C'mon LT, one last hurrah...
If you want peace, Prepare for war.
Napolian Bonaparte
I used to be a warrior you know. Not a Royal Guard, or even a Lunar guard. I was a different breed of soldier all together. I was a Ranger. I fought on dozens of battlefields all across Equis. I have led many stallions and mare's into battle, and have trained others to be merciless killer's. I have a box full of medals sitting on my desk at home, and I have met and been knighted by both Princesses.
But all that does not matter.
What does matter is the fact that I'm awake at 3:30 in the morning, growling my issues into my coffee mug, and not asleep. What matters is that I have to get up at the crack of stupid to go help make a thunderstorm because one of the other weather ponies (cough-rainbow dash-cough) refuses to get out of bed and do it herself.
Finishing off my coffee, I drop the mug in the sink and step outside. The early morning air is cool, and a thin layer of dew makes the grass glitter in the waning moon light. Looking up, I can see the beginnings of a thunderstorm starting to develop. One of the weather pegasi turns and looks at me and gives a short wave. I wave back, and he fly's down and lands in front of me, yawning the whole way. "It ought to be a crime to make ponies work this early in the morning, eh Iron?" I nod my head in agreement. "No kidding bro. I'm surprised they called you in Sterling, I thought thunderstorms weren't you're forte?" He shrugs. "Their not, but this storms supposed to be a doozy so it's all hooves on deck I guess. C'mon, lets get going."
I put my bucket helmet on and lower my flight/welding goggles. What? I never leave home without my helmet, you never know when somethings gonna fall out of the sky and hit you on the noggin. That one unicorn Twilight Sparkle found that out the hard way. Like solid steel anvil hard.
The storm is, as Sterling said, a doozy. It took us an hour just to kick-start the damn thing, and It's gonna be a real S.O.B to disperse. Now tired as ever, and soaked to the bone, I say my goodbye's to the other weather makers and consider making a particularly rude hoof gesture to the just arrived but far-too-late-to-help Rainbow Dash but decide against it. She's nice enough, if a bit...unmotivated. I take off towards Sugar Cube Corner. The cake family will sometimes open up early on the days that us weather pegasi have to start early. I land in front of the shop and take in the smell of fresh baked pastries coming from inside.
Being the big guy I am, I need more food than other pegasi do.
"5 cinnamon rolls please."
What? I'm flocking hungry, and these things are good! tossing a hoof full of bits on the counter, I seat myself at one of the tables and tear into my sweet breakfast. I hear the door open and shut.
I don't turn around.
I hear hoof steps heading towards me.
I keep eating.
The pony takes a seat in front of me.
I don't look up.
"Hey el'tee, it's been awhile."
I choke on said breakfast. Not my most dignifying moment. Painfully swallowing, I look up at the stallion seated in front of me. He is wearing a uniform only I and a few others would recognize. I'm a little happy to see him. "Not long enough private. What brings you here?" Saying nothing, he motions towards the Cakes and I see them both trying to look casual while wiping down tables but still be close enough to listen. They are not the best at acting to say the least. I turn my attention back to the Private. "Lets take this outside."
We walk to the ally behind the store. "Whats up private. you didn't come all the way from the base just to say hi." He nods solemnly. "No sir, I didn't. I came here to give you this." He hands me a sealed letter with the royal insignia stamped on it. I feel a pit growing in my gut.
They would never send me a letter like this...unless...oh buck me.
The private gives me a sympathetic look. "I gotta go, catch you on the other side sir." And with that, he takes off. I open the letter, and start reading.
My dear Iron-Wing
It pains me to write this, but I must.
We need you and the Rangers once more. I am fully aware of our agreement, and I am sorry to say that I am forced to ignore it.
You know I would not do this unless the circumstances were dire.
My faithful student has been sent a letter as well. You must meet her at her home, then gather the other elements.
You must ignore all of their protests. My student will not waver with her task, but I know of you're soft side.
You are to take the elements to Camp Currahee.They will be safe there. You will recive futher order's upon you're arrival at the camp.
There is no other way.
The lunar Contingency is now in affect.
I'm sorry.
-Princess Celestia
The shit just hit the fan. I swallow hard and stuff the letter into my trench coat, and set off to the Library.
Twilight meets me at the door with a look of sadness, regret and determination. I can tell by the look she gives me that she knows everything. "I'm sorry."I say. She only nods, and we set off to gather the elements, whether they want to leave or not. I don't have a choice and neither does Twilight .
In a matter of minutes we reach our first target, the element of kindness, Fluttershy. She insists that she cant leave her animals. My tranq gun disagrees
Then we find Rarity. She understands, but isn't happy about it
Applejack is next. She refuses to leave her family. Twilight doesn't give her a choice.
I have to chase down and tranq Rainbow Dash.
Twilights crying...
Pinkie Pie doesn't understand, but comes nonetheless.
Faust forgive me...
TO BE CONTINUED...
Author's Note
Well, this is dark...
Tell me what you think!
You know...I just realized why that random thunderstorm was scheduled.
And why the thing had to be so damn BIG!
It was the only way to cover the approach of a AC-125 Ultra-Transport/Gunship.
Hauling an unconscious Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash on my back, I look up and through the rain and storm-clouds and see the massive aircraft coming in for a landing at the outskirts of Ponyville. I hear a short gasp and look behind me. Twilight is staring slack jawed at the metal titan slowly making it's way earthward.
"How...How can something so big FLY!"
"That's the magic of technology."
I feel one of the unconscious mares on my back shift...
And feel the impact of hooves against the back of my helmet. The now fully awake and royally pissed off Rainbow Dash jumps off my back and starts pummeling me with her hooves. I don't budge and I don't feel a damn thing.
Too bad I used my last tranq dart on her...
"Rainbow Dash." I say.
"BUCK YOU!" she screams. The other girls (Save the tranqed Fluttershy and the Hypnotized Applejack) try to get her to calm down enough to listen.
They fail miserably.
So instead of standing in the pouring rain any longer than I needed to and enduring Rainbow's less than effective and somewhat amusing assault, I decide to do a little...alternative reasoning.
I grab Rainbows arm and pull her to me. Spinning her around and wrapping my foreleg around her throat, I calmly say "Rainbow Dash, as per the Lunar Contingency panic code, I am authorized to secure the elements of harmony in any way I deem fit. My orders are to secure the Elements, not the bearers." A partial lie, I needed the girls alive but nopony besides Twilight knew that. "So listen up, either you calm down and listen or I break you're neck secure the necklace and move on to the extraction point. That goes for all of you, Give me enough problems and I can...dispatch you and take you're element." I feel Rainbows pulse quicken, but her struggles cease. Rarity gasps, and I can hear her mutter several curses directed towards myself and my mother.
That's very unladylike Rarity.
I release Rainbow, and falls to her knee's gasping for air. "Y-you bastard..." She gasps.
I know I am, but what are you?
Pinky's hair deflates (wait, what!?) and she scoots closer to Rarity.
"H-he's not serious a-about...about killing us, i-is he?" Rarity shoots me a venomous glare (Which I promptly ignore.)
"No Pinkie dear, I don't believe that he would have the stallionhood to do it!"
...Bitch
Twilight's face is still a mask of emotionless determination.
But her tear stained cheeks reveal everything. I lock eye's with her. After what felt like an eternity we look away from one another .
She's pretty cute ya know.
Shut the fuck up brain!
Suddenly, the ground beneath us shakes. It was a slight tremor, but It sends my adrenaline sky rocketing. I know what it means. It means were out of time. "GET YOU'RE ASSES IN GEAR LADY'S!" I bellow.
Another tremor.
She's getting closer...
I take off running, and the girls reluctantly follow.
The AC-125 landed several minutes ago. The cargo bay door is open, and her massive 10 inch cannon is aimed not towards us, but behind us. A Ranger is standing at the cargo bay door, motioning for us to run faster.
Another tremor.
She's here...
The cannon moves slightly, aiming at...her.
CH-CHOOM
Hey Vasili, you missed!
The girls reflexively drop to the ground. The other Ranger runs out of the plane. "Secure the elements!" I shout to him. He nods and helps the girls up, shepherding them into the relative safety of the gunship.
"Hello mortal." Says a sultry voice behind me.
Thats when I'm picked up off the ground, and a blade is forced through my midsection. I look at the crimson stained blade jutting out of my gut in anger.
Correction. Rarity's just a grouch.
THIS GIRL IS A BITCH!
The blade retracts and I'm dumped on the ground.
Ow. Now that DID hurt a little.
I look up and see the grinning face of the evil copycat of the princess of the night.
Nightmare Moon.
"Hello Moony, still sore about the ass kicking the elements gave you a few years ago?"
"Quite. Now shut up and die."
I grunt and stand back up. It's gonna take more than being impaled to kill me! Nightmare just looks at me unimpressed. I cant help but snicker.
"What are you laughing at whelp!?"
"Just at the fact that you missed the elephant in the room."
CLICK
"Or in this case, the gunship in the field." She sneers at me.
"It will take more than petty playthings to defeat me-"
That's as far as she got before the cannon fired again, this time right in front of her. Her flaming form was flung a good 20 feet away. She stood up a few seconds later, extinguished and looking more pissed than ever.
I scramble into the plane, the door slams shut behind me. The plane 8 massive engines roar and I feel us accelerate. Then there's a jerk, and we accelerate even more. I love rocket assisted take off. But i know it's not enough. were not near far enough away from her. The whole point was to escape before she arrived. That goal was a flop. Any second now she's gonna turn this thing into scrap metal.
But she didnt.
To this day, I cant figure out why she let us go. Slumping to the ground, I let the blood loss take it's toll and I pass out.
