Past Shadows

by ChaosDragoon

Chapter Two

He was running, running as fast as his legs could take him. Every so often he’d look behind him into the darkness. He couldn’t see it but he knew something was chasing him. He continued to run. He looked back behind him and could’ve sworn he saw two glowing eyes staring back at him. When he turned to face front he quickly came to a halt. He stood staring at the desert he was in. When he looked back the darkness was gone and in its place was desert and dunes. When he looked forward his eyes widened, there lying on the sand where earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns. Mouths wide open and eyes white absent of life. He stepped back and felt his hoof hit something. He turned to see a Pegasus lying on the ground. He started to step back as it started to stand up and speak.

“You did this to us,” it said.

“No, I didn’t mean-” he began but more voices interrupted him; echoing all around him.

“You betrayed us!” he turned to see the rest of them had gotten up and were walking over to him. He continued to back away from all of them, tears swelling up in his eyes.

“I just wanted to protect the kingdom,” he argued.

“Liar!” They yelled. He looked down to see his back legs being sucked into the sand.

“You wanted power, you wanted freedom, you wanted us gone,” They said, their voices echoed in the desert.

“Please, I didn’t,” he said before his lower body was engulfed in sand. The more he pleaded the more the sand took him.

“You were our brother, our comrade. You betrayed us,” They yelled.

“No, No,” he said as his body was swallowed up by the sand.

------

“No!” The unicorn screamed, sitting upright in the bed and scaring Fluttershy so much she fell to the ground, stiff as a board, legs up straight. The others seemed to jump at the sudden outburst.

“It’s alright darling, you're fine. That must have been some nightmare for you to just jump out of your sleep like that,” Rarity said. The unicorn placed a hoof on his head and groaned as the movement caused pain to shoot through his torso.

“Hold on there partner, you shouldn’t go moving after the injuries you suffered,” Applejack said trying to keep him in bed.

“Where-where am I,” He asked.

“Ponyville,” Twilight said.

“Ponyville,” he shouted before he tried to get out of bed again.

“Calm down there, you’re more jumpy than a jackrabbit,” Applejack said while trying to keep him down. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie also helped her keep him down.

“Let me go, I have to talk with Flash Sentry! I have to give him my report about the Changelings,” he yelled still trying to get out of bed. The pain he felt in his torso now spreading to his back.

“Calm down Weaponry, I’m here,” Flash Sentry said as he walked into the hospital room. Weaponry looked at the Pegasus as he stopped flailing and lifted his hoof up to Salute him.

“Flash Sentry, I have,” he started before Flash lifted up his hoof to stop him.

“Your report can wait my friend,” Flash began. “You need to recover. What you did helped us get here in one piece. However, it was reckless and foolish of you to go alone. You were lucky these ponies decided to go and find you. Right now your priority is to get better.” Before he left the room.

“Ye-yes sir,” Weaponry said in a disappointing tone. His eyes were cast downward; staring at the bedsheets. Not only was the dream on his mind but the fact that the changelings could now change into objects. It was unheard of.

“Are you going to be ok darling,” Rarity asked. He had almost forgotten that he had six ponies around him.

“Come on, turn that frown upside down,” Pinkie said. The sudden outburst from the pink pony brought a small smile onto his face.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Should be on my hooves in no time,” Weaponry said.

“Are you sure,” Twilight asked. He nodded and the six left the room. Applejack and Rainbow Dash carrying Fluttershy who still hadn’t come out of her catatonic state. As they walked out of the room Twilight noticed Flash talking to two guards before they walked away. She walked over and stood next to him.

“Will he be alright?” she asked not trusting Weaponry’s word.

Flash chuckled, “Yeah, he’ll be fine. He’s a stubborn one. Some bruised ribs won’t stop him from doing his job.” He stooped and looked at the green hallway they were in.

“To be honest, I truly think he’s a little too strict with himself,” Flash said. Twilight looked at him in confusion as he added, “He pushes himself to the breaking point of his body to get stronger. It seems he fears something that he might have to deal with in the futur.”

“Like the nightmares?” Twilight said. Flash Sentry’s ears went back and he lowered his head.

“Those nightmares aren’t of the future but of the past,” Flash mumbled.

“The past?” Twilight asked.

“Yes, what most ponies don’t know is: many of the guards who have entered into battle or into wars have flashbacks of them. They’re our nightmares; our burdens to bear. However; his nightmares are the worst. Most of the time we can go back to sleep, but he is unable to. It seems when he falls asleep the nightmares continue,” Flash Sentry said before two guards motioned for him to follow. He said goodbye to Twilight and followed the guards outside.

Twilight walked out of the hospital to find her friends waiting for her. Fluttershy had finally awoken from her catatonic state and was stroking her hooves through her mane. The six walked back to the library and noticed that Ponyville was bustling with life like it always did. It seemed the presence of the guards hadn’t deterred the ponies from their daily lives.

“You know, we should hold a party to thank all these guards for protecting Ponyville,” Pinkie said as she hopped next to her friends.

“That’s a marvelous idea!” Rarity said before she added, “I can make ribbons for all the guards as my thanks. Oh and make diamond encrusted pins for their service here.”

“Ooo, ooo! I can bake all the cakes, pies, and desserts and we can hold it at Sugar Cube Corner,” Pinky said hopping higher and higher thinking of all the desserts she could bake for the party.

“Tomorrow the Zap-apples come in. Me, Granny, and Apple Bloom can make the Zap-Apple jam for the party and maybe a Zap-apple pie or two,” Applejack said.

“I-I can get the birds to perform some songs during the party if that’s alright with everyone,” Fluttershy said in a low tone.

“I can get some of the pegasi to perform an air show with yours truly at the helm,” Rainbow Dash said with a sly smile.

“It’s settled then, we’ll have a thank you party for all the guards that are willing to protect Ponyville,” Twilight said with a smile.
The six heard hooves running behind them. When they looked they saw a doctor and two ponies. They stopped to catch their breaths before the doctor asked, “Have-” he gasped, “you-” gasp, “seen-” gasp again, “him?”

“Seen who,” Pinkie asked, a grin on her face before she added, “Are you playing hide and seek, can I play! Quick close your eyes so I can hide.” She quickly darted off trying to find a suitable hiding spot. Twilight just sighed and looked back at the doctor.

“Who are you looking for,” Twilight asked.

“The guard unicorn. The one you six brought to us,” the doctor said. The five friends were dumbfounded that the hospital had lost him.

“How in Celestia’s name did you lose him?” Rarity said.

“I know, but after you all left, I went to check on him but he was gone and his window was open,” one of the Nurse ponies said.

“We’ll help you find him,” Twilight said. The doctor nodded and galloped away from the five to find Weaponry.

“Where on Equestria should we start looking, he could be anywhere,” Rarity said.

“Me and Fluttershy can scout ponyville from the air,” Rainbow Dash said before jetting away.

“I’ll see if some of the animals can help us look before I help Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy said before she flapped away from the group.

“Winona can help sniff him out,” Applejack stated before running off towards the farm.

“Guess that leaves you and me to search for him on hoof,” Rarity said. Twilight nodded and the two galloped towards town.

The search was on but turned up no results until Fluttershy noticed Pinkie talking to a bush

“Pinkie, why are you talking to that bush,” Fluttershy said. As she drew closer she could hear whispers coming from the bush.

Pinkie laughed and said, “This isn’t a great hiding spot, everypony will look here. Unless they thought you might be here then maybe.” She snorted with laughter.

“Would you just leave you pink menace!” Came a whispered voice from the bush.

Fluttershy walked behind the bush to see Weaponry lying on the ground hiding between two bushes.

“I-I’m sorry to interrupt but could you please come with us back to the hospital?” Fluttershy nervously said. Her face hiding behind her mane. Weaponry groaned at the sight of the pegasus. He stood up and winced in pain. The remaining ponies looked towards Pinkie and Fluttershy to see Weaponry walk out from behind the bush.

“There you are darling, let’s get you back to the hospital, everyone is worried sick,” Rarity said.

“I’m not going back,” Weaponry argued before he added, “I’m one of Celestia’s royal guards. I was chosen to protect Ponyville from any danger, not to sit in a bed and do nothing!”

“I’m all for doings one’s job sugar cube, but you shouldn’t push yourself to the breaking point,” Applejack said.

“Applejack’s right. Even Flash Sentry thinks you need your rest,” Twilight said.

Weaponry was about to argue before he just sighed and said, “I’m fine.”

“Oh really?” Rainbow Dash questioned with a raised eyebrow. She flapped down next to him and poked his taped ribs with her hooves. He winced in pain before he shot her a glaring look. She quickly retreated to the sky.

“See darling, you’re not capable of-” Rarity began but was interrupted by Weaponry.

“What the hell do you ponies know about fighting!” Weaponry shouted. “None of you have ever been in a war before! None of you have ever watched as the stallion next to you is fighting to his very last breath to make it home to his family!” Finished with his outburst Weaponry walked away from the six to head towards the Horseshoe Inn where the guards would stay.

“That guy,” Rainbow Dash spat as she flew to the ground. Her anger rising before Applejack calmly walked over to her and placed a hoof on her shoulder.

“Now, Now sugar cube. He does have a point, we may have been in many battles, but we’ve never been in a war,” Applejack said.

“Yet he doesn’t have to be so rude about it,” Rarity said.

“Came on girls, no use in dwelling on it now. We should make the plans for the party tomorrow,” Twilight said.

“Oh my gosh, I need to get baking!” Pinkie shouted before darting off towards her home.

“I should head home too, it’s getting late and I need to get started on the ribbons and pins,” Rarity said before bidding her friends goodnight and walked to the Boutique.

“Better get back to the orchard, the zap-apples should be in late in the evening and we should have the jam and pies done by the afternoon,” Applejack said. Rainbow Dash had already left to look for pegasi for the air show. Fluttershy had disappeared after Weaponry’s outburst, probably on her way home to hide. Twilight was the last to head home, ready to make a list of everything that was needed to be done before the party.

Author's Note:

Big thank you to GradualGhost for his editing and proofreading of this chapter