed, they could kill it.

“We’re almost there, Scootaloo.” Greatsword gulped for air as the forest grew thinner, “just stay with me!”

“I knew you could save me…” Scootaloo smiled, the loss of blood was making her delirious. Greatsword knew that he had to get somewhere to find shelter. His prayers were answered when he saw a small light shine on the Everfree tree line.

“Hold on!” He yelled using every last bit of energy he had left to sprint to the light, leaving the timber wolves in the dust. “OPEN THE DOOR!” he yelled to whoever was in the house, “OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!”

The door barely opened and revealed a pony peeking her head out of it. She saw Greatsword rushing towards the house with the timber wolf pack close behind, she quickly closed the door.

“NO!” Greatsword roared, “FOR THE LOVE OF CELESTIA! OPEN THE DOOR!”

The door opened again, this time the pony had a ladle and a metal pan, she banged the ladle in the pan as hard as she could. Upon hearing the clang of the metal, the timber wolves stopped their pursuit and cowered back into the Everfree Forest. Nopony knew why it scared them so much, but it worked every time. Greatsword flew into the house, crashing into the couch and nearly knocking over the grandfather clock and mirror.

“G-Greatsword?” Fluttershy gasped in shock. “Oh my goodness, w-what happened?”

“Timber wolves…” Greatsword said catching his breath, “Scootaloo…” he pointed to the pony still in his foreleg, she was still holding onto him for dear life.

“Sc-Scootaloo?” Fluttershy asked, “Oh my, w-what happened to you?”

“Hospital…” Greatsword said, “get her to the hospital…” Greatsword tried to stand but his own injuries made it nearly impossible.

“W-what about you?” Fluttershy asked placing her hooves on his shoulders forcing him to sit back on her now bloody couch. “You need medical attention just as much as her, if not more.”

“I don’t matter…” Greatsword said trying to stand again, “but she does… I need to save her…”

A knock came to Fluttershy’s door she rushed to the door and looked out her peep hole. Everypony at the party was standing outside her house. She opened the door and saw Twilight in front of the group.

“Fluttershy,” she said, relieved. “Thank Celestia you’re awake, Apple-” Twilight froze mid-sentence upon seeing the two battered ponies in Fluttershy’s house. “Oh… My…” she said in shock, then she turned to Big Mac, “Get Doctor Stables here now, they’re in no condition to be moved to the hospital.”

“Eeyup.” Big Mac said turning around to get the doctor.

“I’m coming too,” Battleaxe said as he turned with Big Mac, “You coming, little bro?” Warhammer nodded and the three ran off to the hospital.

“You need to rest, Greatsword.” Fluttershy said, covering him with a blanket. “You’ve been through a lot this evening.”

“Save her… I can’t fail her… not like…” Greatsword’s eyes rolled into the back of his head. “Cannon Fodder… Roadmap…” Greatsword said softly as he began to lose conciseness. “Camo… Comet…” his eyes closed as he fell into coma, “Record Keeper…”

Fluttershy looked at him with great concern while she and Twilight watched over him. “Who were those ponies he was mentioning before he blacked out?” Fluttershy asked Twilight.

“They were in his old unit, Fluttershy…” Twilight said placing her hoof on Greatsword’s shoulder.

“O-old unit?” Fluttershy asked looking at Greatsword’s war torn and blood socked face.

“It’s a long story Fluttershy… but I’m sure he’d want you to know it.”

“I would like you to tell me,” Fluttershy said. “If that’s alright with you…”

“It is Fluttershy,” Twilight said putting Scootaloo under the same blanket, “let’s get started then…”

Comments

[light snow]

I still want great sword and celestia