Before the Dawn

by Thunderblast

Return to Civilization

One warm March morning, and just a few weeks following Thunderblast's rainy trip to Manehattan and him adopting a White Bengal tiger cub, things had returned to normal once more. The days were slowly warming again, and even the flowers were starting to bloom just a bit early. To Thunder, the temperature was just about perfect. He not only enjoyed it, but it somewhat brought him closer to being out in the open, rather than outside patrolling in an urban area like Canterlot. Although, he knew sometime soon he'd hopefully be going home.

That morning, Thunderblast was on perimeter patrol, alongside his new fluffy friend. As he pranced along beside him, Thunder tried his best not to crack a smile, but finally gave in after a few minutes. Luckily, no one was around to see it. He soon came around to the front gate, where he was met with the gate keeper. He exchanged a salute to the gate keeper, who saluted back.

"Anything to report, conscript?"

"No, sir."

"Great, the sooner you can read this note the lieutenant handed to me," the gate keeper reached into one of his jacket pockets and pulled out a small white folded note, giving it to Thunder to read.

Thunderblast unfolded the small piece of paper and read through it carefully, it simply requested him to stop by Sparkplug's office once he finished his duties. Knowing he wouldn't be finished until later that night, Thunder looked up to the gate keeper. "Could you find somepony else to take my position for a few?"

The gate keeper nodded. "Of course. Is it important?"

"I don't know, but I don't want to keep him waiting until nine tonight."

"Fair enough," he shrugged. "Head over to his office and come back."

Thunderblast nodded, then saluted once more. "I'll leave Fluffy here with you."

"Sure thing."

"Fluffy, sit."

Following Thunder's order, Fluffy sat himself next to the gate keeper, and licked at his paw. Then, Thunder began trotting towards Sparkplug's office on the other side of the base, inside the main operations building where most of the base's high ranking officials had their offices. He then knocked at the lieutenant's door and waited for him to grant entry. Surprisingly, no one spoke. He patiently knocked again, this time a bit louder. Still no response. Thunder narrowed his eyes, and slowly opened the door, peeking inside.

"Lieutenant?" He glanced around the small office slowly, and felt worried when he saw the lieutenant nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly, he was jerked to the side by something hard. He managed to stay up, and pushed back against the force, not able to see what it actually was. Then, he was shoved onto his back and pinned down by his hooves. Thunder squirmed under the weight of what ever was on top of him, before finally staring straight up at the brown mass' eyes, catching an evil smirk on the pony's face. His pupils shrunk to pinpricks, and he squirmed again.

"Stand down, soldier," Sparkplug chuckled.

"Lieutenant, what are you doing?"

"Testing your reflexes. You really should work on them, conscript," Sparkplug stepped off of Thunder and reached a hoof to him.

Thunderblast took his hoof and stood back up on all fours. "Sir?" He saluted to the higher ranking officer.

Sparkplug smiled. "At ease."

"You wanted to see me?"

"Ah, of course," Sparkplug trotted around his desk and opened a drawer, moving one by one through the numerous folders in it, before pulling one out and sliding it to Thunder.

"What is this?" Thunder seated himself across the desk from the lieutenant and stared at the folder.

"Open it up."

Thunder glanced up briefly, then back down at the folder and slowly opened the flap. His eyes opened up wide when he saw a black and grey picture of him over top of some paperwork.

"This is my file, sir. I don't understand?"

"You've expired, conscript."

Thunder glanced up again. "Sir?"

Sparkplug simply smiled. "You're heading home."

"...Sir?"

"Yes?"

"This isn't some April Fools joke, is it?"

"It's the middle of March, Thunder. Captain Shining Armor has requested you return to Canterlot, so we shortened your time here. You leave at one-thirty," Spark stood up and saluted. "It has been an honor to have you here, sergeant."

"Sergeant? Oh wait..." Thunder stood up as well and saluted. "It has been an honor to be here, lieutenant," Thunder smiled.

"Now, you'd better get out of here and go say your goodbyes. I don't wish to keep you until you're scheduled to leave," Spark sat back down.

Thunderblast nodded. "I'll have to turn in my gear as well."

"Actually, keep it all," Spark smiled.

"Sir?"

"Keep your gear, all of it. You may need it one day."

Thunder simply nodded again. "Yes sir."

"Dismissed."

Thunder nodded once more, then trotted out of Spark's office and shut the door behind him. He was in complete surprise after what he had just heard come from the lieutenant. "I'm going home," he said mentally, then walked down the hallway and out the main door of the building and back towards the front gate to take Fluffy with him. He took his time with his walk, and peered around at all of his surroundings, knowing it would be the last time he sees the base.

After his walk, he arrived at the front gate, meeting up once again with the gate keeper.

"Ah, great, you're back. Is everything alright?"

Thunder simply stared at the gate keeper. "The lieutenant said my time here has expired, and that I'm leaving this afternoon."

"Is that so? Then I suggest you head back to your tent and get packing, I don't want to keep you here if you don't have your duties anymore. Go on, head back," the gate keeper motioned his hoof.

Thunderblast shook his head. "I haven't finished."

"No, I insist, head back. I'll cover for you for today, then I'll find somepony to take your position," the gate keeper smiled.

Thunder smiled faintly. "If you say so," he turned to walk away, but stopped. "I'll be back in a couple of hours, alright?"

"Sure thing, I'll see you then."

Thunder smiled still back to the gate keeper, then down to his pet. "Come on, Fluffy."

Fluffy sat up and ran up beside Thunder, rubbing against his forehoof and purring, before they both began walking to their tent.

---

"So anyways, he was all like 'I'll be back!', and I was lik--"

As Flashpoint told a story to Skillshot, Thunderblast entered their tent with Fluffy close behind. "Hey you two," he smiled, but then immediately went to his green military bag and unzipped it.

"Hey Thunder," they both replied.

"Why are you packing?" Skill raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

Thunder stopped and sighed, then turned to the both of them with a frown. "The lieutenant says Shining Armor wants be back in Canterlot. So, this is it."

"What... do you mean this is it?" Flash's ears drooped.

"I'm leaving in two hours."

"But, you'll be back right?"

Thunder sighed and slowly shook his head. "I'm afraid not."

"Oh..." Skill looked down.

"But hey, that doesn't mean we can't meet up again, right?" Flash grew a smile on his face and looked between them.

Thunder smiled back. "Of course we can. I can't imagine we'll all be too busy to see each other, even if it is just for a few minutes."

"Oh, please. We spend half of our time doing nothing as it is, and we have plenty of leave time built up. Heck, we could take off a month of vacation each if we wanted to!" Flash grinned.

"He's actually right, we could," Skill said as he motioned a hoof to Flash.

"Well, I wouldn't spend it all just to see me. Besides, we could always meet up in Manehattan or something. I happen to like it there a bit more than Canterlot."

"As do we. Except, well, I've never been to Canterlot," Skill blushed in some embarrassment.

"Whaaaat? We've got to go there sometime then, it's amazing!" Flash expressed with a big grin on his face.

Thunder chuckled. "Yes, it is amazing. Every city is unique in its own way," he said as he packed some spare clothes into his military sack.

"True that," Flash continued to smile big.

---

After packing his bags with his now old gear and spare things he brought with him to Manehattan and grabbing some lunch, Thunderblast said his goodbyes to Skillshot and Flashpoint, as well as a few others such as Sparkplug and the gate keeper, he then waited at the train station with Fluffy.

The warm, bright sun beat down on them and causing the train track's rails to gleam and reflect. A nice, soft breeze blew through the endless ocean of pine trees surrounding them like a slow wave on the beach, and it ruffled Thunder's mane and feathers a bit. The feeling reminded him of when he used to fly around more often. It then hit him that he's been so used to walking and running, that he might have forgotten how to fly. He decided to leave it for later as he heard the low roar of the train as it approached, followed by the nearing blow of the whistle.

Fluffy turned his head to the left and allowed his ears to pin back, before he rushed under Thunder and hid between his legs and let out a snarl of fear. Thunder looked down to his hooves, then lifted one and gently pet the tiger cub's head. "Its okay, its okay," he continued to pet the small animal, and he calmed down, until the train pulled into the station.

The train's doors opened, and the two boarded immediately after they did. Surprisingly, nopony else was in the same car they were in, but Thunder didn't mind. In fact, he was relieved. He seated himself, sliding his bag under the seat and patting a spot beside him for Fluffy, where he hopped up and curled himself up beside Thunder, purring softly as he did. Soon after, the doors shut and the train pulled out of the station.

Thunder sighed, watching the station disappear behind them, but then smiled as he thought of home, and what he would do when he was reunited with his friends and his beloved guard.

---

Later that afternoon, the train stopped in Whitetail Woods, just south of Canterlot. Realizing he wasn't heading to Canterlot, he disembarked with Fluffy and waited for the next train to his home city, which was, unlucky for him, another two hour wait, which would put him in town by sunset. When it finally arrived, him and Fluffy boarded just before it departed.

Less than an hour later, Thunderblast and Fluffy stepped out onto the Canterlot's train station's platform shortly after it arrived, carrying both his saddle bags and his green military bag on his back. By then, the sun had already made its disappearance behind the hills to the west.

He left the train station and made his way through the busy streets of Canterlot where he reached his apartment building and trotted up the stairs to the door. He pulled a key from his pocket, and unlocked the door.

"Home sweet home," Thunder said, a gentle smile creeping across his muzzle.