Rejected Heroes

by Cobalt Bristle

3. A New Group-Part 3

Author's Note:

Hey a new chapter! Why am I actually finishing this quickly? I think I may be bored.
-Cobalt Bristle

"Crystal!" Onyx shouted for the fourth time, and was surprised when she seemed to hear him.

"Onyx?" Crystal croaked out, her voice rough.

Onyx was taken aback by the fact that she seemed to be fine, not possessed. "I..I don't understand. Y..you shouldn't have survived that. H..how?" Onyx stuttered, the shock evident in his voice.

"I don't know much about what just happened, but I don't think I'm affected by the shades since I don't have magic," Crystal explained, seeing Onyx's mouth starting to turn into a smile for the first time since she had known him, but it went away as quick as it had come.

"That's probably one of the best pieces of news we've gotten in a while. If you aren't affected by possession, the shades will hesitate to attack us." After speaking, Onyx heard a fit of coughs from beside them.

"Blaze!" Onyx shouted over at him, immediately catching his wounded brother's attention.

"Another trick. My brother nonetheless. I will tell you that you've done a good job. You only missed one detail. My brother hardly shows emotion around others," Blaze ranted, his voice raspy and his breathing ragged.

"Onyx, I believe you were correct. Someone's been trying to get information out of him. That or try to get him to help them," Crystal observed, slowly walking towards Blaze.

"Stay away from me!" Blaze shouted, finding his way to his hooves.

"Blaze, we're not here to hurt you. We're here to help you," Onyx attempted to reason with his brother, more emotion in his voice than he would've liked.

"Again with the emotion. You can't imitate my brother you freaks!" Blaze shouted, managing to walk away.

"Blaze, how did you get here? I thought you were still recovering from the Ohine..." Onyx was cut off by Blaze.

"Ohine? OHINE?! You and your filthy lies. You told my friends that! I will not stand for this!" Blaze yelled, before lunging himself at Crystal, something shooting from his hoof.

"Blaze! What are you doing?!" Onyx shouted at him, before Crystal was engulfed in flames.

There was no reply, but the flames started to die down. When they stopped, Blaze was unconscious in the grass and Crystal had her hammer in her hoof, saliva and blood on it.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

"Bluesteel! Where are you going?!" Redshield shouted after her.

"I'm going to the palace. I demand an explanation as to what's going on here. Someone has got to know, and these guards certainly aren't going to tell us," Bluesteel was still galloping towards the palace, not slowing for the residents of Canterlot, choosing to duck and weave instead.

Redshield shut up and followed her, knowing that he couldn't stop her once she was set on doing something. When the duo finally reached the palace, the guards were immediately alert.

"Halt!" One of the guards yelled down, finally prompting Bluesteel to stop.

"What is your business inside the palace?" The other asked, spear slightly angled downwards, the voice evidently female. Bluesteel noticed one of her hind legs was bionic.

"I need to speak to the princess about the outburst of energy that happened earlier," Bluesteel answered, eyeing the spear the guard was holding.

"The princess is currently in a private meeting with the captain. You'll have to wait," the first guard answered, boredom in his voice.

"I must speak to the captain as well. This 'meeting' will be perfect," Bluesteel shot back, annoyance in her voice.

"I'm sorry miss, but no one's allowed in," the guard told her.

"I'd let me in, you wouldn't let me to tell the captain how rubbish of a guard you're being," Bluesteel threatened, getting a raised eyebrow from the guard.

"Ma'am, I have been a guard longer than you've lived. I don't think you could do better," the guard told her.

"Look, you're stance is all wrong. You're slumped over, you're spear is at a crooked angle, and you're only paying attention to what's in front of you," Bluesteel told him, knowing about that kind of thing.

The guard immediately widened his eyes and corrected his stance, and looked over to see Redshield, who waved. The guard sighed, defeated. "Very well. Step aside Dodger," the guard told the other guard, who still looked suspicious of them.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

"Your child?" Crion asked the princess, still shocked from the realization that the princess was the mother to Dark Storm and her sisters.

"Yes. Just know that Dark wasn't always this way. She was once a child who trained in the arcane arts under Light Spark. If she had never met Midnight, they never would've attempted dark magic. The three main shades aren't really related you know," Sunset explained.

"I.. suppose that makes sense, but why have you never helped us fight the shades?" Fallen asked.

"Is one ever ready to give the order that will mean the death of hundreds of innocents? it is hard to separate the spirit from the pony without killing the host," Sunset told the duo.

Crion was about to speak when he was interrupted by the opening of the throne room door.

"Now can someone explain what's going on?" Bluesteel shouted into the room, causing Fallen to become instantly alert.

"Crion, get Rosanna and Prim in here. We might need their... assistance," Fallen told him, remembering the names of their former allies.

Crion nodded and pulled a red gem on a string out. He covered the amulet with his hoof and uttered a word, prompting the gem to glow.

"Who are you and why have you interrupted the meeting?" Crion asked Bluesteel, sword drawn for the first time. His sword had a gem embedded in the pommel and a blade made out of a red metal.

"I am Bluesteel, and I demand an answer as to what's happening with the magical disturbance. That doesn't come from nowhe..." Bluesteel was cut off as a hind leg found itself into her stomach, Rosanna Dodger the owner.

"Hey, what's the big idea?" Redshield asked, evidently unnoticed by the others.

"Don't ask me. Just following orders," Rosanna answered.

"Prim, be gentler on the other one," Crion told the other guard now standing next to him.

Prim trotted forward and looked Redshield in the eye before turning back to the captain. "Perhaps I won't need to take action.," Prim told the captain, turning back to Redshield after. "Perhaps he'll just tell us how they entered, and then let them be on their way.," Prim continued, getting a nod from Redshield.

"Bluesteel just wanted to know what was going on, and I accompanied her," Redshield told Crion.

"Princess? It's your call at this point. What do you want to do with them?" Crion asked the princess, not sheathing his sword quite yet.

"Let him in. Bring the other here as well. I believe they may be able to help us," Sunset answered, looking out a window.

Crion hesitated before muttering "Yes Princess." and escorting Redshield in.

"Now, what is your name?" Sunset asked Redshield.

"My name is Redshield," he said, embarrassed.

"Redshield. I believe you may know my grandson, Onyx Storm," Sunset told him, getting a nod in reply.

"We know him well. When he left for Ponyville after his parents died, we never thought we'd see him again. I see that his 'parents' weren't his real ones," Redshield said the last part with a tint of sadness.

"His parents were not those you knew, although they did care for him. They also died. Dark eliminated them to try to possess Onyx, but failed when he moved to Ponyville. Redshield, I need you and Bluesteel to accompany Crion, Fallen and the rest of the Guardians to fight the shades." When Sunset finished, both Crion and Redshield were looking at each other, judging if they could take the other in a fight.

"I know that you may not like this idea, but they will be an asset to your team Crion. Now go, retrieve Onyx and his companions," Sunset ordered.

As the group started walking out, Bluesteel on Redshield's back, the princess gave Crion another order. "And Crion, take three of your most trusted warriors with you." Crion gave a nod, motioned to Rosanna and Prim, and left the room.

In the corridor, Bluesteel finally found consciousness and immediately jumped off of Redshield, unhappy to have been carried. When they were towards the end of the corridor, Crion told another guard to join them. He did not look happy.