An Elite Guardian

My first view of the city known as Canterlot was from a few miles away. I could see it hanging off a mountain. I am curious as to how they could even lay the foundation for the city, let alone the city itself. I was able to see the white and gold, but that was about it. As we got closer, I saw smoke coming from a farm, and I shook my head in disappointment. It is a shame when this happens, you relying on one farm to make all the food for your military. Not even humans were that stupid, as well as a near destroyed town.

"Lieutenant Dash," I said, turning to the Rainbow haired pegasus. We had taken camp nearby on the third day of the trip, taking less time than the Princess thought. "What town is that?"

"Ponyville," she replied. "It was destroyed in the first months of the war when Equestria was still unprepared. Only a few escaped, the rest either being killed, or captured."

"Did you know anyone there?"

"No, I didn't," she replied. "A few of my friends had family living there, and most of them joined to get revenge." She scoffed. "A lot good that did them."

"Do not disrespect the dead, Lieutenant," I said. "It is because of them you are still alive, and that Equestria still fights."

"Yeah, I know, but most of them just attacked thinking they were invulnerable. The ones that didn't were few. And would you please stop spitting."

I chuckled. "That can not be helped," I say. "The fact I have four jaws make it a fact that when I do an 's' sound or anything like it, saliva is flung."

"Then could you stop making those sounds?"

"Only if you wish for me not to speak," I say with the equivalent of a smile. "So, what can you tell me of Canterlot?"

She scoffed again. "Just that's it's a place of stuck up nobles who don't know the first thing about war."

"They have not done combat," I ask, surprised. For those who don't know, my people's culture determines our social standing based on combat. "Surely they earned that title somehow."

"No, most of them were born into it, and don't know anything but money," she said.

"Then they should not have that title," I say. "They clearly do not deserve it."

"On most of them, I agree with ya," Rainbow said. "There are a few, though, like Captain De Lis and her husband, who actually try to help."

"I suppose, then, that it is good some of the nobles have earned their title," I say. "If I may ask, Lieutenant, what do you think of the course of this war?"

"Just that I wish Sombra would keel over," she said. "It's been going on for too long, and most just want to go back to peace."

"A thought I can agree with," I say. "Though war does help to remove the weak, one prolonged such as this one is trouble."

"You sound like one of the war mongers back in Canterlot."

"Perhaps," I say. "But, unlike them, I speak from first hand experience. The Princess told me herself that this is the first war in a thousand years, whereas my kind just recently came out of a conflict with another race."

"I guess you have a point," Rainbow said. "So, what do you plan on doing for the night?"

"I plan on collecting my thoughts," I say. "If the Princess wishes to speak with me, tell her I will be out walking."

"You got it," she said before I walked away from the camp and the edge of the forest nearby. i was aware of the legends of this forest, but I would be able to hold my own against mere animals.

Even before I came here, one thing I enjoyed was silence to think. Didn't matter what, so long as it was something. Right now, it was how the noncombatants, the civilians, thought of this war. Aside from the patriotic morons who want war just to prove their country is better, never liked those kinds of people. Sure, there would be some civilians against war, especially with a peace loving species such as this, but I was more interested in the various reasons as to why they supported the war. Some, most likely for profit, as just about everything, even most  wars, can be traced to economics. This one was doubtful, but there would still be those capitalizing on it. I walked until the sun was on the horizon, and the moon had begun to rise, I imagine by Celestia's hand, or hoof, as my human memories returned. Only the ones relative to this world, though. I can not wait to kill Sombra. Luna always was my favorite. Though, now I am curious as to how she was freed from Nightmare. I suppose that will have to wait.

I was about to return to the camp we made when I heard a terrified scream from deep in the forest. Against my better judgement, because it may have been a trap, I ran into the forest, igniting my sword as I ran, breathing heavily so I wouldn't be too badly out of breath when I found what it was that had gotten my attention. I ran for about three or so minutes before I slowed, facing what it was that I was looking for.

I put a snarl on my face as I saw a pack of timber wolves surrounding three familiar fillies. Apple Bloom wore the same outfit as Applejack had in the show with this universe, albeit smaller, Scootaloo had a cadet uniform, I am hoping a military school, and that Equestria hasn't become that desperate for soldiers, and Sweetie the norm.

"Get away from them, beasts," I say, getting the attention of each of those present. I got into a ready stance reminiscent of Fal Chavam from the Duel short of Legends. That's to say, my sword arm raised, the elbow in my left hand. It was meant to ease the sword hand, so it becomes less tired as the fight goes on, as it's being held up by something else. "As for you three," I say to the fillies. "I suggest you find somewhere to hide."

They nodded vigorously, and ran to the top of a tree. Huh. They are getting good at running, aren't they? Anyway, the wolves began to slowly encroach on my area of the forest, snarling, which I replied in turn as a challenge. One leaped at me, and I side stepped, and cut off its' head with my blade. The rest were much more cautious, but it was clear they still thought of me as prey. I say it is time to prove them wrong.

I got back into the ready stance, and waited for them to attack. This time, they played smart. Two jumped at me, which I sliced in half, missing the one that had snuck around, and bit me in the leg. Well, it tried to, but the armor stopped it. I turned around, and stomped it's head into oblivion, before I heard a twig snap, and I turned in that direction, slicing a Timber wolf's head in two as I did so, the sap that made up its' blood splattering on my chest piece. I turned around to face the remaining pack, and five were there. They were the largest of this group, nearly as tall as the halfway point on a human Warthog vehicle. Fun. I'm being sarcastic, in case you couldn't tell.

They growled at me, and began to circle me, clockwise. I turned counter clockwise, so that if they attacked, I could put momentum into a swing. But these things were also faster than the other ones, amazingly, and were able to get bites in, the only reason they didn't draw blood was because of the shields, and the armor. That didn't discourage, them, though. In fact, it seemed to make them all the more determined. I'll need to finish this quickly. The next one to attack, I heard something, and spun to face it, crouching as I did so while bringing the sword up by turning my forearm up, and it worked, as that wolf was fully split in two, the sap either vaporizing, or spilling onto my forearm bracer.

My victory, though, was short lived, as the other two attacked before I could get up, and I was knocked to the ground, one of them holding my arms down with its' paws. This had better not turn into that kind situation, especially with fillies nearby.

Fortunately, it didn't, as the other one tried to bite my hand off, the shields stopping it for now. Me being knocked to the ground had knocked the sword out of my hand, and it had deactivated, the fail safes initiating to stop an "unworthy" form using it, which meant i had only one chance. I clenched my hand, and sent a mental signal to that bracer, and, thank you luck and a good guess, an energy dagger erupted form that bracer just as the wolf closed its' maw around the fist, killing it with a stab to the spinal cord. As it fell, I headbutted the last wolf, which made it let go of me, ad I was able to get back up, igniting my other energy dagger as I did so. It growled at me, and I did the same, my arms be my side.

I eventually got tired of waiting, and roared with enough force to shake leaves off of their trees. It seemed this did it, as the last wolf fled. As it fled into the forest, I deactivated the daggers, and went to pick up my sword hilt before putting it on my thigh.

"It is safe now," I say to the hidden fillies. "The wolves are gone."

I got no reply for a minute before I heard a terrified Apple Bloom, coming out form a bush and said in a fear filled voice, "W-what are ya?"

"You would not know my kind," I say, kneeling down. "But, if you must know, young one, I am a Sangheili, a warrior race. My name is Ruso. What is yours, young one?"

"A-Apple Bloom," she said, fear still in her voice.

"No need to fear me, Apple Bloom. If I was to be feared, I would have done something to warrant that."

"Yah killed those wolves," she pointed out, "and there's how ya look."

"For the first, it was to protect you and the other two," I say. "As for the second, you should not judge one on looks alone. It can lead to some terrible decisions later in life."

She was quiet for a small time before saying, "Ah guess ya have a point."

I nodded. "I had hoped so. Now, why is it you and the other two were in this forest? I have heard rumors of this forest, and it does not sound like the place for ones your age."

"We were looking for mah families dog, Winnona," she replied.

"And does your family know you are here?"

"No," she said, looking away form me. "Ah snuck out, an' ran inta Sweetie an' Scootaloo."

"Then gather your friends," I say. "I will help."

"Really," she asked.

"Indeed I will," I say. "If you are to stay, then you may as well have some one to protect you."

From there, the two of us went to find Apple Bloom's friends, hiding in the trees and another bush, and went to find Winnona, though the three did send fear filled looks at me from time to time. I can't really blame them. It wasn't for half an hour, when the sun had nearly fully set and it was nearly entirely dark, before we found Winnona. But not the way we had been hoping.

"By the gods. . .," I whispered at the sight as the three fillies cried and threw up. There, on the ground with wolves around the body, was a bloodied, maimed border collie, a pool of blood around it and spreading. It seems as if the wolves were hungry. And they looked at us. Ordinarily, I could take them, but this pack was made up of twenty wolves the same size as the one that had ran away earlier, and I was exhausted from the fight, and searching, so I did the one thing I could.

I grabbed the three fillies, and ran like hell. "Please tell me one of you live nearby," I shout as the wolves chased us.

"Mah family lives at the edfe of tha forest," Apple Bloom sobbed. "But we gotta go back fer Winnona!"

"She is dead or dying, Apple Bloom," I say. "And if we go back for her, we will follow suit."

I ran as fast as I could, considering what I was carrying, and broke out of the forest ten minutes later, but I kept going. "Which direction?!"

"Left," Apple Bloom shouted through her sobs, and I turned that direction, thinking the entire time Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, SHIT!

After another five minutes, I saw the farm, as well as the camp a few miles away. At the gate to the farm stood Applejack. I'm just guessing from the build and such, it was too dark to make out features at this distance. My guess was confirmed when she said, "Apple Bloom, what are ya-," only to stop when she saw the horde chasing me, fillies in arm. "Get away from them!" I don't know whether she was yelling at me, or the wolves, but regardless, when I made it to the gate, I set them down and said, "Get to shelter, I will buy you time," with out waiting for a reply, and drew my Needle Rifle, and looked down the scope, waiting for a clear shot.