Rouge Flame: Legend of the Elemental Warrior

by Steel Heart

Regrets

Twilight awoke after a night of unrest, still feeling guilty for yelling at Eclipse. As it turns out, he got those three scars on his face from a dragon just a few decades older than spike. Spike understood, and made up with Eclipse. She had just finished brushing her mane, when she noted the smell of a cooked breakfast in the air. It must be a pretty special occasion for Spike to cook a meal. But when she got to the kitchen, it wasn't Spike doing the cooking, but Eclipse slaving over the stove. "G'day, how do ya like ya eggs?", Eclipse asked without even looking away from his cooking.

"Uhhh. What's 'g'day'?", asked Twilight from the doorway looking at the scene before her.

"Oh, dad used to greet ponies like that. Apparently it was used quite commonly were he came from," Eclipse said as he absently flipped a pancake.

Twilight soon found her seat at the table, "Did he say where he came from?"

"He always wished 'bout goin back to some place called 'Australia'," Eclipse shrugged his shoulders, "I dunno, he seemed to be fairly attached to this place. Now back to the question at hand. How do you like your eggs?" he asked as he cracked an egg into the now empty pan.

"Sunny side up please. Uhhh, how did you do that?"

"Do what? Crack the egg into the pan?"

"Yes, how did you do that?"

Eclipse turned to her with a surprised look on his face with a - paint scraper? - clutched in one of his large hands. "You have a Dragon for an assistant. And you've never seen that?"

Twilight shook her head, "I usually cook the eggs," Eclipse shrugged his shoulders then turned back his eggs in the pan, "Eclipse. Why are you using a paint scraper instead of an egg flip?"

"Paint scraper works better. Doesn't stuff it up like an egg flip," Eclipse replied flatly. ((It works. Really it does, I use one all the time and it NEVER stuffs anything up... If you know what your doing.))

Eclipse then walked over to the table with a bowl filled with scrambled eggs; with crushed sapphire in it. As expected, Spikes mouth began to water at the sight, "Whoa, hang on a sec there mate not just yet," Eclipse said as he made his way over to Spikes stash of jewels.

Twilight looked at the bowl of eggs in disbelief. How in the hay did he crush the sapphires? Just as she thought this, Eclipse returned to the table with a small ruby in his hand, "Eclipse? How did you manage to crush the sapphire?"

Eclipse now held the ruby in both hands over the bowl, "Like this," and Eclipse crushed the ruby with his bare hands, sprinkling the dust over the eggs. After he had done this, Eclipse shoved the bowl over to Spike, "There ya are mate. Dig in." And as expected, Spike basically drove his face into the bowl.

After a few seconds, the baby dragon pulled his face from his breakfast with a smile, "Oh wow. Apology accepted," Spike replied as he licked his chops.

"Glad to hear it," Eclipse acknowledged as he put a plate in front of Twilight, containing her breakfast. And Eclipse sat on the other side of the table with his own.

"Ho.. How did you crush that ruby?"

"With my hands. How else would I do that?"

"Just how strong are you?"

"Strong enough," Eclipse said as he picked up his knife and fork in his hands. Twilight ignored her breakfast, and studied the way in which Eclipse was manipulating the cutlery in his hands.

Wow. Their strong AND dexterous. Nothing like a dragons. The ultimate utility tool. Is that why his father was the best Blacksmith in Equestria?, "Hey Eclipse. What did your father look like?" She knew it was a silly question.

"Like me, but minus the wings," came the reply.

"Oh. Ok," and Twilight took the bit of pancake that was on her fork. Her eyes went as wide as her plate. Oh Celestia. These are the best pancakes I've ever had.

"Did I undercook em?" Eclipse asked with a hint of concern.

Twilight swallowed her mouthful of pancake, "No. These are brilliant! Just out of curiosity, does your cutie mark have anything to do with cooking?"

"I don't have a CM," he replied bluntly.

"Ok, funs over. Let's see it."

"I honestly don't have one. I've got a birth mark, but not a cutie mark."

'Non magical? No cutie mark? But his mother was apparently a Pegasus, so he would have to have SOME magic'.

Again, Eclipse read her mind, "Dad was non magical, so my best guess is that I've more of his side in me."

------

"You know I still don't belive that you haven't got a cutie mark," Twilight said as the odd pair were making their way to Carousel Boutique. "Everypony has a cutie mark."

"Well I'm sorry to say this, but I don't have one in any shape or form. Dad never had one, and according to him, no other human did either."

Then their convocation got interrupted by none other than princess Celestia who once again appeared from nowhere, "He speaks the truth, my faithful student. His father never had a cutie mark, and as go the old stories Alicorn mothers would tell their foals to make them behave."

Any protection shall be in vain.
Against this creature of death and pain.
One thing does it desire.
Ones flesh cooked by fire.

Where there should be a cutie mark.
You will find it's flank stark.
Fight hard you may.
But quicker shall you not see the next day.

Never will it have a goal.
For black is it's soul.
Now behave my little one.
Or the human will come.

"Really Cel? Thanks for portraying us humans like that, even if I am a hybrid," Eclipse said with a slight frown on his face. "Anyhow. Why aren't you back in Canterlot?"

"Oh, Lulu wanted to spend the night here, so we went to the inn," Celestia dismissed with a wave of her hoof. "So what are my two favorite students doing on such a fine morning?"

Twilight whirled around and stared at Eclipse with a look of disbelief, "Your one of her students!? But you don't have any magic, so how were you a student to the princess?"

Eclipse burst out with laughter, "Oh Cel. You shouldn't scare your student like that," Eclipse said as he wiped a tear from his face. "It was a tutorship. Cel here would often visit us during the evening when she had essentially knocked off from work. And she would quite often help me with my homework."

"Oh. Well I guess that makes sense," Twilight said.

"Oh does it just," Eclipse said as he pushed the door open leading into Rarity's boutique. As he did so, he was met with a pitch black room with no light coming in from any windows or doors. And a cold lump formed in his gut, for he knew exactly what this ment, "Awww crap."

Just as he said this, the lights flared to life and all the ponies in Ponyville jumped from their hiding places with a loud, "SURPRISE!".

"Dang it Pink, you know I don't like it when ponies jump out at me like that!"

At that moment, Pinkie Pie bounced her way up to Eclipse with a huge smile on her face, "Oh silly, it wouldn't be a 'surprise' party if you weren't surprised."

"Yeah 'surprised', not flailing around the room trying to catch your skin 'cause you got scared out of it," Eclipse replied an annoyed tone. "But thanks anyway."

And as expected, Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie, changed the subject, "Hey look. Your friends made it," she said as she pointed a hoof out the door.

Eclipse, Celestia and Twilight turned around to see these 'friends' Pinkie was on about. When they saw them, Celestia went completely catatonic, with utter terror on her face. While Eclipse and Twilight just looked them up and down before recognizing Celestia's state of pure fear of these beings. "Hey, Cel. What's wrong?" Eclipse asked, his voice laced with concern.

She only said two words, that spoke emense volume to Eclipse, which made him tense up ready for anything.
"It's him."

"Him, who ol' girl?"

Celestia turned to Eclipse with a fear he had never seen in his old friends eyes, "35 years ago, the leader you see here.. Was shot and killed by your father when we first met." Eclipses jaw dropped, he had heard stories about that fateful day, and about his fathers legendary weapon of a thousand arrows and spears. He was told that NOTHING survived being struck by his fathers 'Rifle'.

"Celestia, we meet again you old coward," the leader spoke, voice dripping with malice.

Twilight then noticed Eclipses hands had balled into fists, his head was lowered with his eyes closed, and he was starting to make deep hissing sounds every time he let out a breath. She looked to Pinkie and Celestia, whose attention had turned to the now obviously angry Eclipse, both their faces had the same look. 'run! Just run!'

Eclipse then opened his eyes, and instead of their normal deep crimson color, they had turned a deep black. So deep they now absorbed all light, and Twilight also noticed his hands started to glow a faint aura of the same color. But this aura, much against any and all logic, glowed with an intensity that stunned Twilight and the princess. "You will not speak to the princess like that," Eclipse said in a voice that was in a sense, a low rumble in his chest.

"Oh. Is that so you insignificant insect?", the leader taunted. "Well then, we might get two birds with one stone. Then after that," the leader then smiled so evilly, that it could strip paint off the walls, "We shall kill the viliagers and feast upon their flesh."

Eclipses wings ruffled the slightest amount, then he slowly turned towards the group, reveling his obvious burning anger. "As long as I live, you will not touch my friends. So if you value your lives, then you will return to the hole you call home."

"ENOUGH!!! Kill them both!" Then from out the back of the group, a pair of archers reviled themselfs with weapons at the ready. They took aim. And let go on the strings.

It all happened so quickly that the princess had to blink a couple of times to comprehend what had happened, as Eclipse now had one of his glowing fists in front of her face with an arrow in it's grasp with the tip just inches from her face, and Eclipse sported a fresh cut on his own. Eclipse then let go of the arrow and wiped a few fingers across his cheek, then examined the blood on them.

"Big mistake."

Eclipse then launched himself into a run faster than Twilight could blink, with the added fact he ran faster than anything she had ever seen. Roaring a blood curdling war cry, Eclipse sprinted his way into the group of evident warriors, and let loose. His fists connected with the first one he could reach, and Eclipse sent him into the ground with a sickening 'smack', and the others came at him with every weapon imaginable, from daggers to a spear. Eclipse dodged and blocked the blows they gave, and gave some of his own, using his arms as both shields and as weapons along with his glowing fists.

Eclipse fought, and the group of warriors was falling fast. Eclipse was currently finishing off an opponent, using his fists like clubs, when another came at him with a spear at the ready. "ECLIPSE!!! BEHIND YOU!!!" Twilight bellowed just as the spear was launched.

Eclipse spun on his heel and caught the spear mid flight, spun it over his head like the rotor blade Pinkie used on her contraption a few months back, before smashing the end with the tip on it to the ground, breaking the head off. He now stood with his feet apart with his new staff pointed out in front of him, in a rather dramatic yet menacing way, before he once again spun his weapon around his body, over, behind and beside him before he lunged back into battle.

How the hay can he fight without those massive wings of his getting in the way?

Eclipse continued to fight like a whirlwind from hell, breaking bones and giving bruises. But what scared Twilight, the princess and Pinkie most of all, was the fact Eclipse looked so calm. He just stared straight ahead, boring his cold glare into the very souls of his victims, all while fighting with a fury like a cut snake in a tumble dryer. This went on for a few seconds, before a new opponent and weapon reviled themselves.

This particular warrior was HUGE, and he sported two slightly curved swords, one in each hand. Eclipse turned just in time to see this new opponent swing his blades, and Eclipse raised his staff to block the blow, but his staff was cut short (quite literally) by the two wicked looking weapons. Eclipse then discarded his now useless weapon and got into a crouch, as his opponent raised his swords for a downwards strike.

Just before the warriors weapons reached their peak above his head, Eclipse sprang up and over the head of his foe, pushing his hands on the pummels of the blades, sending them into the warriors back effectively killing him. Eclipse landed on the other side of his now dead opponent, lifted himself off the ground, and without looking back, grabbed ahold of both handles and yanked them free.

Eclipse then raised both swords in front his chest and crossed them over in a dramatic defensive gesture, "Come and get me. If you can," his cold, heartless glare still present. The remaining warriors took him up on his challenge, but they were never prepared for the awesome speed that was an angry Eclipse.

Blood was spilt. Agonizing cries filled the crisp morning air. Flashes and the echoing bang of steel on steel. And the wet 'thwacks' of blades cutting flesh filled the ears and eyes of the ponies who dared to look on. But most were too scared to even move. Eclipse was now blocking a failed blow, which he did by crossing both his blades under that of his would-be killer.

They stared at each other, waiting for the right moment to strike. This went on for what felt like ages. Then after Eclipse had felt that enough was enough, he flicked his left wrist and sent his enemies blade flying before he spun on his heel and jammed his left blade through the midsection of his once-was foe. Then in one swift series of motions from his right wrist, he spun and swung the blade around before flinging it over his shoulder to one remaining enemy, sinking it up to the guard in his throat. And standing behind his latest casualty, was the leader of these 'warriors', quaking with absolute terror. Eclipses face remained placid as he stepped over the body's that littered the ground, to within spitting distance of the leader. He then formed his still glowing hands into a crude claw shape, extended his now blood soaked wings above his head, took a step forwards lowering his torso, and let out the most terrifying roar that anypony had ever head. Windows broke, houses shook and even princess Celestia cringed at this awesome barrage of terrifying noise, emanating from someone she had known from his birth. After Eclipse had finished his battle cry, the leader took this as his leave and ran as fast as his legs could carry him. Eclipses hands lost their glow, his wings folded behind him and he turned back to see the horrified faces of his home town and friends.

Twilight had simply forgotten how to speak, how transfer her thoughts to her mouth. She had let a killer sleep in her library last night. And as she looked at the being in front of her, covered in blood that wasn't his and hardly even concerned for the ones he had killed left her speechless.

Eclipse then looked at his skinned and bruised knuckles, then looked at his blood covered hands and looked back to his terrified friends. "I shouldn't have come back," Eclipse said in a sad tone, before he leaped up into the sky, and vanished.

------

A/N

*Sorry if this chapter isn't very long, but I've been working flat out and haven't had much time to write this up.*

Comments

[Frostbyite]

HOLY
THAT WAS AMAZING

[Steel Heart]

209121Cheers mate. Much appreciated

[Br2nd66]

holy shit immeadiate watch

[Steel Heart]

209176*sqee*

[Primordial Deomontus]

fucking epic fight night WAIT it was nighttime during the fight right WAIT yeah because his body is black and he disappeared easily so that means it was night...I CONFUSE MYSELF NOOO

[insightguy]

HOLD ON!

How could luna and twilight not know this guy?

I can think that the dude existed in ponyvile before twilight's arrival as she probably never heard of him due to her being coped up in the library
and luna was on the mooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!

[Steel Heart]

212324Ya hit the nail on the head there

[King Leoric]

*Gandalf voice* and on that day, mutch asskickin ware had. And it was glorius.

[booklover41]

5717974 Indeed.