Chapter I: The Rise of The Raven

Chapter I: The Rise of the Raven

It was, simply put, just another day in the life of Michale Jameson, a video game nerd and full-time employee at GameStop. He groaned, getting up from his bed, and shutting off the alarm clock next to him. That done, he moved to get dressed, putting on a Fallout 4 shirt and some khakis. That done, he moved downstairs, entering the kitchen and grabbing a bowl and a box of cereal. Once he had finished eating, he grabbed his keys, and exited the house, locking it behind him before heading to his car to go to work.

many hours later

Michale yawned, walking up his porch to open the door. He noticed a small, rectangular box sitting in front of his doorway, and picked it up curiously, before unlocking his door and stepping inside, immediately bringing the box up to the table, grabbing a kitchen knife and carefully cutting away the tape at the ends of the box. Once all the tape was removed, he opened it up, looking at the contents inside with unconcealed glee.

It was a smaller, black rectangular box, with the image of a helmet on one side, a Roman three on another.

“The Dawn of War III Collector's edition…” He breathed silently, slowly pulling the box out of the other box and popping it open, pulling out the contents one by one. His movements stopped as he pulled out the small replica Daemonhammer inside, examining it carefully. “Godsplitter… looks pretty good.” It was then that he noticed a button on the side of the hammer’s handle. Curious, he pressed the button, expecting it to light up or something.

Instead, the hammer burst to life, electrical currents running across the head of the hammer, which began to grow in size, becoming heavier with each passing second in Michale’s hand, forcing him to grab on with two hands.

“W-what the-” He yelped, as wind began spiraling around him, causing the hammer to lean towards him, as if the wind was trying to bring it against his head. He tried letting go, but found his hands almost glued to the handle. So instead, he tried bracing against it, to keep it from falling on top of him. This failed however, and slowly but surely the hammer reached down, and made contact with his forehead. And everything exploded in a bright burst of light, before fading away in an everlasting black.

“Princess! We’ve discovered something!” A voice called, piercing the darkness that clouded his mind. He felt… strange. His body felt entirely different… and his right arm and left leg both felt… cold, and empty, as if they weren't really there at all. He heard the whine of machinery powering up around him, and the sound of armored footsteps nearing him.

“What is it?” Another voice whispered, and he could feel as if he could sense several people standing around him, with another walking closer.

“I think it's a man… but what's with the armor? And the scar?” A third voice whispered, but all fell silent as the final figure approached. Judging by the lightness of each step, he identified the new person as a woman.

”Wait… how can I tell that just from the sound of her feet? And what do those other guys mean by-” His thoughts were interrupted as a golden light sweeper into his conscience, erasing all other thoughts as the image of a beautiful woman appeared in front of him, golden light radiating from her and her alone. A brilliant wave of multicolored hair flowed from to her side, waving in a nonexistent wind, her ornate and beautifully crafted golden armor shining brightly in the darkness. He also noticed the sword hanging in a scabbard to her side, but paid it no heed as new thoughts overwhelmed his mind.

”Emperor. God. Holy. Leader. BOW DOWN.” He did as these thoughts ordered, and several gasps of surprise went unnoticed as his attention was focused solely on her. He didn't even realize he had gotten up, let alone opened his eye.

“Interesting… and what are you, to immediately bow before me?” The woman asked, motioning with her hand for him to rise. He did as commanded, standing up above the rest of the soldiers surrounding him, his hand gripped around the massive Daemonhammer standing proudly at his side.

“I… I know not my name, Empress.” He stated after a single moment. ”How could I have forgotten my own name?! I guess it's to be expected, in the presence of the God-Empress…”

“Empress?” The woman giggled. “No, I am no Empress. I am Princess Celestia, ruler of Equestria. And, sir, not to be rude, but isn't this your name here?” Celestia pointed to a part of his shoulder pauldrons, where the name ‘Gabriel Angelos’ was etched into the gold. “Gabriel Angelos?”

“I… yes, that name sounds familiar, your highness.” The newly named Gabriel agreed, feeling as though it felt somewhat wrong.

“I beg your pardon, Sir Gabriel, but do you know what happened to this village? We came here due to rumors of it being attacked, and… well…” Celestia asked. Gabriel finally took in his surroundings, to find they stood in the still-burning ruins of a village, the corpses of the villagers being collected by a few other guardsmen for burial.

“I don't know anything, your highness. The last thing I can recall is being at home… and…” Gabriel paused, struggling to remember the rapidly fading memory. “And I woke up from the voice of one of your guards.”

“I see.” Celestia nodded. One of the guards stepped forward.

“Your highness, with all due respect, we cannot trust this… man. He could be lying!” The guard said.

“Worry not, Initiate Armor. I can sense his feelings, though his mind is heavily guarded. He speaks the truth.” Celestia comforted the young man, turning back to Gabriel. “This is Initiate Shining Armor, a new recruit to the Royal Guard.” Gabriel glanced at the young boy. He was still young, likely fourteen or sixteen. His hair was a light shade of blue, matted to his head underneath his helmet. His equally blue eyes glared suspiciously at Gabriel, who returned the stare with a blank one of his own, his single eye piercing into Armor’s soul with an intensity that frightened the child.

“Your Highness.” Gabriel spoke up. “As imprudent as this may sound, I would like to join your military. I don't know anything about this land, and I feel that my expertise would greatly assist your rule.” He knelt down again, bowing before her.

The Princess was about to respond, when suddenly an arrow flew over Gabriel’s shoulder, piercing the eye of one of Celestia’s guards, who fell to the ashen ground, screaming in pain and grasping at the arrow stuck in his socket. The rest of the guardsmen ducked into cover, while Celestia drew her sword, which caught fire as it exited its scabbard.

Gabriel rose immediately, his grip on the Godsplitter tightening as he turned to look behind him.

Dozens of warriors were charging into the ruined village, wearing nothing except for tribalwear and feathers, their mouths covered by what looked like the beaks of what must have been massive birds. One of them charged the nearest guardsmen, letting loose a warcry as they stabbed their spear through his armored chest, whereas three others on horseback shot arrows at Celestia’s troop, their arrows bouncing harmlessly off of Gabriel’s armor.

“Griffonian tribesmen!” Initiate Armor shouted, drawing his sword. “Protect the Princess!” His eyes widened as Gabriel dashed into the fray, swinging the massive Daemonhammer in his hand in front of him as he smashed the head of one of the tribal warriors into their shoulders, the feathers of their headdress sticking out from the hole where their neck used to be. As they collapsed, Gabriel moved on, electricity sparking around Godsplitter. As he smashed another Griffonian’s head into a wooden pole, their brain matter splattering the charred wood, he began to shout loudly, for all to hear.

“I shall never stop, lest the enemy escape!” He began, grabbing a warrior by the head and smashing him into his armored kneecap, the Griffonian’s face imploding back into his head. “I shall never tire, lest the enemy strike!” The rest of the Griffonians backed away as Godsplitter broke one of their brothers in two, the hammer crushing his spine and sending the undamaged halves of his body flying in separate directions. “With each enemy I kill, I grow closer to salvation!” He roared, defying physics and jumping high up into the air, Godsplitter swinging madly just above him. He brought the Daemonhammer back down into the ground like a meteor, releasing a shockwave that sent the Griffonians in front of him flying back, most of them meeting their end at the hands of wooden posts, which penetrated their chests, sending blood spilling to the ground as Gabriel marched forth.

“I am the Raven of Blood, Gabriel Angelos, here to deliver the holy wrath of the Emperor to you, heretics!” Gabriel declared proudly. The remaining Griffonians, which happened to be the few archers, fled, fear evident in their eyes.

“There shall be no escape!” Gabriel growled, preparing to give chase.

“Angelos, stop!” Celestia’s voice cut through Gabriel’s rage. He turned, looking at Celestia as the sun began to rise behind her. “They have fled, so there is no need to give chase. They know your power, and will not wish to see it again.” She stepped closer to Gabriel, sheathing her sword, its flames sputtering out. “You said you wished to join my Guard, and, after witnessing your prowess, have decided to consider it more thoroughly. Please, return with me to Canterlot.”

“As you wish, Princess.” Gabriel nodded, bowing slightly.

Celestia turned away from him, observing her guards recovering from the attack. “While it wasn't quite what I had hoped for, you have given me a great weapon, dear sister.” She said, looking at the fleeing moon as she brought the sun up. “For that, I thank you.”

Chapter Two: First Confrontations

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Chapter II: First confrontations

Canterlot, Capital of Equestria

Gabriel, Celestia, and the rest of the guards marched through the streets of the pristine capital of Equestria, the armored warrior towering over the rest of the guards and earning curious and fearful looks from the populace, before they immediately were at ease once they saw Celestia with them. They made their way to the castle on the other side, it's pearl-white towers gleaming in the light of the rising sun.

“Unfortunately, Mister Angelos, you are as of yet unable to join the Royal Guard, because you are not an Equestrian citizen, as far as we are aware. So, if you wish to become a Guard, you must become a member of Equestrian society. Of course, I am certain I can pull a few strings so you won't have to take any citizenship tests that other foreigners do.”

“I do hope that this will be a fast process. I want to get to work as soon as I am able.” Gabriel nodded, and Celestia eyed him, before returning her gaze to the city.

“Speaking of, Mister Angelos, why do you wish to join the military so badly? I hate to be suspicious, but you seem… almost fanatically determined to join the Royal Guard. Why is that?” Celestia asked, not turning to look at him. “Granted, your armor is something of a giveaway, but you look like a battle hardened warrior. I doubt you would give up your previous loyalties.”

“I…” Gabriel paused, as if to think about it. “I… don't know, your highness. Whenever I look at you, I have the almost undeniable urge to kneel and pledge my fealty to you, as if you are the one true goddess, or ruler of mankind.”

Celestia looked at him questionably, but sighed. “In that case, we will have to have some of our mages perform some scans of your mind. Even though I doubt it, there is the possibility that you could be a sleeper agent, possibly sent by the Changelings. Is that alright with you?”

Gabriel nodded. “Yes, your majesty. But… what are Changelings?” He asked, confused. “Are they some sort of… xeno?”

“Xeno? You mean alien?” Celestia asked, and with a confirming nod from Gabriel, she shook her head. “No, they are human, like us. The Changelings are a terrorist group who have plagued Equestria for decades. They practice forbidden Magic, such as mimic spells, and have used that to infiltrate dozens of towns, guard camps, and more. We have yet to pinpoint the location of their base of operations, and thus have been unable to defeat them to this day.”

“I see. Very well, let us go to complete this examination.” Gabriel nodded. The group changed course, heading for a tower on the edge of the castle. As they reached the gates, Celestia’s guards moved away, replaced by four new guards, who followed them into the castle.

“Please, Mister Angelos, take a seat. The examination will begin momentarily.” The mage, known as Silver Touch, stated. Gabriel could not see much from under his hood, but he did notice how frail the man’s arms were. It almost looked as if Gabriel could break his arm just by poking it. The warrior noticed Celestia sitting in the room, observing them as she sipped quietly on a cup of coffee.

“I’d rather not, sir. I'm afraid my armor might be too much for your seats, so I would recommend leaving me to stand.” Gabriel stated blandly. For some reason, Gabriel felt uneasy around this man. He couldn't state the reason why, but his every instinct told the warrior that he should either strike him down, or be extremely cautious around him.

“Ah. Yes, how thoughtful of you. Now, this will only take a moment…” Silver assured Gabriel, light emerging from the man’s forehead and hands. “Mind Reading spells are quite difficult to perform and, in some cities, forbidden to use by the Mage Halls.”

“I'm again sorry for this, Gabriel. I doubt you are a Changeling Spy, but it isn't every day that a warrior bends down on one knee and swears loyalty to me on first contact.” Celestia apologized, though Gabriel waved her off.

“You need not apologize, your highness. ‘A suspicious mind is a healthy mind’, after all.” Celestia nodded towards Silver Touch, and the mage began his work.

Gabriel felt something in the back of his mind in an instant. He felt as though something… foreign, was attempting to enter his thoughts, to worm its way inside. The Intruder was almost instantly repelled, and Gabriel heard Silver Touch cry out in surprise and pain, collapsing into the floor.

“Silver Touch, what is wrong?!” Celestia asked, looking between the fallen robed mage and the armored warrior.

“I… his mind… I've never even heard of such a thing!” Silver gasped, clutching his head. “His mind… it's almost as if there's a wall, standing between me and his brain, repelling all attempts to enter!”

“An open mind is like a fortress with its gates unbarred and unguarded…” Gabriel muttered. “I believe it might be possible that, in whatever life I led before my memories vanished, I was trained to resist attacks upon my own mind.”

“I see… so you are resistant to invasions of the mind?” Celestia examined Gabriel in a new light.

“P-Princess, if I may.” Silver Touch staggered to his feet, clutching his head. “I doubt even your magic, as powerful as it may be, is strong enough to break through this man’s mental defenses. He must have trained years, if not decades, to hone his mind in such a manner. It's highly unlikely that he is being mind controlled in any way.”

“Really? Well, I suppose that this option is out the window then…” Celestia sighed. “I guess we will have to rely on our faith in your loyalty, Gabriel.” She stepped forward, looking up at him. “You will be looked at with suspicion and distrust at first, but through deeds and acts of valour, you may just earn my trust, and the trust of my guardsmen. Do you accept this?” She asked, looking him dead in the eye.

“Yes, your majesty. I, Gabriel Angelos, swear undying loyalty to you and to Equestria. Though viewed with suspicion by my peers, I shall persevere to earn their trust, and to serve this nation well.” Gabriel declared, kneeling before her. “For only in death, does my duty end.”

“I wouldn't try to get you killed, Angelos. Equestria has its fair share of enemies and allies, and we need every able-bodied soldier who is willing to serve.” Celestia replied, helping Gabriel to stand. “Once you are an official Equestrian citizen, you will report to the Guard Barracks in the morning, as soon as possible. You may reside in the castle until them. Dismissed.” Gabriel saluted smashing his fist against his chest plating, where his heart would be, and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Many months later

Gabriel took a seat in his quarters, generously donated to him by the Princess after a successful seven months of serving with the Guard. He grabbed a book and quill, one he had found himself using quite often as of late, and began to write.

Year 1001 of Celestia’s Reign,
It has been many months since I first mysteriously arrived, and my time in the Royal Guard has been fruitful. When I first arrived at the barracks, I was mostly looked upon with suspicion, awe, and even jealousy. I remember it well. The day I met my squadron, the 15th Royal Company. Of the entire Royal Guard, there are currently 20 Companies of guardsmen, with five to ten soldiers in each company...

The door to the barracks door burst open, causing the soldiers inside to promptly freak out, before standing at attention as their commanding officer stepped inside, his stern eyes looking at each soldier with cold determination.

“Alright Initiates! The replacement for Initiate Pyre Flare has arrived!” The Seargant barked, before turning to the doorway. “Initiate Angelos, please step forward!” The guards looked to the doorway with mixed expressions, but soon all found their lower jaws attempting to reach the floor as a mountain of armor lowered itself to step inside, before realizing that his massive shoulder pauldrons were incapable of squeezing through the doorway.

There was a slightly irritated grunt, and the massive suit backed away, before trying to shimmy its way inside. This time, it worked, and the armor towered over the other guards, and they finally realized the human head sitting between the enormous shoulder pauldrons, a buzzcut as white as snow donning the top of the enormous man’s head. Scar tissue covered up the place where his right eye would be, while his left eye sized up each of the guardsmen in an instant, his turquoise glare almost piercing into their souls. The towering figure’s armor shone in the candlelight, his bulky red armor decorated with gold highlights, a depiction of a cross with a skull in the center on his left shoulder pauldron, while the image of a black raven, with a teardrop of blood in the center. Gripped somewhat tightly in his hand was a large, gold-plated warhammer, it's decorations unusually detailed for a blunt weapon such as it.

“Initiates, this is Gabriel Angelos. Ignoring his…” The sergeant trailed off, gesturing towards the superheavy plating the warrior wore. “...armor, he is to be assigned to your Company, effective immediately. Any questions?”

One of the men raised his hand. “Yes, Initiate Armor?” The Sergeant asked.

“Sergeant, we were the Company that found him, with Celestia. That was only a few days ago, so how did he join without going through basic training?” The blue-haired soldier asked, eyeing Gabriel with suspicion.

“We put him through the usual exercises and tests, but…” the Sergeant looked at Gabriel. “He completed them so easily, Celestia decided to grant him initiate rank immediately.”

“I may have had exceptional circumstances regarding my recruitment, but please, treat me no differently than you would another of your Company.” Gabriel interrupted, bowing slightly.

“With that said, Initiates, we will begin training at 0500 tomorrow morning. In Nomine Celestia.” The Sergeant saluted, and the other guards returned the salute, before he exited the barracks, leaving Gabriel and the others in an uncomfortable silence.

From that day, I slowly earned the trust, and even friendship, of the other members of the 15th. Through the occasional Griff Tribal raids, we have already begun to form a bond that only fellow warriors could possibly share. We are brothers in more than name or blood bond. Yet, even now, my fellow Initiate, Shining Armor, continues to suspect me of a treason I could never hope to imagine. Yet even so, I admire his tenacity. Blessed is the mind too small for doubt, but a suspicious mind is a healthy one. I hope to

Gabriel’s writings were interrupted by a frantic knocking on his door. “Initiate Gabriel, report to the Throne Room immediately! Briefing begins in fifteen minutes!” Came the voice on the other side of the oversized wooden door, built specifically for Gabriel’s impressive height. The sound of feet began shuffling away from the door, signaling the messengers departure.

The heavily armored warrior let out a small sigh, before standing from his desk, cleaning the quill and placing it to the side as he grabbed Godsplitter from its place next to him, and opened the door to his quarters and exited.

“I thank you all for coming, Sergeant Cliff and the Initiates of the Fifteenth, Thirteenth, and Third Companies.” Princess Celestia began, standing up from her ornate gold throne as the soldiers in front of her bowed, Gabriel still clearly towering over even the tallest of the Guard. “I have ordered you all here for a special mission, of which I have been made aware of only recently.”

“We only need your word, Princess.” Sergeant Cliff stated, her voice echoing in the silence of the Grand Hall. The sergeant was seemingly middle-aged, with long dark blue hair falling to her side, masking half of her face. A scar ran down the revealed side of her face, just under her gray eye. “What are your orders?”

“According to recent reports, someone in the outskirts of Vanhoover has taken to impersonating me.” Celestia sighed, folding her arms. “While normally this could be handled by the local militia, this imposter has immense magical prowess, and has gone on something of a rampage. The Vanhoover militia has humbly requested the assistance of the Royal Guard after several attempts to capture the imposter.” There was a round of chuckles that spread through the ranks of the bowing guards, though Gabriel remained silent. “Your mission is to detain the impostor and bring her here for questioning and a trial, but if you believe her to be a threat to Equestria, then you have the authority to eliminate her at once.” She gestured towards Sergeant Cliff with one of her long, delicate hands. “Sergeant Cliff Ryder of the First Company shall be leading you on this mission, while your Sergeants shall remain to train new initiates until you return.”

“With duty and honor, your highness.” Sergeant Cliff nodded, before turning to the rest of the Initiates. “All right, Initiates. Ready your equipment and arrive at the train station at 1300. Dismissed.” The three Companies stood as one, nodding towards Sergeant Cliff, and bowing their heads one more time towards Celestia, before exiting the Grand Hall, some examining the window murals as they passed by them.

Once they had all left, Celestia sighed, a frown donning her near-perfect features. “How many do you think we will lose?” She asked Sergeant Cliff, who turned to look at her.

“Honestly, your highness?” She asked, a mournful look in her eyes. “Aside from the giant, given the reports, I'd expect almost all of the Fifteenth to perish.”

“They are young, and have only ever dealt with Griff Tribals. They are woefully unprepared for a magic caster, especially if they share a power comparable to my own.” Celestia sighed. “If the rest of the Companies were available, I would have deployed them instead…”

“The First Company is not due back from their mission for another month, and the rest of the Companies are all deployed elsewhere in Equestria.” Sergeant Cliff looked Celestia in the eyes. “Are you certain you cannot accompany us? This would be an easy battle if you were to join us.”

“Alas, dear Ryder, I cannot. As ruler of Equestria, I have to remain near Canterlot. I must govern the Capitol, while the Guard are the extensions of my will. I was only able to leave Canterlot to investigate that ruined village because it was near the city.” Celestia explained. At Cliff’s look, she sighed. “However, I can provide you with this.” She handed the sergeant a bright blue crystal, which shined with latent energy. “If the battle is too costly, use this. It will gift you, or whoever wields it, a portion of my power, sealed away long ago.”

“I thank you for this gift, your highness.” Cliff muttered, bowing slightly as she took the crystal, storing it in her backpack. “Why was it sealed?”

“Because, my dear.” Celestia sighed, sadness evident in her eyes. “No one person should wield the power to destroy the world.”

“Alright, Initiates! This impersonator that dares to mock the name of our Princess is an Aurian. Because of this, Princess Celestia has seen fit to deploy the Third Company, and to make sure that things go well, has tasked me, Sergeant of the First Company, to lead you!” The Sergeant growled as the last of the Guards trickled into the square. “During the trip to Vanhoover, I will select squad leaders to lead each search party. Each search party will consist of one Guard from each company!”

Once Sergeant Cliff had finished giving orders, the rest of the Royal Guard boarded the train, Gabriel stepping inside last, and taking his seat next to Initiate Armor, resulting in breaking the armrest between two chairs as his massive form forced him to take up two seats.

“So, Brother Armor… I hate to ask you, but I am still not entirely informed on Magic Users. If you would be so kind, please inform me of this topic.” Gabriel asked, looking down upon the pale man next to him.

“I still don’t trust you, Angelos.” Shining stated, looking up at him with suspicion clear in his eyes. “But, considering your constant support in our Company, I feel it would be rude not to inform you.”

“I thank you, Brother Armor.” Gabriel nodded. The gold-plated soldier sighed, before looking up at Angelos.

“The first thing you should know, Angelos, is that everyone in this world can use magic. There are three types of magic users.” He began, counting them off one by one. “A large majority of the populace have a strong affinity to earth-based magic, though they apparently cannot master any offensive spells. In fact, only the third, and much more rare type of magic user can utilize offensive and defensive magic. We call them ‘Terrans’. The second type, Avians, use Flight-related magic to soar through the skies, and can even walk on clouds as if they are solid. Their home city, Cloudsdale, is entirely made out of clouds.”

“So, a small percent of the Equestrian population cannot use offensive or defensive magic?” Gabriel asked. “What magic do they use if not those?”

“The Terrans can make the ground more fertile, and are experts at growing crops and other plants.” Shining explained, looking somewhat bored. “Avians move clouds, can use existing clouds to make rain clouds, and generally manage the weather.”

“Ah… I see.” Gabriel nodded, attaining a new appreciation for non-offensive or defensive magic. “And what of the third class?”

“Aurians, such as myself and the entire Third Company, excel at most magic fields. We can levitate, generate defensive force fields, shoot pure magic, and any other form of elemental magic.” Initiate Armor explained, his patience slowly running out. “I personally excel at defensive magic.”

“I thank you for this information, Brother Armor. With this, I shall be somewhat more prepared to face off against, and defeat, our enemy.” Gabriel said with honest gratitude, extending his hand towards his fellow Initiate. Shining Armor hesitated, before pulling out his own, shaking Gabriel’s hand. “At least, I won't take a random lightning bolt to the face.”

“Initiate Armor!” Sergeant Cliff called, walking down the train car. “I'm putting you in command of search party 8.”

“Y-yes ma’am!” Shining saluted the Sergeant, before she turned to Angelos.

“Initiate Angelos, you will be assigned to my personal search party. As the Fifteenth’s strongest Initiate, you will serve me best from your Company.” Sergeant Cliff said, looking up at the massive warrior. “Is that understood?”

“Yes, Sergeant. The Emper- I mean, the Princess Protects.” Gabriel corrected himself, smashing his armored fist against his chestplate. The Sergeant nodded contently, before shouting orders to the guards behind them. Once she had passed out of hearing range, Shining Armor looked up at Gabriel.

“You have no idea of the honor you have just been given, do you?” He asked.

“Being assigned as the commanding officer’s honor guard is quite the honor.” Gabriel shrugged.

Initiate Armor shook his head. “No, Angelos! She's the Sergeant of the First Company! To be handpicked by her is practically being promoted to Sergeant in any other Company!”

“I'm sorry if I don't follow. How is it that big of a deal that she is from the First?” Gabriel asked, confused as his single eye looked down at Initiate Armor.

“Whenever a Company is completed, the next one immediately begins, unless a replacement order is issued. The First Company is entirely made up of the best guards in Canterlot. That's why it's such a big deal!” Shining explained, waving his hands in the air sporadically.

“I see. They are proud Warriors among the Guard, and to be chosen by them is to be one of the greater of honors!” Gabriel beamed, before closing his eye, muttering what Shining Armor assumed to be some sort of prayer. “We are united in purity of purpose… brothers in more than any name or blood bond. We are the Royal Guard of Equestria, we are the gleaming blade in Her fist, the shield that protects Her people. Never shall we falter in our duty not just to Equestria, but to each other.”

Shining stared at him. “What was that? Some sort of Battle prayer?” Gabriel opened his eye to look at the Guard, his eye full of determination.

“Yes, Brother Armor. All Space Marines pray to the-” Gabriel paused, his eye suddenly murky with confusion. “Wait, Space Marines? What… where did that…?”

“Perhaps it was some of your memories kicking in?” Shining asked, a suspicious look on his face once again. “Or you’re covering for your blunder…”

“No, Brother Armor… it felt like a memory… yet, it wasn't familiar…” Gabriel replied, waving him off.

“What, like a vision?” Shining asked, his eyes glancing between the seats.

“Possibly.”

“Alright Initiates! If you find a trail or anything, your Aurian must use a flare spell! The rest of the search parties will form up on your location, but do not, I repeat, do not attempt to engage. In Nomine Celestia!” Sergeant Cliff declared, and the other guards bashed the flats of their swords against their chestplate, repeating the phrase, before dispersing into their assigned search groups into the forest surrounding the nearby town.

“So, how goes your Company, uh…” One of the guard's asked his teammate from the Third, who glanced at the one who had spoken.

“Bright Lance.” He introduced. “As for the Third, things have been incredibly boring. I'm just ready for some actual action for once.”

“The name’s Grand Oblation. Thirteenth Company.” The first speaker replied, sighing. “We had just come back from another Griff Raid. You'd think the Griffonians would learn to stop sending their ‘non-affiliated tribals’ to Equestria. We know it's them, so if they want a war with Equestria, then they should just do it already.”

“Wait wait wait, back up.” Bright Lance interrupted, waving his hand in front of him. “Your name is Grand Oblation? As in, a sacrifice to a religious figure?”

“My parents were Tartaran Worshippers, believe it or not. They thought that sacrificing their firstborn would appease Tirek’Orkasha or whatever the name was, so they actually named me ‘Grand Sacrifice’.” Grand Oblation groaned, shaking his head.

“How'd you get out of that?” Bright asked. “Also, please, call me Lance.”

“Well Lance, the Royal Guard had been observing my family for years, under Celestia’s order. So, when they got a tip about their plans, they arrested them before they could actually kill me. I was then raised by a member of the Guard.”

“Wow… you must have had one hell of a upbringing.” Lance said, looking at him in awe.

“Nah, I was far too young to remember all that. My adoptive father told me when I was sixteen.” Grand shrugged, before noticing something. “Hey, didn't we have a third member to this group?”

“You’re right… where did that fifteenth brat go?” Lance asked, looking around. “And… why is it so hot?” He turned just as Grand was swallowed in a torrent of bright red flames.

“Sergeant, a signal flare!” One of the guards called. Gabriel hadn't gotten the time to learn his name, nor had he been able to learn any of the others. Sergeant Cliff had been pressing them to find the impostor, but they had yet to find her.

“Good! Third Company, send a delayed flare thirty five meters from the original signal. We’ll have our squads reconvene there!” Sergeant Cliff ordered, and the Third Company soldier nodded, before releasing a small burst of light from his hand, which fizzled out as it flew. Soon enough, however, a burst of green light erupted in the assigned spot over the forest.

“Sergeant, the forest… it's burning!” The Guard from the Thirteenth Company pointed out. True to his word, the forest had indeed begun to burn to ash, white hot flames licking up the barks of trees near where the original flare had erupted above.

“It's to be expected, and honestly I thought she'd have burned away the forest by now…” Cliff muttered.

“She, sir?” Gabriel asked, looking to her.

“If the target is an imposter of Princess Celestia, it's obvious that she'd be a female.” Cliff deadpanned, staring at Gabriel curiously.

“Forgive me, sir. My mind has been oddly… distracted as of late.” Gabriel sighed.

“It's understandable. This isn't exactly a Griff Raid. Keep your mind focused though.” Cliff said as the group rushed for the dying signal.

“Why is it growing so damn hot?!”

“Oh, that would be me, little worms.” A new voice called out from above them, female and full of a confident arrogance that, for some reason, sent chills down their spines. “I thought I had exterminated all of you parasites, but I guess I must have missed a spot.” The group turned to see a tall woman hovering above them, long white wings extending out to her sides, wreathed in flames. In fact, her very hair was on fire, a fiery inferno billowing on a nonexistent wind while a long horn extended from her forehead. The contact of her tanned skin and flaming hair was separated by a golden tiara covering her ears, with a single red gem in the center. The rest of her clothing was more akin to a orange-red two piece swimsuit, with a symbol of the sun just underneath her chest. Orange-red knee-high boots adorned her legs, while elbow-long gloves of the same coloration were wrapped snugly around her hands.

“So, you are the impersonator of our Princess.” Sergeant Cliff growled, drawing her sword. “You are under arrest for arson, destruction of Equestrian territory, and the murder of guardsmen. Surrender now, and you may stand trial!”

“Really. You really think that, not only am I going to surrender to you, but you really think that flimsy little thing is going to help you?” The imposter asked, her horn glowing bright red. “Here, I'll show you how futile your struggle is.” The sword was illuminated in a similar glow, and was suddenly flung out from Cliff’s hands, flying straight towards the woman’s heart. But before it could impale her, the blade glowed red, before melting entirely to slag, dripping to the ground below her, and starting a fire. “Rejoice, mortals! You can rest easy, for your suffering is at an end! I, Daybreaker, shall bring you a blazing Destruction!”

Chapter III: The Fake Sun

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Chapter III: The Fake Sun

Gabriel slowly opened his eye, the light of the sun blinding him momentarily as his sight compensated. He felt much lighter, before realizing that his armor had somehow been removed, leaving his bare and scarred body protected only by a white blanket covering him.

“Where… am I?” he croaked, lifting his right arm to try to stand. He immediately noticed that, unlike his left arm, his right ended at his broad shoulder, instead replaced with a metal arm that flexed its fingers at Gabriel’s command, pipes and motors shifting with every move. He realized he should be surprised by the fact that he had a metal arm, but the massive soldier felt as if he had always known of it. He grabbed a metal handle next to him to get up, crushing it in his grip and bending it downwards as he got up, pushing the covers to the side. Implanted into his limbs and body were dozens of metal circles, almost like some sort of connector that dug into his skin. His right leg was also made of metal, except more bulky and armored. This too was of no surprise to Gabriel, and he got up from the bed, carefully examining his surroundings.

In front of him was a mirror, which displayed Gabriel’s face to him, which, while still burned in most places, had seemed to have healed completely, and he now sported a slightly dark tan across his face. His left eye was still gone, and his hair was singed, the buzzcut singed and almost completely black with soot.

The room was a pearly white, with a tray of food next to his bed, and an oversized hospital gown laid on top of a chair. A window to the left of the mirror let the sun bring light into the room, not that Gabriel needed it. Gabriel moved over and put on the hospital gown, finding it custom-tailored to fit him.

Once it was on, the door on the other side of the room opened, and a nurse stepped inside, carrying a clipboard and some water in her hands. She looked up and screamed in surprise, before catching the cup of water before it could spill all over the floor.

“M-mister Angelos! I had no idea you were awake!” She cried, shrinking slightly before the massive and ripped warrior standing in the room.

“I only just woke up.” Gabriel nodded, before glancing outside. “Where are we?”

“O-oh! Y-you're in the Royal Canterlot Hospital! Your company brought you in a week ago, with severe third degree burns.” She explained. “I need to go tell the Captain and the others that you're alive. E-excuse me.” She placed the cup of water on the table, next to the untouched plate of food before backing out of the room, closing the door behind her. Gabriel sighed, sitting back down onto the bed, which bent underneath his weight, before taking a piece of bread from the table, scarfing it down before drinking the water, emptying the glass in one gulp. And then he waited.

A half hour later, the door opened once again, this time revealing Princess Celestia, two mages, and Sergeant Cliff as the group walked in. Gabriel, upon seeing the Princess, instantly jumped off of the bed, kneeling before her.

“Princess, you humble me with your visit.” Gabriel said, head low.

“Rise, Gabriel. I might start to feel uncomfortable with a giant bowing before me all the time.” Celestia said, and Gabriel rose back to his feet, nodding.

“Of course, Princess. Forgive me for making you uncomfortable.” the warrior apologized, before looking at her. “So what grants me the honor of such a visit, your Highness?”

“A week ago, you and the remains of the three companies sent returned, saying that you were unable to accomplish your objective. During the battle, according to Sergeant Cliff, you almost gave your life to protect your Sergeant and the remaining guards… or so we thought.” She motioned for the two mages, who stepped forward.

“Mister Angelos, when you arrived at this hospital, your head had been severely burned. The hospital had attempted to return to treat you, but found no medicine was needed.” The left large began.

“Your body was already healing at an astonishing rate, Initiate Angelos.” The other Mage stated. “When we heard of this, we assumed that you had some form of advanced healing magic… but what we found was most… unusual.”

“Unusual how?” Gabriel asked, looking at the two.

“Well, upon initial magic scans of your body, we discovered what appeared to be a flexible metal sheet underneath your skin.” The first mage replied. “We then used a stronger spell to look into your body beyond the metal, and… we discovered that your body is almost unlike anything in biological history!” He grinned. “You have many organs that have never been discovered until now, but not only do you have a second heart, you also have an extra lung! There are so many biological mysteries inside you that the Head Mage formally requested containing you for biological study-” He was then interrupted by a wave from Celestia.

“I declined his request, since you are a legal citizen of Equestria.” Celestia stated, giving the mage a small glare. “However, as our mages examined you, they learned that the majority of your organs aren't natural. We believe they are implants.”

“That is probably correct, your Highness.” Gabriel nodded, glancing at Sergeant Cliff. “So, what is to happen to me now? Will I be interrogated, kept for study, or even executed?”

“Nothing of the sort, my dear Angelos.” Celestia said, slightly appalled. “Firstly, for commemoration of your actions to save your fellow guard, I am granting you the rank of Sergeant, and placing you in command of the Third Company, which will be remade using the guards of your original company.” Gabriel started to bow once again, before remembering her words, and instead slamming his fist against his chest.

“I thank you for this honor, your highness.” Gabriel said proudly, a sharp determination in his eyes. “I will not let you down. Now, where is my armor?”

“Your armor was removed using magic so the doctors could better treat you, Sergeant. Currently, it is being examined by some of our best scientific minds, as it clearly isn't run on magic.” Celestia explained. “Once you are fully healed, you will return to your duties… after you complete your training as a Sergeant.”

“Of course, your Highness.” Gabriel nodded.

“Well, that was all we were here for… I shall notify the desk that you are almost ready to leave.” Celestia said, before exiting the room, followed quickly by the two mages, who were busily scribbling things down.

“My thanks, Gabriel.” Sergeant Cliff said, speaking up for the first time. “If it hadn't been for you and that man… we wouldn't have survived.”

“That man? I do not recall…” Gabriel said curiously, his eye squinting.

“Once you fell, defending us, a large man wearing an ornate cloak appeared, using impressive magic that I hadn't even heard of to drive away Daybreaker. I'll let your Company fill you in on the details.” She said, before walking away.

Gabriel sat back onto the bed after closing the door, recollecting the events from a week ago…

One week ago

The Space Marine ran out of the way of a torrent of flames erupting from Daybreaker’s hand, the flames scorching the small cape on his back, but doing very little else as one of the less lucky Guards cried out in agony, the flames flowing into his armor almost like they had a mind of their own, and burning the poor man inside of his armor.

“The game isn't fun if all you vermin do is run!” The maniacal Daybreaker cackled, releasing another burst of flames and catching another guard. “Come now, We thought you were supposed to defend your country? This feels like We’re being ignored…” She leapt up into the air, generating a massive ball of fire up above her. “We know! Let's draw out the rodents with a scorched earth policy!”

It took Gabriel a split-second to realize what she meant, and turned to the main group of guards, who had taken up a defensive line. “Get clear!” He warned, and the guards barely got out of range as Daybreaker threw the ball down, the flames impacting the earth and spreading out across the ground, the wave of flames consuming several guards who had not heard his warning, and their cries of pain were muted by the roars of the fire, and the cackles of Daybreaker.

“Aww, looks like some of the rodents were cooked! I guess they won't be playing anymore…” Daybreaker said, floating down to the now-blackened earth, a trio of fireballs circling the air above her raised hand. “But what about the rest?”

“Third Company, attack!” Sergeant Cliff roared, and the guards she had specified raised their glowing hands, before firing a tirade of magical projectiles, only for them to fade away or even be consumed by Daybreaker’s own flames, which had risen to meet the challenge. “All non-Aurians, form ranks and defend our mages! In Nomine Celestia!” The guards reorganized, the Third Company pulling backwards as the other companies formed up in front of them, shields raised as they desperately tried to hold back the flames.

“Oh, what's this? You actually have a commander?” Daybreaker cackled. “Too bad, this little formation won't help you at all!” She raised her hand again, flames forming around it, before launching the spinning ball right into the ranks of the Third Company, the ball of fire transforming into a spiraling tornado of flames that reached upwards into the sky, burning almost everyone within to ashes. “I guess you just aren't strong enough!” She said as she began to float upwards.

“For the Princess!” Gabriel roared, smashing Godsplitter into the only thing he could reach. Her left leg took the blow from the side, immediately breaking and, had she not turned at his voice, would have been torn off entirely.

“Agh! You miserable worm!” Daybreaker roared, flames forming the image of a clawed gauntlet around her arm as she raised it into the air. “Burn!” She swiped at him, the flames reforming into a wall of fire that billowed around him, the unexpected attack sending Gabriel reeling. “You might be a fun toy to play with… but I suppose I should first deal with the rest of your miserable group!” She raised her hand once again, and sent a ball of flame directed entirely at the guards attempting to march forward.

“No!” Gabriel roared, and his eyesight suddenly changed, the area turning gray in his eyes as what looked like targeting reticules appeared in his eyesight. The world erupted into bright colors for an instant, begging to tear Gabriel’s mind to parts had he stayed for long, before his eyesight returned to normal in front of the ball of flames, and he thrust Godsplitter in a downward stroke, smashing the ball of flame. It erupted upon contact, white hot fires washing across his armor, and burning his face, but the warrior stood strong, embracing the flames until they eventually burned out, and his surprisingly still untouched eye looked upon Daybreaker, glaring as he marched forward.

Oh please!” She taunted to the armored warrior as her leg was enveloped in green magic. “Something as slow as you could never hope to defeat me! I admit, that hammer of yours did surprise me, but I, Daybreaker, shall not be brought low by a single blow!” She cackled, raising her hands to the sky. “I hope you’re flame-proof, because I think global warming is here a few centuries early!” Her horn glowed a dark red, and a billowing ball of flames erupted from her outstretched hands, before she launched it straight towards Gabriel, who stabbed the pommel of his hammer into the ground, and held his ground, the flames wrapping around his form like a very warm blanket.

Gabriel grit his teeth, bracing through the flames that surrounded him as he marched forward, his vision turning gold, and he felt the soft yet painful kiss of the flames fade from his flesh, and he stepped forward once more. “My Emperor… let your might guard… those righteous warriors who face the enemies of man…” He growled, the flames somehow having enough mass to try to push him backwards. However, their attempts were in vain as Gabriel continued to move closer, hefting Godsplitter in his hands. “Protect us… from harm…” He was now inches away from Daybreaker, and had surprised himself at how quickly he had gotten to this point, and raised his hammer high . “So that… we may war… in your name!” He roared, swinging the mighty hammer down and onto Daybreaker, who had instinctively raised her arms to counter the blow, and the flames faded away.

“Aaaagh!” Daybreaker cried, the sound of bones breaking a sweet sound in Gabriel’s ears as she leapt away from another of Gabriel’s swings, the green light returning to her arms. “You little worm! I shall make you suffer in the flames of Tartarus for even daring to wound me!” She raised her now healed hands once again, and a truly massive ball of fire rose from her hair, dwarfing the ball from earlier by three sizes.

Gabriel looked upon this next attack and growled, knowing that he couldn't stop it. If he himself took the blow, then only he would likely die. He raised his hammer, roaring in challenge to her. “It is better to die for the Princess than to live for yourself!” He said, and soon his vision was filled with the blazing flames of hell.

The present

“It appears that my body… is much more sturdy than what I had expected…” Gabriel muttered, looking at his mechanical hand. “And this… somehow, I know that it wasn't Princess Celestia or any of her servants that made this…” He sighed, flipping off of his bed. “It is best to train for now… but I will try to think on this later…”

Chapter IV: Proper Training

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Gabriel sighed as his armor was closed around him, the cold embrace bringing forth several small shocks as the armor connected to the odd holes in his body.

“We have managed to use several magic runes to allow you to remove your armor and put it on at will, Sergeant Gabriel.” Silver Touch explained, twitching slightly as Gabriel’s eye looked down at him. “Th-the runes work as delayed teleportation spells, which teleport your armor here to store it, or if it is in need of repairs. You simply need to select a word or phrase to activate the runes.”

“Thank you… though I doubt my armor liked being fiddled with in such a manner…” Gabriel said, examining his armor, which once more shone brightly in its red splendor.

“Oh please, Sargeant Gabriel. While quite advanced, it is still just a suit of armor. Suggesting that it possesses some sort of spirit would be completely ludicrous.” Silver Touch huffed, and Gabriel for some reason had the urge to hit the Mage. He resisted, however, and simply bowed.

“...Of course, Mage. Now, I must head out to my Company. We are going to begin our training as soon as I arrive.” Gabriel said, grabbing Godsplitter and moving towards the exit.

“Not so fast, Sergeant.” Silver Touch called, stopping the massive soldier. “Celestia has asked for your presence in her throne room as soon as you were equipped with your armor.”

“Of course.” Gabriel nodded, pressing his fist into his chest plate. “The God-Princess protects.” He said, before exiting the laboratory. Silver Touch scoffed, before turning back to his papers.

“The God-Princess? What religious foolery is that thing spouting?” He growled, examining several diagrams of Gabriel’s armor. “His armor is so ridiculously advanced, every other scientist was stumped on how some of the materials could even exist. But I will learn… and soon we will be rid of the need of such a horrid person.” He blinked. “No… that’s not right. Gabriel saved dozens of guards at a risk to his own life. He’s a hero… so where did those thoughts come from?”

”What secrets could lie inside of that impenetrable fortress of a mind that he is not sharing?” An echo of a thought crossed through his mind.

“Y-yes.. he could be a weapon against Equestria…” Silver muttered, unaware of the falling temperature in his workshop.

“Princess Celestia, I have arrived as requested.” Gabriel declared, entering the throne room and immediately bowing before her, as she sat on her golden throne. “And, your highness, this warrior has a request of his own to ask of you.”

“Oh? What is it you wish, Sergeant Gabriel?” Celestia asked, stepping off of the throne and approaching him.

“During the battle against that vile impostor Daybreaker, many of my fellow guards perished against her magic. The death of one of our own should never go unavenged.” He looked up at her radiant figure, the sun shining through the window panes just right for her body to be enveloped in a rainbow of colors. “I humbly ask of you to allow myself and my Company to hunt down Daybreaker and bring her to your justice.”

Celestia stood there, frozen for a moment, before giving a small chuckle. “Sergeant Gabriel, that was, in fact, the very reason I called you here. I was going to ask for you to hunt her down, but I see you’ve already made your decision.” She motioned for him to rise, and only now did Gabriel realize Sergeant Cliff Ryder was also present, standing quietly in the corner to the left of the Princess’s throne.

“As you are both aware, in the battle against Daybreaker, many lives were lost to simply wound her. We went in without information, without a proper plan.” Celestia let out a sorrowful sigh. “I take responsibility for these deaths, as it was my order that sent them to it. However, Daybreaker has wasted no time. She’s now near the city of Las Pegasus, leaving a blazing trail of destroyed houses and farmland as she goes. As the two of you have fought her before, I couldn’t trust anyone better to fight her and defeat her.”

“I thank you for the chance to avenge our battle brothers and sisters, Princess. I shall gather my Company at once.” Gabriel said, lowering his head.

“No, Gabriel.” Celestia said sternly. “We suffered grievous casualties the last time we sent our guards in without a plan. I have sent the order to evacuate Las Pegasus, and hopefully they will realize the grave threat she poses, and follow through.”

“Why wouldn’t they follow your command, Princess?” Gabriel asked, frowning at the thought.

Celestia sighed. “The nation of Equestria is rarely unified. Each city has its own form of government, its own militia, and its own rules. While Canterlot is the Capital, we still hold very little influence over the other cities. We can advise them, but it is up to them if they will listen.”

“... Understood, your highness.” Gabriel replied, biting back the heretical words trying to escape his lips. “I shall train my Company well, and prepare them for the next battle against Daybreaker.”

“I thank you, Gabriel. You and Sergeant Ryder shall work together to defeat her. I will even go to the effort to provide whatever resources you might require.” Celestia nodded, turning towards Ryder. “That goes for you as well.”

“Then, Princess, I would request for more soldiers.” Gabriel stated. At their confused looks, he continued. “We are fighting nothing short of a Daemon mimicking your power, Princess. While not as mighty as you, she is still a dangerous threat, and a mere five to ten soldiers per Company cannot hope to defeat her. This would also allow you to reduce the number of Companies, thus also reduce the hassle of having such a large number of Sergeants and companies answering directly to you.”

Celestia and Ryder stared at the massive warrior for a moment, their mouths open, yet unable to utter a word. Eventually, however, Celestia managed to find her voice, speaking lightly.

“Sergeant Gabriel, would it be that you would wish for the Royal Guard to become less of a rapid response force, and more into an actual army?” She asked, leaning forward in her throne.

“Yes, Princess. Forgive me for speaking out of tone, but the current military force of Equestria is… ineffective.” Gabriel said, bowing again. “If the Griffon Empire were to actually declare war upon us, none of our militias or rapid response forces would be adequate to defeat them.” He looked up at her. “We require a unified military force, and a united Equestria. Otherwise, our differing military structures and tactics will be our destruction.”

“Hmmm…” Celestia hummed, leaning back into her throne, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. “I shall put what you have suggested into consideration, Sergeant Gabriel. For now, you will have your wish regarding the Royal Guard. Though we cannot as of now merge the Eighteen Companies, we shall begin to expand our recruiting operations to the rest of Equestria. We shall, for now, double the number of guards within each Company.” She looked down at him. “Unless we have to expand our numbers before you fight her, will this be acceptable?”

The armored soldier ran the calculations through his head within an instant, and nodding. “I shall take what I can get, Princess. If that is all, I shall take my leave.” With a nod from Celestia, Gabriel rose, and left the hall.

“Are you sure it would be wise to make these changes, Princess?” Ryder asked once he was gone.

“It holds weight, Sergeant. Gabriel was right in saying that Equestria’s disunity would bring us to ruin, should we ever go to war…” Celestia sighed. “I wonder if he hails from the Griffon Kingdom, or perhaps another empire beyond theirs. Either way, his views are quite militaristic.”

“If he is from the Griffon Kingdom, it only makes me worried that we have put him in command of the Third Company.” Ryder sighed.

“We shall test him soon, Ryder. If he is a Griffon Spy, he will be stripped of his rank and sent to the dungeons.” Celestia stated calmly, her serene look gazing out from one of the windows.

“Third Company, assemble at the training field in thirty!” Gabriel roared, standing outside of the barracks. As he turned to head towards the training fields, he could hear the soldiers inside the barracks rushing to grab their gear.

Thirty minutes later, the seven survivors of the Daybreaker Battle had assembled, while the remaining three replacements for those who died had gathered more slowly.

“Soldiers of the Royal Guard’s Third Company!” He growled, marching forward, his massive size causing the three new recruits to shrink away, and his heavy glare only added to their fear. “The Princess herself has chosen us, along with the First Company, to hunt down the monster who killed our three brothers, and bring her the Princess’s peace.” The survivors eyes widened at this statement, likely recalling the battle.

“However!” Gabriel continued, walking along the line of guards. “We are not yet ready to face her once again. The Princess has given us time to train ourselves to fight her, and I shall make good use of this time. I have ordered two mages to head to Las Pegasus, where Daybreaker has been reported being seen, to observe her using stealth magic. They will learn her weaknesses, her powers, and anything else of importance, and send reports.”

“Permission to speak, Sir?” Shining Armor asked, breaking the heavy silence of the line.

“Granted, Guard Armor.” Gabriel nodded, stepping towards him.

“What about the people residing in Las Pegasus? Surely you don’t plan to use them as bait to better observe Daybreaker’s actions?” The blue-haired Guard asked, looking up into Gabriel’s eye.

“That would be a negative, Armor.” Gabriel said, before walking back along the line. “Princess Celestia herself has ordered the evacuation of Las Pegasus. It will be their decision on whether or not they will flee.”

He stopped in the middle of the lin, turning to face them. “Training begins now. For a warmup, I want you to run around the edge of the field fifty times, then you will do fifty push-ups! Once you all have accomplished this, I will tell you of your next training excercise.”

“That’s insane, Sergeant!” One of the new recruits exclaimed, and soon cowered underneath Gabriel’s glare as he towered above the upstart Guard.

“Insane, Initiate?” Gabriel asked, and the Initiate fell back. “We are fighting a deadly opponent that nearly destroyed three Companies, soldier. We fight to protect the Princess and Equestria! If you can’t handle my training routine, then you have no business being here.” He turned to the other guards. “And if any of you make needless outbursts, then I will personally throw you off the side of Canterlot! Get moving!”

The guards looked to each other worriedly, before nodding and beginning their run. The one who had spoken out whimpered, giving Gabriel a somewhat disdainful look, before following in their steps.

“I only hope the next ten will be less spineless than that fool.” Gabriel glowered, watching them run. Observing them for weakness.

“Good!” Gabriel growled, looking down on the group as the last few Initiates dribbled in. The survivors were tired, each of them panting under their breaths. However, the replacements were absolutely winded, one of them falling to the ground as he attempted to catch his breath. The other two were in similar states. “Warm Up is over, Initiates. Next will be combat training.” He took a sword out of a nearby sheath, the blade a standard for the Guard. “This is your weapon. This is what will decide whether you will live or die.” He tosses it behind him, the sharp end stabbing into the ground.

“However, the enemy we will fight has shown herself to be capable of melting them. This means that your life expectancy will dramatically decrease if all you know how to use is the sword.” He began laying down several different types of weapons, ranging from knives, different variations of sword, bows, and a few others. “So, you will be trained to use these.”

Shining Armor ducked under the guard’s swing, bringing his knife to bear as he jabbed it into his side, causing the guard to cry out and stumble to the right.

“Good, Initiate Armor. You’re learning to use that knife well.” Gabriel said, stepping forward as the other duo’s continued to fight. Gabriel took the wooden replica of a knife from him, examining the fake weapon. “However, there was a way to defeat him early on that you missed.”

Shining Armor glared up at him, panting. “And… what would that be, Sergeant?” In response, Gabriel flipped the knife around, before launching it at the recovering guard Shining had just defeated. The knife flew true, and it’s blunt tip smacked him right in the head, causing him to stagger and fall in surprise.

“Sometimes the best way to engage an opponent is at a distance. Now, if this was an actual one on one fight, you will likely die if all you use is just a knife.” Gabriel stepped forward, retrieving the knife and handing it to Shining Armor, before also handing him a wooden blade. “If all you use is a knife, your opponent, who will likely have a sword, will have longer reach, and you would endanger yourself by getting in close. And Daybreaker won’t let you get even fifteen meters from the distance required. You’ll melt long before that.”

“Then why are we training with these to fight her if we won’t be able to get close enough to use them?” Shining Armor asked, gripping the wooden blade tightly.

“You aren’t learning how to fight her with these. You’re learning how to fight the enemies of Equestria once we defeat Daybreaker.” Gabriel stated. “Like I said, we currently don’t know how to fight our opponent. You cannot fight an opponent and win if you don’t know what they are capable of.” He looked around at the guards who continued to fight around them, unaware of the others. “Knowledge is power, Initiate Armor. Guard it well.”

“Right…” Shining sighed, before turning back towards his opponent, and they resumed. Gabriel nodded, returning to his previous observation point.

Las Pegasus territory, later that day

The two mages’ arrival came with a burst of bright blue light, their bright white robes shimmering in stark contrast to the green plains surrounding the city as the sun began to set behind it, bringing dark shadows that loomed across the land.

“Right… you’ve got the journal, Starblast?” The mage to the right asked, and her partner nodded, his robes parting as he pulled out the bland brown book, before quickly returning it beneath his robe.

“Invisibility spell, or just camouflage spells?” Starblast asked, and the other shrugged.

“Sergeant Gabriel recommended anything that would keep us hidden… so I guess invisibility?” The first Mage shrugged. “Just remember, she destroyed two whole companies. Be careful.”

“Right, right… guess we should use the Detect Magic Spell to find out where she is?” Starblast asked, extending his hand, which began to glow brightly, before he completely faded from sight.

“Or we could conserve our mana reserves and follow the burning trail she left behind.” The first one pointed to the north, where a pillar of smoke rose, with several other similar pillars rising into the sky.

“Oh. Right…” the voice of Starblast said, and the first mage sighed, before casting her own invisibility spell, and vanishing. “Good luck, Bright Flare.”

“You too, Starburst.” Bright Flare nodded, before rushing towards the smoke.

Chapter V: Trouble in Dodge Town

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Two Months later

Shining Armor grunted as he ducked out of the way of the Initiate’s swing, the blade barely missing the top of his helmet. He utilized the momentum he had granted himself to roll behind him, pulling himself up just in time to block the sword of the Initiate with his own, the Initiate having managed to turn around more quickly than Shining.

“Concede, Initiate Armor.” The enemy Initiate growled. “I have you beaten!”

“Not yet, soldier.” Shining growled, sweat glistening on his skin as he removed one hand from the grip of his sword and reached behind him, letting the enemy Initiate’s force behind his blade pull him downward as Shining rammed the knife into his gut. The Initiate staggered, dropping back to the ground, gasping for air.

“Good, Initiate Armor.” Gabriel said, clapping his gauntleted hands as he stepped forward. Shining nodded, returning the wooden weapons to their proper sheaths and stepping forward, helping the Initiate up. “As for you, Initiate Flight, you mustn’t underestimate your opponent. They will always have a weapon held in reserve.”

“U-Understood, Sergeant Angelos.” Initiate Flight nodded, picking up the wooden sword that had fallen out of his hand.

“Now, you will fight again.” Gabriel stated, stepping out of the arena. “And this time, use everything you have, magic or otherwise.” The two initiates looked to each other, their eyes hardening.

As the two once more began to fight, Gabriel thought back to the past two months. As expected, the Royal Guard’s numbers had swelled drastically once Celestia had begun to expand the recruitment to outer cities and towns. Unfortunately, however, the large majority had been blinded by their own dreams of becoming heroes, and either resigned during training, or stayed and continued training. As of now, the Third Company had grown to include forty five Initiates, and Gabriel had begun to assign squads and squad leaders.

Gabriel processed this information in less than four seconds, and returned to the fight before him as Initiate Flight, one of the first batch of new recruits, took off, hovering in the sky with ethereal wings sprouting from his back. Initiate Armor, unfazed, raised his hand, magic gathering around his fingertips as Initiate Flight launched himself at Shining, his sword in motion to deliver a swift strike to his lower body.

When he was within ten feet of Initiate Armor, the blue-haired initiate’s glowing hand suddenly clenched into a fist, and a bright pink barrier was quickly made between them. Initiate Flight, unable to stop his momentum in time, instead raised his wings, the wind flowing past him catching on his wings and bringing him higher in the air, and he passed over the shield. Once over, he dove downward, barely missing the surprised Shining and hit the ground, rolled, before unfolding and stopping himself completely. Before Shining Armor could turn, Speedy Flight launched himself forward, sword pointed straight in front of him as he drew closer to his opponent.

Shining, instead of turning fully, dropped to the ground, his shield dissipating as he brought his blade up, stabbing it into Flight’s gut as he flew past.

“Gah!” Speedy Flight cried, his wings flickering as he flopped to the ground, skidding across the dirt before finally coming to a stop, groaning.

“Excellent work, Initiate Armor.” Gabriel nodded, before turning to the newest recruits. “These two are part of Celestia’s Royal Guard, Initiates!” He declared loudly, causing all of the recruits to flinch and step back. “This is what you aspire to become, to fight and die for the Princess, and for Equestria!” He grabbed one of them, lifting him high above the rest, even as he struggled against Gabriel’s iron grip. “And this is what you are as of now! Aspirants, many of you will fail the test you are about to enter. The recruiters might have accepted you as Guards, but I do not!” He placed the recruit back onto the ground, before looking down at the group. “You have not earned the right to call yourselves the Royal Guard!”

He then pointed to the pit that had been dug out per Gabriel’s command, his eye glaring at them. “You will all fight each other here. Only the strongest of you will persevere, and only the strongest will become Royal Guard! Any who do not wish to fight here may leave now.” He watched with disappointment as five of the twenty recruits stepped out of line, turning to leave the training grounds.

“You would abandon the chance to protect your homes?!” One of the recruits growled, stepping out of line to rush over to the closest of them, grabbing his shirt and pulling him close. “If the Griffonians were to invade your hometown and slaughter your family, is this what you would do? Abandon them to avoid a little pain?!” The other recruits stopped, turning to watch.

The somewhat frail-looking man stammered, fear evident in his blue eyes. “N-no! I-I would fight to protect them!”

“Then why do you turn away now, coward?!” The angry recruit growled, delivering a solid punch to his gut. “This is your chance to join those who will keep the Griffonians from even getting close to your home! If you leave, you abandon them! Stay, fight, and even if you fail, you can say that you tried!” The recruit fell to the ground, wheezing from the blow.

“Recruit! That’s enough.” Gabriel said, stepping forwards and separating the two. “They can make the choice to leave. The Third Company does not welcome cowards and weak-willed soldiers like many of the other Companies do.”

“N-no… I will stay.” The recruit stumbled, slowly getting off of the ground. “If I can help protect my family and friends… then I will do whatever I can.” Gabriel nodded, before turning to the aggressive recruit.

“What is your name, Aspirant?” He asked, noticing that three of the five had returned to the ranks.

“My name is Crimson Streak, Sergeant Angelos. I will fight the enemies of Equestria and break their backs, sir!” Crimson saluted. Gabriel nodded, before allowing the Recruit to return to the ranks.

“Any who are either knocked unconscious, break a bone, or break the rules will be ejected from the Third Company and sent back to whatever town they came from. There will be no use of magic, concealed weapons, or anything that will give you an advantage.” Gabriel stated once they were back in line. “Initiate Armor, a talented Aurian, will watch for any illegal use of magic. You will fight with only your natural gifts.”

“Understood, Sergeant.” Initiate Armor nodded, standing next to him.

“All combatants will now enter the pit.” Gabriel stated, watching as the recruits slowly shuffled into the circular ring of stone. “You will only start when I say to. The men and women still standing when I say stop will move on to become proper Initiates. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Sir!” Came the reply.

“Good. Start!” Gabriel growled. There was only a moment of hesitation before the pit turned into a free-for-all, a flurry of fists and legs as the Aspirants went all out upon each other, blood soon splattering the ground as teeth were sent flying and bodies dropped to the floor, unconscious. Gabriel kept a careful watch on Initiate Streak, observing the patriotic warrior as he blocked a fist rushing to meet his face, forcing it down while bringing his other fist forward, smashing it into the attacker’s face. The Initiate fell back, blood splattering across his face as he stumbled, before receiving a hard kick to the gut by another Initiate.

”If only we had a Chaplain…” Gabriel thought to himself, before blinking. “Chaplain…?”

His thoughts were interrupted as Shining suddenly lashed out, using his magic to drag an Initiate away from the pit, and Gabriel noticed that the Initiate’s hand was glowing.

“He used a low tier endurance spell, Sergeant.” Shining explained. Gabriel nodded.

Soon, Gabriel stopped them. Of the twenty Aspirants, ten of them had fallen or were pulled away by Shining Armor, and the other ten were battered, hurt, but still standing.

“Excellent work, aspirants.” Gabriel stepped forward, and the still standing soldiers immediately collapsed. “You ten will begin training tomorrow, once your wounds have had a chance to heal. You may head to the infirmary, and will take your failed brothers with you.”

As the aspirants slowly got up and carried their unconscious fellows, Gabriel turned to Initiate Armor. “What do you think of the current batch, Initiate?”

“They appear to be good soldiers, sir.” Shining said, watching them walk away. “They follow orders, they fight well, and some appear to have honor. I hope they will work well together.”

“Good.” Gabriel turned to him. “I have a special job for you, Initiate.”

“And that would be?” Shining turned towards him.

“From now on, I want you to evaluate new recruits.” Gabriel said. “There will be times that I am unable to observe or train our new brothers, so I will have you train them in my stead.”

Shining Armor stiffened slightly, before nodding. “So, I am to be your… what, second in command?”

“Not just yet.” Gabriel sighed. “I am going to petition the Princess for the addition of new ranks in the companies, such as squad leaders. Some of our fellow companies have been… struggling to keep up with the amount of new recruits flowing in.”

“Understood, Sir.” Shining Armor nodded, before blinking. “Sir, someone is coming towards us.” Gabriel turned to see a green haired courier running towards them.

“Sergeant Gabriel, sir, Princess Celestia has requested your Company to aid in defending a nearby town from Griffish Raiders. They requested assistant two hours ago.”

“Understood.” Gabriel nodded, turning to Shining Armor. “Gather our brothers that were not in training and tell them to meet me at the train station in thirty minutes. Let them know what we are fighting.” With that said, Gabriel marched off, the courier following him. Shining Armor sighed, before rushing off to the barracks.

two hours later

“Thank you, Sergeant Gabriel.” The town leader, Bright Diamond, smiled as the Third Company marched through the town gates. She was a rather plump woman, her time as mayor showing in her size and her clothing, which was much more fancy than that of the townsfolk that they walked by. Glittering gold earrings and necklaces dotted her body, and Gabriel culled his rising disgust as she walked next to him. “Those filthy barbarians have been attacking us for three days, and I’m pretty sure they have been making demands of us.” She said each word with such an air of drama that Gabriel wanted to shut her out. However, he needed information, and she was probably his best bet of getting that information.

“What has your militia been doing to stop them?” Gabriel asked.

“Oh, the poor dears have put up a valiant fight, but they’ve been losing too many to properly defend the town. So, we decided to call you.” Bright Diamond sighed. “I do so very much hope you will be able to fight them off, Sergeant.”

“Don’t worry, Ma’am. We will make sure they do not harm a single citizen. Where is your militia barracks located? I would like to use it as a temporary headquarters until we can locate the Griffish base.”

“Barracks?” Bright Diamond asked. “Oh, I’m sorry, Sergeant, but we haven’t had one of those since before my term as mayor. Too much funding went into it, when it could better serve our citizens! Instead, our militia keep their weapons at home.”

Gabriel sighed. “Very well, we will use the Town Hall. If you would please escort us there.” He turned to the soldiers he had brought with him. “Brothers, take up positions along the wall. You know what to do if you make contact with the enemy. Shining Armor, you will accompany me. In Nomine Celestia.”

“In Nomine Celestia!” The Third Company shouted, banging their fists against their golden chestplate, before dispersing to the wall. Shining Armor hesitated, but did as he was told as he followed Gabriel and Mayor Diamond.

Gabriel could instantly recognize the town hall in the cluster of buildings. While most of the town appeared to be in shambles, the Town Hall was resplendent in bright colors, expensive decorations layering over each other in an ugly image of pure excess as the two Royal Guards and the mayor approached.

“This will make an excellent headquarters for now, mayor.” Gabriel nodded, glancing around. The area around the town hall was cylindrical, with eight roads leading off further into the town, where people shuffled between buildings and run down shops.

“I’m happy to help, Sergeant Angelos!” Bright Diamond smiled. “Now, I would give you two fine gentlemen a tour, but unfortunately I have important business to attend to.”

“Before you go, Mayor Diamond, would you please gather your militia here within the hour? I would like to evaluate their combat readiness.” Gabriel asked, stopping her.

“Of course, Sergeant. The Dodge City Militia is at your command!” She gave another smile, before walking away.

“She’s corrupt filth.” Shining Armor growled once she was out of earshot, glaring at the city. “Everyone else suffers in poverty, while she and the city hall shine brilliantly? It’s like a beacon of corrupt leadership.”

“Easy, Initiate Armor. Once we have cleared out the Raiders from this town, I shall request an audience with the Princess about this.” Gabriel nodded, before marching towards the City Hall. “Let us prepare for our first real battle.” He sighed with a grim look as he noticed the shadow near one of the shops next to the road had vanished.

later

“You are the current commander of the Militia here, correct?” Gabriel demanded, looming over the poor man. He was in his mid-thirties, his blue hair already beginning to gray at the edges. Despite this, he still seemed to crumple beneath Gabriel’s hard stare.

“Th-that’s correct, Sergeant Angelos.” He said, giving a weak attempt to hide the shaking in his voice. “I am Stalwart Defender, of the Dodge City Militia. How can we assist the Royal Guard?”

“I want to be briefed on the situation at hand, from someone who knows what’s happening.” Gabriel stated. “In order to defeat these Raiders.”

“Y-yes, Sergeant.” Stalwart nodded. “A few days ago, one of our patrols at the forest’s edge was attacked by a group of Raiders wearing Ancient Griffonian tribal garbs. Three of my men were wounded, and one died. After that, we began to suffer from numerous attacks at the fortifications, losing several men in the process. All we know so far is that they are coming from somewhere in the forest, and in large numbers.”

“Understood. I’m surprised that your walls have held up for so long, considering your mayor’s apparent lack of militia funding, Commander.” Gabriel nodded, examining the map of the Dodge City area laid down on the table in front of him.

“Our men try our best to protect the city, sir.” Stalwart gave a proud smile. “We deal with the usual beast that skulk too close to town, so we aren’t as complacent as other town Militias.”

“Good… good.” Gabriel nodded. “For now, I would request that you and your soldiers fall under my command until these Raiders have been dealt with.” He looked at Stalwart. “I will look to you for information on the land, as well as defensible locations in the forest if you and your soldiers have ever gone that far.”

“Of course, sir.” Stalwart nodded, his initial look of disdain ebbing away just as quickly as it arrived.

“I appreciate it. For now, I want to send a scouting party out into the forest to locate the enemy base.” Gabriel said, looking back to the map. “If possible, send any Avians to patrol over the forest.”

“Of course… though I should ask why we must send the Avians?” Stalwart asked, uncertainty evident in his voice.

“It is possible that the enemy would have had to create a clearing for their base. If they have, we will be able to easily locate the base from above the forest.” Gabriel explained, looking up at him. “Do you understand now?”

“Yes, Sir. I’ll get right on it.” Stalwart nodded, before walking out of the city hall to give orders to his troops.

“Sergeant Angelos, why didn’t you just assume complete control of the militia?” Shining Armor asked, stepping out from the corner he had stood in.

“If I were to do that, then there would be open tension between us.” Gabriel said, glancing up at Shining Armor. “It is obvious that he does not fully trust us to be competent soldiers. I don’t blame him, since we’re from Canterlot, but by giving him some semblance of command to his own while still answering to me will help ease those tensions, and make working together more easy.”

“Oh… I guess they would see us to be similar to that Bright Diamond…” Shining said, looking outside as the militiamen rushed off to do their duties, their steel armor the exact opposite of the Royal Guard’s bright gold armor.

“Yes. Now, I want you to send some of our own avian soldiers out to scout over the forest, once the militia has done their sweep.” Gabriel ordered, and Shining Armor looked up at him, confused.

“Sir? What good would that do?” The blue haired Initiate asked, confused.

“If I may confide in you, Initiate Armor, I don’t fully trust these militia soldiers.” Gabriel sighed, moving away from the table. “It might just be because they do not trust us, but something about them makes me see them as… untrustworthy. This will be my first test of my suspicions.” He grabbed Shining Armor’s shoulder. “If our reports are the same as theirs, then I will start to trust their reports. If they say they found nothing, but our reports have located an enemy base, then I will know they are hiding something.” Gabriel said, before releasing Shining Armor. “Go, follow my orders. Make sure they don’t head out until after I return from getting the Militia reports.”

Shining Armor nodded slowly, before rushing out the door, his armor clinking together as he ran. Gabriel sighed, standing over the table once again, poring over the map.

“You are not like the weak willed people of Equestria.” A gruff voice muttered, and Gabriel looked up to find a Griffish Raider above him, holding onto the pillars and support beams running across the ceiling. “You have a military mindset, and think tactfully.”

“I didn’t know spies were known for revealing themselves to the enemy.” Gabriel stated, his grip on Godsplitter tightening in anticipation. “If you think I will let you return to your leader with information on our plans, then you are quite mistaken.”

“Sergeant Angelos, was it?” The Raider asked, dropping down to the ground in front of him. Gabriel quickly examined him. He seemed to be young, despite his grey hair. He was tan, his garb barely covering his upper body and allowing Angelos to see his decent-sized muscles, which were still easily dwarfed by Gabriel’s own. “I am Grishta, of Clan Striking Talon. My brethren have recently set up camp in the forest next to this town.”

“Yes, and have also attacked this town.” Gabriel said, brandishing his hammer out in front of him. “What business do you have with me, aside from spying?”

“I am here to give you an offer, Sergeant.” Grishta stated. “You and your soldiers have marched into matters that you cannot hope to understand, and my tribe wishes to offer you the chance to leave before this corrupt town is destroyed.”

“I have been ordered by Princess Celestia herself to aid this city in repelling you and your brethren. I will never allow you to spill the blood of her citizens, not without a fight.” Gabriel growled. “If you wish to attack Equestria’s citizens, then the hammer of the Princess’s wrath shall fall upon you. We will not turn tail.”

“You understand nothing.” Grishta growled. “Plans have been in the works for decades, and nothing you do shall stop them! And even when given the chance to avoid certain destruction, still you persist? Why?!”

“Because, you ignorant savage.” Gabriel stated, his eye hardened into a glare. “So long as I stand, and so long as there is breath in my body, I shall let nothing come before me and my duty to the Princess.”

“Very well then, blind fool. We will meet upon the battlefield, and you shall perish with the rest of them.” Grishta growled, turning away. “You have sealed your fate.”

“And so have you.” Gabriel growled from behind him, and Grishta’s breath was taken from him, the hard impact of Gabriel’s fist sending him reeling to the floor, blood flooding his throat as bones broke, piercing his lungs. “You expected to leave here with information on our movements, after revealing yourself? Truly, you are the blind one.” Gabriel hefted Godsplitter above his head.

Grishta gurgled in fear, any words he could have spoken drowned in the blood rising in his throat. Without another word, Gabriel brought his hammer down, silencing him forever as his skull was crushed, breaking the wooden floorboards beneath him from the impact.

Chapter VI: Elated Hosts

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Gabriel stood over the table, looking down at the militia commanders with slight dissatisfaction, though he did not show it. “And your scouts are certain that they found nothing in the forest? Nothing at all?”

“No, Sir. They flew over that forest back and forth, twice, and neither found anything of any interest nor did they encounter any resistance.” Stalwart Defender nodded, waving his hand a the map. “The Griffish Raiders are clearly masters at hiding their encampments, and aside from the spy you killed, we have had no contact since your arrival.”

“Perhaps it is simply that your guards are less competent in surveillance than they are fighting.” Gabriel stated bluntly, causing the commander to twitch.

“With all due respect, Sergeant, my men know this land more than anyone else. If something had changed, we would know about it.” Stalwart retorted, anger evident in his voice.

“And yet your men found nothing, when we know for certain that the raiders are situated in the forest.” Gabriel replied, as calm as ever. Shining Armor shifted at his side, looking at Gabriel curiously.

“Because we were-!” Stalwart almost yelled, but caught himself mid sentence. He relaxed himself, before glaring up at Gabriel. “Like I said, Sir, the Griffish Raiders must excel at concealing their bases. But I will not tolerate any more slander towards me or my men. If that is all…”

“Dismissed, Commander.” Gabriel replied steadily, betraying no emotion as the Militia Commander stiffly exited the Town Hall.

Once he was gone, Gabriel turned towards Shining Armor. “Initiate Armor, report.”

“It was as you said, Sir.” Shining Armor nodded, turning to the map. “Overnight, our scouts flew over the forest, and located a Griffish encampment exactly one mile into the forest. The scouts reported that they were repelled by arrows before they could investigate further, but now we know where they are.”

“Good. For now, notify our scouts to keep this information to themselves. It is obvious that our fellows in the militia are trying to keep us in the dark, so we must keep up the pretense that we do not know where the Raiders are.” Gabriel said, looking at the map intently.

“Sir, if I may have permission to speak freely…” With a nod from Gabriel, Shining continued. “Why did you try to anger Stalwart Defender? I couldn’t see any reason to saying any of that.”

“It is to gather information, Initiate.” Gabriel replied, rubbing his chin. “If I got him angry enough, I believed that I could gain insight into why they would hide information from us.”

“And did you?” Gabriel shook his head.

“We almost did, but he realized his mistake before he finished.” The armored giant gripped his hammer. “But it is no matter. Go to our scouts, and make sure they keep quiet on the matter of the Raider Base. Dismissed.” Shining Armor saluted, before rushing out the door. As he left, one of Bright Diamond’s house maids stepped in, bowing politely.

“Sergeant Gabriel, my mistress would request your presence at her manor right now.” She said, looking up at him with a slightly trembling and fearful face. “If you aren’t busy, of course.”

“It is no matter. I can meet with her immediately. Would you be so kind as to escort me there?” Gabriel asked, walking towards her.

“Thank you, Sergeant. If you would follow me.” She turned to walk away, waiting for the massive warrior to follow her before walking off to their destination.

Shining Armor sighed as he walked out of the bar, having just completed Sergeant Angelos’s orders. “I hope we deal with the Raider problem soon… Twily starts up her next year of magic school, right?” He shook his head. “Ugh, focus! I think it’s my turn for the watch…” He gripped his sword’s pommel as he walked through the town, easily spotting the wall surrounding the buildings. As he drew near, he spotted two guards arguing. One of the Third Company, and a militia soldier. The argument seemed intense.

“Look, you idiot! If we don’t go out there and find these bastards, they’ll just keep hitting us until we fall!” The Third Company Initiate growled, and the militia soldier scoffed.

“And I’m telling you that it’s far too dangerous to commit an expedition into the forest! There’s a reason we had scouts fly over, there are dangerous creatures constantly patrolling those woods!”

“Oh really? Is the poor little militia man too scared to go out there and fight a few animals?” The Third Company soldier scoffed. “What a joke you all are. The only thing stopping us from wrapping this job up is that your scouts haven’t found the damn enemy base!”

“Enough, Initiate!” Shining Armor called, noticing that the Militiaman’s hand had reached for his sword. As Shinin Armor drew closer, he noticed that the Third Company soldier was one of the newer recruits. That explained his haughty attitude.

“Oh come on, Shining Armor!” The Initiate rolled his eyes. “I know you are itching to go out there and crush these bastards. Why doesn’t Sergeant Angelos just send out some of our scouts? I’m certain our brothers would do a better job than these morons.”

“You take that back, you Canterlot Dog!” The Militiaman growled, drawing his sword and lunging at the Initiate.

There was a clang of metal, and the Initiate backed away slightly at the sight of Shining Armor in front of him, his own blade drawn and held firmly against the militiaman’s. Shining Armor shoved forward, knocking the surprised guard back and, with a solid side sweep with his legs, sent him crashing to the floor. As he got up, he found Shining’s sword pointed mere inches away from his neck.

“I apologize on behalf of this Initiate, but attacking a member of the Royal Guard will be met with a swift execution. If you try this again, I will kill you, is that understood?” Armor growled, and the now fearful militia guard quickly nodded. Shining Armor sighed, sheathing his sword back into its scabbard and letting the guard scamper away.

“W-wow… you old timers can kick some ass.” The Company Guard muttered, and Shining Armor turned to face him.

“Listen here, rookie. These people know these forests far more than you do. Until we are given a reason not to trust their word, we must expect that it is true. And disrespecting their honor in such a manner is something that I, and likely Sergeant Angelos, will not tolerate. They are our allies, and we must not cause a divide between us.” Armor growled. “You will treat them with respect, and if you don’t I will personally teach you the meaning of the word. Are we clear?”

“U-understood, brother…” the soldier nodded slowly, taken aback.

“What is your name, Initiate?” Shining asked.

“Th-Thunderfall…” He said nervously, averting his eyes from Armor’s glare. “I was part of last week’s recruits…”

“I will remember your name, Thunderfall. I’m taking over in your place on guard duty. Get your rear back to the barracks.” Shining Armor ordered, and Thunderfall rushed to comply. Shining Armor sighed, before finding his way to the stairwell, grabbing a bow and several arrows from a rack filled with them along the way. Once at the top of the wall, Shining Armor sighed as he took up the first empty post, eyes peeled to the forest seemingly staring back at him.

“This is going to be a long hour…” Shining sighed, realizing that he still agreed with some of what Thunderfall had said to the militia guard. He hated just sitting there, waiting for the enemy to make the next move.

He blinked curiously as something glinted between the trees in front of him, eyes widening as he barely moved out of the way of the arrow that almost hit him right between the eyes.

“Enemy attack! Call for reinforcements!” Shining yelled, pulling out his bow. The closest guard, a militiaman, turned to follow Armor’s, but was rewarded with an arrow cutting its way through his woefully undefended neck, the tip popping out of his front and heralding a wave of blood as he gurgled, falling to the ground below the wall as he grappled with the arrow, breaking his neck upon impact. Shining Armor drew up one of his own arrows, waiting for a moment before releasing it in the direction another arrow had just flown from mere seconds before.

There was a rustle in the trees, and a Griffish Raider fell from the tree, Shining’s arrow lodged in his undefended shoulder.

“Someone sound the alarm!” Shining growled, ducking behind the cover provided by the wall as another arrow found its mark in the arm of one of the Third Company initiates. Shining turned to his left and saw that several other guards had perished, and Shining even saw a few corpses in gold armor among the dead.

“Sir, the alarm bell has been tampered with!” One of the Third Company soldiers yelled. Shining Armor vaguely remembered that her name was Bright Luck.

“What?! How in Tartarus is that- agh, nevermind!” Shining Armor growled, deciding to worry about the alarm later. He racked his mind for anything he could do to signal the rest of the Third Company, and hopefully Sergeant Angelos.

“Sir, what are we going to do?” Bright Luck asked, rushing down next to him. Shining didn’t answer her, having thought of an idea. He focused his thoughts, tapping into the latent power within him and wrapping it around his hand.

“Sir, what are you-“ Bright asked, but was cut off as Shining launched his spell, sending a fireball flying up into the sky, before suddenly expanding when he clenched his fist. It looked as if a second sun had appeared over the sky, visible to everyone. And hopefully the Sergeant.

“I thank you for coming at my summons, Sergeant Angelos.” Mayor Diamond smiled, stepping out of her mansion walkway.

“You’re residence is quite impressive, Mayor Diamond.” Gabriel said, examining the manor before turning to look at the half a mile road between the manor and the village. “Though I must wonder why it is so far away from the rest of the village.”

“Oh, worry not, Sergeant. It is merely a precaution. Come, my servants have prepared some tea.” She said, though clearly avoiding explaining what it was she was worried about. Gabriel sighed, before following the mayor inside. As soon as Gabriel took a step into the massive manor, he took in his surroundings, noting possible escape routes or defensive points should he ever need to defend this place.

The interior of the manor was, as Gabriel had expected, over the top in its decorations. In the center of the room was a massive staircase leading up to the second floor, while brilliant paintings hung on almost every space available along the walls. In the spots that didn’t have paintings, there were small busts of many people that Gabriel had never met or heard of, their names embedded in gold beneath the heads.

“This is an impressive home you have, ma’am.” Gabriel lied, unimpressed with the vanity assaulting his eye.

“Why thank you, Sergeant Angelos! My family led this town for generations, and we’ve been here for even longer!” Diamond smiled, the act seeming warm to anyone else, but Gabriel only saw the coldness of someone who knew how to manipulate. “The dining hall is three doors down to the left. I need to go to prepare a few things.” She walked off, while some of her maids offered to escort Gabriel to the Dining Hall.

“No, I will find my way there on my own, if you don’t mind. I thank you for the kind offer.” Gabriel responded, walking past the maids and down the specified hallway.

Chapter VII: Know Your Enemy

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“Ma’am, your hospitality is to be commended.” Gabriel nodded as Mayor Diamond entered the dining hall. He noted that she had changed into a more formal dress, which he noted was seemingly covered in a wide assortment of fanciful decorations, and even some jewels.

“Oh why thank you, Sergeant!” She smiled, carefully taking the seat across from him as one of her maids brought some tea. “Would you like some? We imported this from Saddle Arabia. It is quite delightful.”

“No, thank you.” Gabriel said, eyeing the seats and deciding that they would most likely break under the immense weight of his armor. “So, what was the purpose of summoning me? The threat of the Griffish Raiders is still quite prevalent.” He turned and stared out of one of the ten windows, observing the small town.

“Oh, do not worry, Sergeant!” He noted a momentary hesitation in her voice. “I just wished to get to know you better.” Gabriel turned, raising an eyebrow. “Oh fine, if you must know, some of the militia have been voicing their… complaints, regarding their treatment at the hands of your Company.”

“Really? I may have to discipline my soldiers once we are done here. If you would please enlighten me to the details of these complaints.” Gabriel asked, keeping a neutral expression as he looked down upon her as she sipped from her teacup.

“Well, the biggest complaint so far comes in regards to you, from our Militia Commander.” Diamond said slowly, gauging Gabriel’s reaction. He didn’t even twitch. “He was quite angry at you because you had, as he put it, questioned the competency of his militiamen.”

“He spoke the truth.” Gabriel replied. “The Griffish Raiders have a base of operations somewhere in the forest. If they can’t locate something large enough to house and supply the numbers we’ve been facing so far, then I would call into question just how well they searched. I will be sending some of my own scouts to locate the Raider camp by tomorrow and, once they have been discovered, we will swiftly eliminate them, and be done with this mission.” Gabriel noticed she had shifted slightly when he stated his intent, but left it be for now.

“I-I see… you are very, uh… direct in your speaking.” Diamond said, likely unsure how to respond. “Your Company is free to look through the forest, but please be mindful of the wildlife.”

“I thank you. Now, the other complaints?” Gabriel nodded.

“Actually, Sergeant, I wanted to ask you something.” Diamond said, trying to look up at his face. “What do you think of Princess Celestia, and of her reign?”

Gabriel paused. He didn’t exactly expect such a question to pop up, but he would give an answer. “I put the Princess in high regards for all things. She is the ruler of Equestria, and commands my utmost respect and reverence. Her reign is a just one, if a bit loose, and I would gladly give my life to preserve what she has created.”

“I see.” Diamond seemed almost… disappointed in his answer. “Well, I am glad to hear that her majesty’s Royal Guard put their duty to Equestria in such high regard. Perhaps you would-“ The sound of an explosion cut her off, and the two moved to the window looking over the town. A massive burst of magic had exploded over Dodge Town, destroying most of the shadows in the town. Gabriel’s enhances vision spotted figures fighting at the walls, and he immediately grabbed Godsplitter.

“Forgive me, Mayor Diamond, but I must cut our meeting short. It appears that the town is under attack.” Gabriel grunted, rushing towards the door.

“What? No, that big magic blast in the sky is just… part of a local festival we have here, celebrating Celestia’s reign!” Diamond said quickly, moving to block Gabriel’s way.

“We were not informed of any festivals occurring this month.” Gabriel stated, pushing her out of the way. “And besides, I could see my brothers fighting Raiders at the wall.”

“What? But we’re miles away! That should be impossible!” She grabbed at Gabriel’s cape, but was forced to let go when she was pulled to the floor when she tried to hold him back.

“I shall return when the town is safe.” Gabriel exited the mansion, moving with as much speed as his armor would afford. How did he teleport when facing Daybreaker? He needed that ability now, but whatever has granted him that power seemed to be dormant.

“How did I do it before?” He asked, searching his memories as he all but marched towards the town. He had been too far away to help, yet… he had been trying to get between Daybreaker and his battle brothers and sisters…

Gabriel stopped in place, before trying something. He concentrated on the top of the hill in front of him, imagining himself being there. He felt energy spark around him, machines whirring to life within his armor, and then…

“Dammit, we can't lose the wall!” Shining Armor cursed, stopping another raider dead with an arrow to the heart. The Militia defenders were almost completely off the wall, leaving only the shining gold of the Royal Guard to hold the line. And even they were close to breaking, with now ten of Armor’s brothers dead, and few left. The Raiders were now beginning to scale the walls, and it was only a matter of time before the Third Company would be completely overrun. Reinforcements had yet to arrive, and the battlements were dark red with blood.

“Shining Armor, we can’t hold the line much longer! We need to retreat into the town!” Initiate Red Haze cried out, laying low as he crawled towards Shining.

“No! We wait until the Sergeant gets here, or we die holding this wall! They’ll butcher the civilians and raze this town if we don’t!” The pale soldier growled, a Raider jumping up onto the wall before getting Armor’s sword jammed in his throat.

“Sir, the Sergeant went to the mayor’s mansion! It’s miles away!” Another of the Initiates said. Initiate Bright Dusk, if Shining Armor remembered correctly.

“That doesn’t matter. We will hold the line.” Shining Armor grunted, ducking down to avoid several arrows. He had used a spell to increase his battlefield awareness, and was glad to see that it was helping. “Our duty is to Equestria and her citizens, and we are all prepared to lay down our lives for them! I won’t let anyone else die!” There was a flash of lightning, a thunderbolt impacting the ground before the wall.

“Good words. Now take action!” A familiar voice growled from within the dust cloud that rose from the impact zone, and a familiar hammer lunged out, shattering a raider’s skull as it passed. Fresh reinforcements rushed to help defend the walls as Gabriel strode out of the dustcloud, arrows pinging off his armor as he strode into the battlefield like a war god, crushing everything in his path under the weight of Godsplitter.

“Sergeant Angelos!” The other Initiates cried, hope rekindled in their hearts. They began to fight back with renewed vigor, and the Raiders began to waver in the face of Angelos’ wrath. Any who got inside of the reach of Godsplitter found their weapons breaking upon his armor, and soon received a blow that shattered their bones and sent them flying back. He was untouchable, and the Raiders began to flee, much to the disdain of their apparent leaders.

They didn’t last long on their own.

As Gabriel stomped back to the wall, every heavy footfall followed with the squelch of blood and mangled corpses, the Third Company cheered, and Shining Armor rushes to greet his Sergeant.

“Sergeant Angelos, thank you for the timely rescue. We’ve lost many good men…” Shining Armor began, but faltered at Gabriel’s look.

“What happened here? Why was the alarm not raised?” He asked, looking down at the body of a fallen Guard.

“Sir, the alarm was sabotaged. We sent one of the Militiamen to get reinforcements, but they never arrived until you showed up.” Shining explained quickly, following Angelos as he strode back into town.

“A saboteur… it was possible that a Griffonian Spy had snuck in, but somehow I doubt that.” Gabriel mused, moving over to the alarm bell. He knelt down in front of it, examining every detail. “Someone was in a hurry when they destroyed this…”

“If you don’t think it’s a Griffonian Spy, then…” Shining Armor paused, shock and horror beginning to show upon his face. “One of us?”

“No, not one of us.” Gabriel stated, standing back up. “I have reason to suspect that the Milita Commander, or even the entire town itself, have turned their backs to Princess Celestia’s reign.”

“What?! Sir, that’s ludicrous! If they were traitors, and helping the Raiders, then why would they be under attack by the Raiders?” Shining Armor asked, appalled.

“Because that’s the perfect cover,” Gabriel began to walk back to the barracks. “For a trap.”

Later that night

As the night arrived, and the night watch took to their posts, so too did three hooded figures as they slipped through the shadows, eventually meeting in a small, unnoticeable alcove between two buildings. None of them said anything for several minutes, waiting to see if anyone had been followed, before one spoke.

“Your people promised us that the Royal Guard would be easy pickings!” One of the hooded individuals hissed, his voice low and agitated.

“And they were, until that accursed Sergeant of theirs showed up!” The second of the individuals, another male, growled. “I did as you asked and destroyed the alarm bell. The plan was supposed to be perfect! Perhaps your people are just terrible at killing guardsmen?”

“I will cut out your tongue if you disrespect my people again!” The first one growled, pulling out a stone knife from his robes.

“Gentlemen, If all we met for was to argue and threaten, then perhaps you should have done so on the battlefield.” The third individual spoke up, this one female. “We didn’t anticipate how much of a problem the Sergeant was until now. But now that we know, we can plan accordingly.”

“But how can we kill him? His armor is nigh impenetrable!” The first one growled. “Many of my brothers lost their lives trying to pierce his armor, and there wasn’t a single scratch!”

“Do not worry about that, I have a special plan for dealing with Angelos. As for his Royal Guards, I trust that I can leave them to you two.” The female replied calmly. “They can’t stop our plans, it is already far too late for that.”

“If you are certain.” The second male nodded. “I must go to my post. The men will be ready to strike when you ask.” He then slipped away, keeping to the darkness.

Once he was out of earshot, the other two turned to each other. “You are sure he isn’t aware of our… agreement?” The first one asked.

The female scoffed. “If he did, don’t you think he would have confronted us about it?” She asked. “I’ll deal with Angelos, but I expect to be handsomely rewarded for my efforts.”

“Yes, yes, I will hold to our agreement. Now go, and try not to be seen. I shall prepare our brothers for the next battle.” And with that, he was gone. The female sighed, before heading back to her home.

Celestia's Raven

by The Warmaster

Chapter I: The Rise of The Raven

Chapter Two: First Confrontations

Chapter III: The Fake Sun

Chapter IV: Proper Training

Chapter V: Trouble in Dodge Town

Chapter VI: Elated Hosts

Chapter VII: Know Your Enemy