The Stone Ones

It was this year’s Grand Galloping Gala and Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie were invited again to make it, as princess Celestia said, "More interesting". A lot of the nobles weren't coming this year because they heard that those six crazy ponies that ruined the last one were coming, so instead of the usual snotty crowd the princesses were able to invite the common ponies, something that has never happened in the history Gala.

Celestia smiled as she looked out of her balcony, watching her little ponies as they set everything up for the party tonight. It looked like this was going to be the best grand galloping gala anyone's ever seen.... Or at least better for the monarch, who usually had to spend the night greeting ponies instead of having fun. I hope they have that game of hoof ball in the garden.... Celestia thought to herself, chuckling as she heard her door open, it was her sister and co-ruler, Luna.

“Are you sure we have to come tonight sister?" Luna asked her sister, she was still shy around all of her subjects and Celestia had demanded that she come.

“Yes sister" Celestia said, putting a hoof around her sister to comfort her. “You need to meet some ponies Lulu. There might even be a game of hoof ball." Luna's eyes sparked with determination, she loved hoof ball. Both looked over the gardens, Luna's gaze drifted to 3 statues in the gardens that stood out with all of the others. Celestia saw where sisters gaze went and she put a wing around her.

“I miss them too, Lulu.”

“We wish they were still alive Tia, most ponies don't even know they existed anymore." Celestia looked down at her sister.

“It’s what they would have wanted sister."

Later that night.....

“Applebloom, ya can't help me sell anything, go an look around with the other crusaders okay? “Applejack told her sister. She had set her stand, hopping that with the new crowd she would be able to sell her apple and apple acessories . Because none of the 'fancy ponies' as she called them were coming to the party she was able to take her sister and the other 2 crusaders with her, something she was now regretting, deeply, deeply regretting.

“Come on ,Applejack" Her sister whined. “I’ah can help ya; I'ah even sold that pie ta that one pony."

“Ya kept harassing him till he threw some bits at ya."

"We still got the money." Applejack looked down at her sister.

“I’ah said no." Applebloom looked at her sister and gave her the standard Applebloom weapons grade puppy dog eyes. Unfortunately for her Applejack had built up a resistance to it.

“Go play with yer friends."

Applebloom sighed and went to look for her friends. She went to look for Scottaloo first because she knew where she would be, where ever her hero, role model, god, Rainbow Dash was. She trotted to the big opening in the middle of the garden where the ponies were having a game to hoofball. Sure enough, Scoots was on the sidelines cheering Rainbow Dash, watching the cyan pony with something along the lines of religiuos devotion in her eyes. The earth pony trotted up to her friend and tapped her on the shoulder. Scoots waved her away, her eyes glued on Dash. After a few minutes of her poking Scoots snapped.

“WHAT?"

Applebloom giggled." I'm bored, let’s go get Sweete and go see if we can get our cuitemarks." Scootaloo looked from her to Dash and groaned, as much as she wanted to watch Dash she was a cuitemarks crusader first.

“Fine let’s go get-" They saw Rarity using her magic to carry Sweete toward them, an almost crazed look in her twitching eyes. “Look your friends are here ,Sweete. Play with them, Chao!" Rarity said before she dumped her on the ground and running back to the party.

The other fillies looked at their friend as she dusted herself off. "Don't ask." Sweete said and the girls shrugged.

“Hay ya want ta try ta get our cuitemarks."? Applebloom. The girls nodded and they struck poses.

“CUTIEMARK CRUSADERS YA!" They yelled as they ran into the thick of the party.....

An hour later......

After several failed attempts at getting cuitemarks, two of them causing property damage, the girls got bored and were now playing tag around the statues, each hoping to get their cutiemarks in tag. (author takes a swig of Daniels)

“I’m going ta get ya, Sweete Belle" Applebloom yelled at her friend as she tried to evade her by weaving around some statues. Sweete Belle was giving it her all but Applebloom was gaining. She looked back to see if her friend was closer to her when she hit something solid, knocking her to the ground. Applebloom and Scoots went to see if their friend was okay. “Ya okay, Sweetie Belle?" Applebloom asked as Sweete rubbed her head.

"I'm fine girls I just hit-" They all looked up at the statue to see one of the weirdest things that they had ever seen, 3 things in fact.

“What are those things?"

“Why are they so scary?"

“Puff, Rainbow Dash is way cooler than that!"

The 3 fillies looked at each other. Child’s curiosity was starting to overtake them and they wanted to know what these odd looking creature were. They needed to find the smartest pony they knew so she could tell them what these things were. They ran inside of the castle, knocking ponies over in their haste to find Twilight Sparkle....

Twilight was happy as she could be. She had much more time to spend with her teacher, princess Celestia. She was even telling her how her studies were going, much to the princesses private horror. “Then that when-" Twilight began as she got tackled by 3 fillies, those fillies being Scottaloo, Sweete Belle, and Applebloom. They all started to talk at the same time, frazzling the unicorn, much to Celestia's amusement.

“Girls" Celestia said, trying to save her student “Why doesn't just one of you tell Twilight what’s the matter."

The fillies looked up at the princess and nodded at each other, seeing that Celestia's idea was sound. “Twilight, you need to come look at these weird statues." Scottaloo said as Luna walked up to the group, coming back from a practically difficult hoofball game.

“What’s going on?" She asked her sister.

Celestia grinned and said," Twilight was just about to go with these fillies to see ' these weird statues' and I was about to go with them, I want to see what they are so worked up about."

Twilight looked like she was about to die of embarrassment and the princesses had to stop themselves from chuckling as the fillies excitedly dragged her toward the statues. Luna followed, both out of boredom and curiosity. Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash saw them and followed, each of them wondering if something was wrong.

The excited fillies let the group to 3 statues. “See?" They said and the girls looked up and the 6 mares saw the strangest creatures that they had ever seen.

“Princess" Twilight said “What are those things?" What the girls saw baffled them. The 3 statues were 3 creatures like nothing they had ever seen. The stood on 2 legs like a monkey or diamond dog. They couldn't see the faces of 2 of the and ones face was half covered in a hood.

Celestia looked at the statues then to the girls. “Those girls are humans."

“But humans don't exist; they're an old mare’s tale." Twilight said, looking up at the statues.

Luna huffed, “They were real and they were our friends." The girls looked at her.

“Y-you knew them? W-what h-happened to them?" Fluttershy asked, cowering behind the other girls, terrified of the statues. Luna looked up at the statues sadly.

“They came during Discords reign by our father. He summoned them to help us battle Discord and his allies. There were 5 of them and they died during our final battle with discord and his generals, my sister had these stautes to remember them." Luna sadly said. Dash flew up and looked at the statues.

“They don't look so tough!" She said making Luna chuckle.

“They fought and slew hydras easily; Forger could beat a manticore to death with his bare hands." The girls looked at the statues in wonder.

“What were their names and why do they have those horrid symbols on their armor?!" Rarity asked.

Celestia walked to one of the statues. The human was covered in plate and mail from head to toe and was carrying a big shield on its right arm and a long sword at its belt. It had a pot helm carved to look like a grinning skull in the front. The girls also noticed that its arms and chest was were very large. “That is Forger."

She walked to the next one. This one was covered in fancy cloths instead of armor and had a hood covering its face. Its arms were covered in these ordinate arm guards and it was smaller in stature. “This is Reaper."

The next on was in chainmail and had some funny pointed shoes on its feet and it was the smallest of the 3. On its belt was a wicked looking knife and it had a smile on its face. Its weapon was a bow that was on its back with a quiver full of arrows. The symbol on each of the statues chest was a skull that was grinning. “And this is Longstrider, the fastest thing in Equestria." Rainbow puffed out her chest but said nothing.

Celestia turned to the group. “They were the shock troops in our army all of those years ago. They called themselves the Thanes. That symbol was their units mark and they used it to scare their enemy’s in battle" All of the girls started to ask questions but Celestia cut them off. “No more questions girls, let’s go play some hoofball." None of the girls looked happy but they complied, turning around and walking to where the game was going on. Luna stayed behind with tears in her eyes. Touching the Forgers statue she turned around and followed....

“You ready to lose, Aj?" Dash asked as they waited for the ref to drop the ball. Applejack ignored her and waited for the ball to hit the ground. Get ready ta lose Dash She thought as the ball dropped. After a brief struggle with the ball Aj won the ball and ran down to the field to the goal, which Pinkie was guarding.

Faking out each pony that got in her way she go in position to buck the ball, Dash not far behind her. Bringing her powerful back legs back she used as much power to buck the ball that she used to buck her apple trees. She sensed that a goal was near when Dash bumped into her, knocking the ball off its course. “Bang it Dash!" she yelled at her friend as they watched the ball fly past the goal and knocking into one of the statues, specifically the Forgers statue.

They watched on horror as the statue cracked. “Look at what ya made me d-" She stopped, every pony looked at the statue in horror. The statue was glowing blue, cracks shooting all over it.

Twilight looked at her teacher and what she saw scared her. Luna had a look of disbelief on her face. Celestia though, had the look of fear on her face. Why is she so- She thought when the statue fell to the ground.

NoNONO! Celestia thought as the statue fell to the ground. She hoped that what she thought was happening wasn't happening.

Luna looked at the statue, then at her sister. She knew that glow anywhere. Tia said that they had died....

Aj watched as the statue hit the ground but instead of shattering on the floor something happened. Instead of a statue it was a living thing. It was on its hands and knees and it was breathing heavily. It looked like it had just fought a major battle, its dull grey armor cut up and it was bleeding through the joints in its armor. The oddest thing was that its eyes had a blue glow to them; she could even see them from where she was. It threw off its helmet and looked up and they all got a good look at its face.

It had a short mane and it had the beginnings of a beard, a look of happiness on its scared face. It looked male to her best guess. He got up and started to move around; all of the ponies heard its bones cracking. Looking around the garden his eyes fell on the scared looking Celestia. His face turned from happiness to anger. Aj flinched, she never seen anything look so angry before.

Forger looked across the garden yard to Celestia. He was finally free! After 2000 years of wrongful imprisonment. After all he did for that fucking princess, after all they did... But now he was free. Now he and his would get with they deserved. Forger looked Celestia in the eyes and roared,” TIA, I"M GOING TO TURN YOU TO FUCKING GLUE!"............