The Equestrian Honor Guard

by Honored Service

The Down Time

The Equestrian Honor Guard
Chapter 20
By Honored Service

As I came up to the door of the Ponyville library, I heard a loud crash and an scream of agony.

"Ahhhh!"

I dropped all the boxes of clothes I was carrying and jerked my rifle up from the side of my body where it was hanging and kicked in the door.

"I'm here Twilight! What's wrong?" I yelled as I swept the room left to right with the rifle at the ready. I slowly lowered the weapon when I saw Twilight and Lyra both grasping the same book with their magic; frozen in mid struggle with looks of terror on their faces.

"Oh. Sorry." I dropped the rifle back to my side and relaxed my stance. The two unicorns dropped the book onto the floor. Twilight let out a breath and came forward.

"Johnson you scared the living daylight out of me." She said, levitating a few unused scrolls to the table.

"I heard a scream and I just reacted. I didn't mean to scare y'all." I felt bad for scaring them. I mean yeah I had scared Rainbow Dash, but that was just a prank. I had really scared Lyra and Twilight with my sweep and clear on the library.

"It's alright Johnson. Lyra was just refusing to let me read the information collected on ancient humans." At the mention of the other unicorn, Twilight sent an angry glare in the direction of the sea green pony.

I looked over at Lyra and saw she was still just staring in shock at me. Slowly a smile spread across her face until it looked as if she would break her mouth if she kept it up.

Twilight noticed this too and waved a hoof at the unicorn. "Lyra? Hello? Anypony home?"

All at once Lyra jumped into the air and began writing things down while talking a mile a minute.

"Twilight did you see the determination on his face? When presented with a situation of danger or protection it seems that humans have some kind of natural instinct to protect. This was a great experiment. The scream triggered Johnson to enter this protector mode and try to help the being in need." Lyra looked up at us from the paper she was writing furiously on.

"What?" She asked levitating another piece of paper slowly in front of her muzzle and added another note.

Twilight turned back to me and gave an apologetic look. "She has been like this for the last two hours. Anything related to the ancient humans as been read by her and then annotated for future use." Twilight let out a sigh. "Now I see what it looks like when I get caught up with something. Lyra, why are you so focused on this?"

Without glancing up from her current work Lyra said, "I spent 4 years at Canterlot University majoring in Ancient Human Studies. I was told that it was a useless thing to learn. Well look who's laughing now mom!" she raised a hoof into the air and waved it back and forth.

"And because the ancient legend of humans has some end of the free world."

"Um wait, what was that last thing?" I hadn't quite caught that last thing the crazed unicorn had said.

"4 years of college?"

"No."

"Who's laughing now mom?"

"No! The last thing about end of the free world!"

"Oh that, it's just an old legend." She waved me off with a hoof and continued to scribble on a note pad.

"Lyra... I am just an old legend... And here I am." I was not really in the mood to be lead around without knowing what was happening.

"Good point. One... Second...." Lyra began digging through piles of papers and books. She final popped up with an old dirty scroll and unrolled it.

"Ah here we are. On the 1225th year after of the fall of humans, an ancient evil will reclaim its strength and reclaim the world it use to rule. Yada Yada Yada blah blah blah friendship.... Training.... Something about a magic sword.... Magic armor.... And one human will stand alongside his pony brethren to defend against the evil as the protector of freedom." Lyra closed the scroll.

My mouth was hanging open. Besides the fact she had skimmed the whole fucking scroll, I had another damn bombshell dropped on my already messed up head. What. The. Fuck.

"So what it sounds like is Johnson needs to understand friendship, complete his training, find a magic sword and armor, and confront the ancient evil which sounds like the Nightmare." Twilight pulled up a large sheet of parchment and made a list on it.

Johnson's to do list
• friendship
• training
• magic sword
• magic armor
• save world from ancient evil- should win said battle

Twilight smiled as she pinned the list up on the wall. "And you already have some friends made! You're making great progress Johnson!"

I fainted.

I slowly came back to it too see Twilight's muzzle inches from my face.

"Make note that humans can be easily agitated with words. Emotional reactions can be high." Wait why was my back cold. Why was I staring at the celling. And why couldn't I move my arms or legs.

"Um Twilight? Lyra? Why can’t I move?" I tried moving my head but only saw bookshelves and wires connected to a funny looking machine that was beeping in rhythm to my increasing hear beat. Fuck.

"Ah well after you fainted, we received a letter from the Princess to give you a full medical examination for your training." Lyra stepped into my view and pulled a rubber glove on her hoof with a snap.

"Now turn and cough!"

***************

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

"What's wrong with him?"

"I don't know! I just made a list of things he had to do and then he fainted. Now he keeps flailing around and screaming."

"Please no!" I screamed slowly coming out of my nightmare. Twilight and Lyra were both looking at me with looks of confusion.

"I had a bad vision. Yeah a real bad vision. About evil. Yeah, the evil Nightmare. So scary. Haha." Good cover Johnson.

Once I had settled down I explained to Lyra and Twilight what had happened in Canterlot with the Princesses. I did tell them about the memories; they may have had some connection with the Nightmare that was returning to Equestria.

Twilight finished writing another page of notes and closed the journal. "Well it is the Nightmare you will be fighting."

"I knew that. Celestia straight up told me." So far I hadn't learned anything new about what I was going to have to do. I was just going to pull my trigger and hope for the best.

"And after looking through these records," Lyra spoke up from across the room, "I found the we have exactly 364 days left till the Nightmare will return in strength. Yesterday was the 1224th year after the fall of humans."

"So I need to get to work." I stood up and looked out the window and saw the castle city of Canterlot in the distance. "I leave tomorrow for training, I'll get through that and then save the day or something like that."

"Well good luck Honored Service." Twilight trotted up behind me and patted me on the back. "If my brother starts getting too hard on you, let me know. He kind of owes me after the whole Cadence thing." I looked down at the purple unicorn.

"Thanks Twilight, but if I can't handle one officer, then how am I going to defend against an entire evil force of nature. I'm sure whatever Shining Armor has planned won't be able to stop me."

Famous last words.

"Have fun in Canterlot!" Lyra called out to me as I left the library. "If you lose some of your blood, please save it for me to experiment on!" I heard Twilight gag and start yelling at Lyra as the library door closed shut.

"Wow, what a day." I looked at my watch, and it wasn't even time for supper yet. I tucked my boxes of clothes and armor under my arm and walked off.

I headed towards a shop that looked to be made of candy, unaware of the rose colored eyes that watched from the clouds.

The bell above the door jingled as I walked into the bakery/sweets shop. A few ponies were seated at tables and gave me a few nods or scooted about away from me. Same reactions as before, but at least they weren't running in fear.

"Oh my gosh! I knew you would be stopping in today Honored! My back legs got all straight and I couldn't bend them, which means I'm going to see my human friend today. But I have to work all day, so I knew that you must be coming into Sugar Cube Corner so I baked you a special cupcake with extra frosting and chocolate." Pinkie Pie bounced around happily explaining the finer points of how to make cupcakes.

I sat down at a table as the pink party pony placed a pretty pink pastry in front of me. She smiled as I picked it up in my hand and sniffed it. Smelled like sugar and sunshine!

Pinkie Pie leaned in and watched with intense blue eyes as I not into the flaming hot cupcake... Wait? Flaming hot?

I looked and saw that the inside of the cupcake was filled with peppers and red sauce that smelled like hot sauce. And right about now, my tongue felt like it was coated in magma.

"HOT HOT HOT HOT!" I gasped for air trying to find something to drink. I ran around the shop trying to find any type of liquid I could use to douse the fire raging in my mouth. Upon remembering I had a canteen filled with water on my belt, I ripped it off and chugged the whole thing down.

"Bwhahahhahhaha!" I spun around to see a blue Pegasus with a rainbow mane rolling on the ground laughing her head off. Pinkie Pie bounced over and joined her. Seeing the two of them laughing it up reminded me that I had had this coming. Rainbow had gotten me back. Touché

My mouth still ached but I knew how to lose with some kind of pride.

"Alright you got me Rainbow Dash. That was a good one." Might as well just let her have this one.

The still giggling pony picked herself up off the floor and wiped a tear away. She smiled and ate the rest of the cupcake I had dropped on the table. She didn't even flinch. Damn. She's. So. Smooth.

"Thanks for being such a good sport Johnson. I had to get you back for the scare you gave me." She eyed the Cutie Mark Crusaders patch that was on my arm. "Is that why you did it?" She raised a hoof to the adorable emblem.

"Yeah, the girls had fun. And they liked bossing around a new member of their club."

Rainbow hopped up into a chair as Pinkie Pie brought out another plate with cupcakes on it. I took a seat across from the Pegasus and ripped off a tiny piece of a cupcake to inspect it for hazardous materials before eating this one. It was fine. Super fine. Super-duper spanticular.

"Twilight and Applejack were telling me about your citizenship." Rainbow flipped a cupcake into the air and caught it in her mouth. Through her mouth full of cupcake she continued to speak. "I guess of the Princesses think you're good enough to be a citizen then I guess you aren't bad." Gee thanks Rainbow.

"And I hear you're going to be in the Canterlot Guard."

"Yes I am, bit it's actually a different branch called The Equestrian Honor Guard and it's an elite-" Rainbow cut me off with a burp.

"That's cool! If you happen to meet any of the Wonderbolt Officers, could you mention me or something?" She leaned forward and eagerly nodded her head.

"Yes, sure Rainbow." I sighed; she was so just like the show.

"Woohoo!" Rainbow yelled as she dashed out the shop and took to the sky.

"I just don't get that pony half the time." Pinkie Pie said as she picked up the empty plate and cantered back to the kitchen.

Wait, what? God, today was weird.

Comments

[Frank DuFresne (Doc)]

Is BB the magic sword?

[shadowless_night]

what pinkie is confused about somthing and doesnt understand her friend?!?!!?!? but she knows and understands everything about her friends...
cant .... compute....
error
ERROR
ERR0=-01010100101101011001
1010101000011110 2 (DRAMATIC EXSPLOSTION IN SLOW MOTION)

[Jimmy Russels]

*cue epic training montage*

[Novi Zemog]

Johnson now has to channel his inner Balboa. *cue Eye of The Tiger* Get your 'GRR!' face on!!!!!!!

[Honored Service]

800715
Because im the writer, My k-bar isnt as big and threatening as BB

And it says sword everyone!

[Aru]

-Now turn around and cough...
Jesus Christ, she put a hoof in his ass and i am scared of vision of one tiny finger put in my ass in future for standard medical research?!

[DezzarTac]

"Well good luck Honored Service." Twilight trotted up behind me and patted me on the back. "If my mother starts getting too hard on you, let me know. He kind of owes me after the whole Cadence thing." I looked down at the purple unicorn.

"Thanks Twilight, but I'd I can't handle one officer, then how am I going to defend against an entire evil force of nature. I'm sure whatever Shining Armor has planned won't be able to stop me."

I think you meant

"Well good luck Honored Service." Twilight trotted up behind me and patted me on the back. "If my brother starts getting too hard on you, let me know. He kind of owes me after the whole Cadence thing." I looked down at the purple unicorn.

"Thanks Twilight, but If I can't handle one officer, then how am I going to defend against an entire evil force of nature. I'm sure whatever Shining Armor has planned won't be able to stop me."

[The First]

801922

THEN MELT IT DOWN AND MAKE A SWORD

Pics or it didn't happen

[Honored Service]

802592
Thank you! Writing with an ipod sure blows.

[deathtap]

Much, much better. I don't know how, but the difference in pace, description and language in this chapter is a vast improvement. You're 'showing' the story, and making it far more entertaining to read. Hope that the rest of this story is like this.

[dakingofmuffins]

800097 true and the Armour is obviously what rarity made.

[Kazigami]

ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4955710216340096&pid=15.1 poor poor Johnson.

[Greenfang Neverclear]

800170 Including a random helo from space. fimfiction-static.net/images/avatars/25130_256.jpg

[badassgrunt]

1299373My God.

[damnaion]

dam i love it

[setablaze53]

HA! Pinkie will be Pinkie.

[werewolf435]

3348495 it's really not that surprising that she wouldn't understand Dash, I mean if you operate on a different level of thought (more up and to the left than straight forward) then it would be a bit difficult for you to understand someone else who thought a bit down and to the right, no?

[Blackplague689]

Ok this is moving way to fucking fast. Another reason to dislike this story,

[Manual Control]

4980294
It has been 20 chapters and he is just now becoming an Equestrian citizen... How the hell is that too fast?