The Lost Hero

by Ultimate Warrior of Zera

A Quick Lesson

Paragon Flame, the former Clark Kent, was able to get most of his origin story out before it became 10:00 and he made the children go to sleep. Miss Cheerilee thoughtfully loaned him some children’s books that had basic knowledge on how Equestria worked, as well as an encyclopedia, saying she tended to carry them in her bag when she traveled so she could have a chance to educate children she meets. To everypony’s amazement, especially Twilight Sparkle, he only needed a single glance to memorize a page, allowing him to read them all in a matter of seconds. Some were skeptical, but he proved it by reciting passages from the books. He was fascinated to learn of this world where ponies controlled everything, including animals, the weather, and the sun and moon. He decided that when he had some free time, he would fly into space to investigate the orbit patterns of this planet, the sun, and moon. He also learned that Equestria seemed to use the Metric system and the same measurements of time as Earth, as well as days, weeks, months, and years.

Pinkie Pie suddenly remembered and pointed out Twilight had teleported their group to the Crystal Empire, but she said she wanted to relax and take the scenic route home to have time to get to know her new guard. Besides, teleportation was difficult the larger the group was, and it wouldn’t be fair to those they left behind. Eventually, they all went to sleep, but Paragon Flame kept his senses trained on the two criminals, ready to wake up if they tried to escape.

As the sun rose the next morning, everypony had breakfast. By this time, Maud, Trixie, and Daring Do’s manes had returned to normal, and Trixie and Daring Do put their hats back on. Flash Sentry, saying old habits die hard and he wanted to stay prepared even though he was on vacation, kept his armor on, but put his helmet into saddlebags. Some of Prince Blueblood’s servants fed Ahuizotl and Caballeron and let them go to the bathroom. At around 8 AM, the train arrived in Canterlot. Miss Cheerilee told her students to have fun until 11 AM before coming back so the train could resume its journey to Ponyville. As everypony got off the train, Rarity looked Paragon up and down and sighed.

“What’s the matter, Rarity?”

“I mean no disrespect, Your Highness. I know you are already with Maud so I have no claim on you. It is just you looked so dashing in your cape and I already miss being able to admire it.”

He and a few others chuckled.

“No need to be so formal, Rarity. Have you already forgotten I am no longer a king? It is my son’s turn to rule. I never really bothered with regalia, so my cape was the best way I could honor his transition. Now I am Princess Twilight’s bodyguard, and I am content for now.”

Rarity smiled.

“At the very least I can admire your jacket and armor. They’re already giving me ideas for new fashions, and I promise they will be magnifique.”

Ahuizotl and Caballeron were dragged out of the train by Blueblood’s servants and then handed over to the Royal Guard after Blueblood and Daring Do explained the situation. While Ahuizotl merely growled, mindful of their spears, Caballeron tried to talk his way out of trouble.

“Release me at once! You can’t prove I did anything wrong!”

Daring Do wasn’t having it.

“Nice try, but I will send messages to everypony your actions have ever hurt, and we will all testify against you. See you in court.”

As the pair were led into the dungeons, they swore revenge on the group of four that defeated them, but the four were not worried much. Faster than the eye could see, Paragon Flame darted out to inspect the dungeons and found them structurally sound before returning to his original spot. Some of the guards were confused by his unique armor, so he quickly explained he was Princess Twilight’s new guard, which they accepted after Twilight, Flash, and Blueblood vouched for him and then he showed them his sword. Some of the guards chatted with their comrade Flash Sentry, and congratulated him when he explained he was on vacation and dating Trixie. The other guards started to mingle with Cheerilee’s class and all of their friends.

Paragon Flame noticed that many of the guards did not seem to mind their surroundings much. As a test, he scooped a pebble into his hoof and threw it into their midst. Flash quickly caught it with his wing, but none of the others reacted or even noticed. Flash walked up to him and whispered.

“What was that for?”

“No offense, but I believe these other guards may be in need of training. Back in my old world, I knew many who did not have special powers but would have at least noticed that pebble. I didn’t even throw it that fast.”

Flash sighed.

“I suppose you are right. Your group talked about facing Queen Chrysalis a few days ago, right? About a year ago, she and her army invaded and occupied Canterlot. I wasn’t there; I had been visiting my parents. Anyway, I heard the guard was taken out without much of a fight, before they even realized there were invaders. Princess Luna was asleep, Princess Celestia was defeated after Chrysalis overpowered her beam, and Princess Cadence and Prince Shining had been captured long before the invasion. Out of the entire city, only Twilight Sparkle and her five friends put up any resistance. If Cadence and Shining Armor hadn’t been freed, we would have lost. Now that you mention it, I do notice that security seems to be lax. I suppose new training drills are in order, and you’ll help?”

“Yeah. I’ve pretty much mastered movement and fighting in this pony body, and I believe I can get these guards back into shape. It would take a while to set up though. We’ll just have to hope those two criminals don’t escape until then.”

The two rejoined their girlfriends and they mingled with the crowd.

After separating from the guards, the group decided to help Cheerilee chaperone her class. This served to kill two birds with one stone. They could look after the children and show Paragon Flame around Canterlot. After Blueblood asked his servants to take his palanquin full of gifts to the castle, the rather large group began their tour, Maud by Paragon and Twilight’s side.

Their group raised quite a few stares, especially from the snobbish elitists like Jet Set and Upper Crust. Rarity and Spike eagerly showed the group her fashion shop, Canterlot Boutique. They got a pleasant surprise when they saw not only was Sassy Saddles there, but Coco Pommel, Fancy Pants, and Fleur De Lis as well. Seeing the large crowd, Coco shrank back (her past meetings with Rarity and Applejack may have given her some confidence, but she has limits), but Sassy stepped forward.

“Well carnations and crystals, Rarity! Good to have you back! And in such varied and good looking company.”

Sassy and Rarity hugged and kissed each other on the cheeks. As Rarity did the same for Coco, Sassy then started blatantly ogling Paragon Flame. He quickly wrapped an arm around Maud and nuzzled her, making Sassy pout.

Fleur De Lis smirked and whispered into Fancy Pants’ ear, but Paragon Flame was able to hear it.

“You know I would never cheat on you, dear husband, but the one in the purple armor is rather attractive. There is no harm in looking, especially since it seems he is already attached.”

Fancy Pants whispered back.

“I am not blind. Go ahead and look to your heart’s content.”

The couple then turned to the group, and Fancy Pants addressed them.

“Ah, Rarity! Princess Twilight! Prince Blueblood! It is so good to see all of you, and your companions!”

Blueblood smiled.

“Good to see you too, old friend.”

Fancy Pants shook Blueblood’s hoof and gave Rarity and Twilight a hug. Fleur De Lis gave them hugs as well. Twilight pointed at Paragon.

“This is my brand new guard, Paragon Flame. He’s new to Equestria, so I am giving him a tour of Canterlot as well as chaperoning Miss Cheerilee’s class.”

Fancy Pants approached Paragon and gave him a friendly slap on the back.

“Greetings! I am Fancy Pants and this is my wife Fleur De Lis. If this is your first time in Canterlot, you currently stand in one of Rarity’s clothing stores, Canterlot Boutique. We regularly shop here. This is Sassy Saddles, Rarity’s representative, and a friend, Coco Pommel.”

“It is nice to meet you.”

Paragon returned Fancy Pants’ friendly slap, kissed Fleur’s hoof when she offered it, and nodded to Sassy, but then he locked eyes with Coco, who was blushing and trying not to look at him. He was instantly stunned, and a feeling he only had for one other took hold. He gave a big smile, and in an instant, he was suddenly across the room and hugging her. Everypony was shocked and Coco was mortified, but he didn’t notice.

“You are one of the most adorable creatures I have ever seen! You remind me of my niece, Atlee.”

He turned to Maud.

“Can we keep her?”

Maud shook her head no.

Coco struggled to get out of his arms, but couldn’t.

“Wait! I am not a pet!”

Embarrassed, Paragon let go of her and frantically bowed.

“I am so sorry! It’s just that you remind me so much of my niece Atlee. She is just so cute and sometimes I wish she was my daughter. I have two children, but they are adults now. I mean, Atlee is an adult, but she still looks like a child. I looked at you and I saw a second chance to have a new daughter. Oh darn, I just implied you look like a child. Oh darn, I am babbling. Please forgive me, Miss Pommel, I don’t normally act like this!”

By now, everypony was chuckling except Maud and Coco. Maud had been about to confront Paragon for hugging Coco, but when he said he saw her as a daughter, she stopped and stared at them with her usual neutral expression. Coco composed herself and gave a small smile.

“It’s okay, sir. My parents act like that around me as well.”

Rarity approached her.

“Coco darling, what are you doing here?”

“Well, my clothing business in Manehattan was going well, so I decided to take a break and visit Canterlot.”

Sassy cut in.

“Then she found this place and decided to help me out. Isn’t she wonderful?”

Rarity gave Coco another hug and a kiss on the cheek.

“You are indeed wonderful, but we are forgetting why we are here. We are here to show our guests a good time and our latest fashions! Everypony, feel free to look around the store. There are outfits for mares and stallions.”

At her words, the large group spread out and checked out the store’s items. Embarrassed that he did not do so earlier, Blueblood quickly introduced his girlfriend Daring Do to Fancy Pants and Fleur De Lis. To her chagrin, they had never read her books, but promised to eventually find them. Flash and Trixie looked around and eventually, Trixie decided to buy a new hat, though one that looked similar to her original one. Cheerilee’s students had fun trying on different clothes, especially Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, and Sweetie Belle. Pinkie Pie zipped around trying on everything, even the stallion clothing. Paragon and Maud helped keep her from knocking any of the stands over. Paragon noted a distinctive lack of trousers. The only trousers were for wedding outfits and work uniforms. He figured with a lack of fingers it made sense why trousers would be rare. Maud clinically looked the clothes over but had no interest in them.

Eventually, the group fondly bid the four farewell and continued their tour.

Much to Twilight’s delight, they ran into Princess Celestia, who had decided to catch up with her old students and Twilight’s old friends Moon Dancer, Lemon Hearts, Twinkleshine, and Minuette. While it was true she only taught Twilight personally, they were all graduates of Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns and Celestia had met and talked to them on occasion during their time there. Celestia was delighted to see the group again and quickly introduced everypony. Twilight excitedly explained Paragon’s status as essentially an alien, but they were skeptical until Celestia and Blueblood vouched for her claims and Paragon demonstrated he could fly without wings.

While Trixie was also a graduate, it turns out the reason why she had never met Twilight or her school friends before the Ursa Minor incident was simply because she was a year younger than them, so she was in completely different classes.

As they mingled, while Lemon Hearts, Lemon Hearts, and Twinkleshine were delighted that Twilight finally had her own (good looking) guard, and ogled Flash Sentry as well, Moon Dancer scowled at Paragon. When she noticed Maud was Paragon’s girlfriend, she relaxed and cheered up when talking to Twilight. She was also cordial to Daring Do, being a secret fan of her books, but thinking she was a cosplayer. Having known many women who liked women over the years, especially his nieces Karen and Atlee, Paragon realized what was happening, but kept silent. Then he looked at a clock.

“Guys, it is 10:30. We should be getting back to the train.”

The class groaned, then Rainbow Dash flew up to Paragon.

“Before I forget, can you please teach me how to be faster later? Vartox promised you would help.”

“Pinkie Pie is even faster than I am. Why haven’t you asked her?”

“I don't know if you’ve noticed, but everything Pinkie does is impossible. There's no way to copy it. Besides, she can't fly, but you can. I still don't know how you can do it without wings.”

“Hmm, I suppose we have time for a quick lesson. Pay attention, all of you. Especially you, Lily Longsocks, this could possibly benefit you as well.”

Everypony gathered around. He rose into the air.

“First, I’m going to test your skills at observation.”

In an instant, he disappeared. Shocked, they looked around.

“I’m over here.”

He was speaking to them from the top of a building. In another instant, he was back in his original position. Several of the children cheered.

“Now, Rainbow Dash or any of you. Did you notice anything about what I just did?”

They were all stumped, until Twilight Sparkle suddenly figured it out.

“He moved so fast… and there was no sonic boom! No gust of wind!”

“Very good, Princess. Rainbow Dash, part of the reason why I can move so fast is because I can emit a field that nullifies the effects of drag and inertia on me, allowing me to push myself more. I can turn it off if I feel like it, but it would cause my flights to be very destructive. It’s also how I can stop and turn instantly and how I can catch or lift objects or beings without breaking them.”

As Rainbow, Daring Do and other fliers pondered this, he continued.

“At first I didn’t think it was possible for you to achieve this. After all, winged flight requires drag to work. But I can see most forms of energy. Admittedly, it took me over a hundred years to learn how to see magical energy, but I can see it now, and when Pegasi fly, you have a protective field around you.”

Rainbow was ecstatic.

“Really!?”

“Yes. During the battle against Sombra, you flew at Mach 5 and then you accelerated to Mach 10 when you did that Sonic Rainboom technique the others have told me about. Most living things would be turned to paste at those speeds. Your personal field allows you to survive. Perhaps when we get to Ponyville and have some free time, we can do some experiments to see if you can adjust your field to match mine. After all, when I first learned how to fly, I was very destructive, always making craters when I landed and dragging things into my slipstream, until I learned how to control it.”

While Rainbow eagerly thanked him and an excited Twilight took notes at learning of this previously unknown aspect of flight, Paragon approached Lily Longsocks.

“I didn’t learn how to fly until I was an adult. My protective field works on the ground too. It helps me when I run and when I carry things. Later, how about we see if you can develop one as well, so you can really control your strength, and even increase it.”

The little filly was excited.

“Yes! Thank you, sir!”

He patted her on the head and she rejoined the class. He turned to Maud.

“Maybe I gained a new daughter after all.”

She rolled her eyes.

As the group bid farewell to Celestia and Twilight’s classmates and prepared to return to the train, Daring Do and Blueblood stepped forward and Daring spoke.

“We’re not going with you.”

Rainbow Dash was startled.

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve acquired a powerful artifact, defeated my two greatest enemies, and got a boyfriend. I think it is time I had a vacation. I’d like to stay here and relax with Blueblood a while.”

Trixie ran up and hugged her.

“Thank you for everything. Because I went with you, I had an awesome adventure and got a boyfriend of my own.”

Maud just patted her on the back.

“Ditto.”

After Paragon Flame and the others hugged her, Daring Do pondered and addressed him.

“I’m debating whether or not I should write a book about our adventure.”

“Heh, I wouldn’t mind. If you can figure it out, I would buy it.”

Blueblood walked up.

“The two of us talked about this on the train. When you guys joined her, she promised a reward. She’ll be keeping the Aegis of Gaia until she can decide what to do with it, while you should have this.”

He gave Paragon, Maud, and Trixie 50 Bits each. They found this acceptable, and bid the two farewell and good luck. Blueblood reminded them that Caballeron and Ahuizotl’s trial would begin in two weeks, so they should return to testify.

The group made it back to the train with time to spare. Once it was 11 AM, the train departed Canterlot and headed for its next destination, Ponyville.

Author's Note:

Sorry for the long wait and for how short this chapter is. Before, I said there would be two chapters left, but due to writer’s block and feeling it would flow better, I split my planned chapter. There are still two chapters left.

I really wish the show would address the incompetence of the Royal Guard.

I’ve been wanting to do that gag with Paragon Flame and Coco Pommel for a while. I consider Coco the cutest MLP character and Atlee/Terra the cutest DC Comics character. This gag was inspired by the scene in Dragon Ball Super where Gohan tells Future Trunks that he can’t discipline his daughter Pan because he always melts when he sees her because she is so cute, and immediately does just that. It was also inspired by how in Fate/Grand Order, card carrying villain and reluctant teammate Professor Moriarty always melts when he sees Frankenstein, who is a really cute girl, and treats her like his daughter.

I’m sorry not everyone gets a chance to talk, but with so many characters, sometimes I just can’t figure out what they would say.

There is a fan interpretation that the reason why Moon Dancer took Twilight not coming to her party so bad was because she was in love with her. When I watched “Amending Fences”, I got that vibe during her rant.

I hate writers block. I have a clear idea in my mind’s eye of how I want my stories to go and how they will end, but when I try to put it into words, I always flounder and have to do it a little at a time every day. That’s why it takes so long to update. But no matter how many years it takes, I will finish my stories.

When this story is done, I plan to do:
1)  A crossover between Fate/Zero, Fate/Apocrypha, and A Certain Magical Index, where during the Fourth Holy Grail War, Yggdmillennia plus Kairi Sisigou and Reika Rikudou summons characters from A Certain Magical Index to form the Black Faction and opposes the canon Fate/Zero Masters and Servants plus Zouken Matou, who form the Red Faction. (on fanfiction.net)
2) A prequel to The Lost Hero that details the adventure Superman shared with Ruby Rose, Queen Elsa of Arendelle, Bayonetta, and Touma Kamijou that I mentioned back in the chapter, The Backstory. (on fanfiction.net)
3) A sequel to my Fate/Zero, Fate/Apocrypha, and A Certain Magical Index crossover that covers the events of the Fifth Holy Grail War. (on fanfiction.net)
4) A sequel to The Lost Hero where Clark/Paragon reunites with Ruby, Elsa, Bayonetta, and Touma and goes on an adventure with them, some of their loved ones, Maud, Trixie, and Daring Do.

Note that although all four of these stories will have Touma Kamijou in them, the first one and its sequel will be in a different continuity from The Lost Hero.

Comments

[Tarbtano]

*puts on reading glasses* time for a adventure :)

[harts fire]

a vary good story that i am enjoying a hole lot.

[SolarNight00]

10041578
YESJHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! *AHEM* sorry, yes. Yes it does ^w^