Skystorm burned with a fire that couldn’t be quenched, the wind rustling his black, cyan tipped and gold accented mane as he barked out orders to his fellow Dawn Guards. They were not an ordinary breed of ponies, gifted by the princess of the night with unnatural abilities and
perks that would have made the Wonderbolts jealous. For one, they could use the mighty royal Canterlot voice to cower just about any sentient creature into submission, as well as the ability to use some magic spells without being Unicorns, such as weak levitation and short teleportation, however not as easily as a Unicorn.
The Dawn Guards were also a special breed within their own type. Their wings were extended longer than a normal Pegasi, giving them more average speed and power per wingstroke. Interestingly enough, their wings are big enough to allow them to carry another pony in flight, doubling their effectiveness. All Dawn Guards are Pegasi, with armor specially designed to be light, but resilient. Also, they were gifted with technological marvels, far ahead of their time such as armor that could create a shield of magic by simply raising a hoof, as well as being propelled through the air by jet boosters.
At each shoulder, one MK- 3 Magic Penetration Cannon sits, powered from the magical aura that resonates throughout each guard. As an afterthought, the armor also had special wing enhancements such as the ability to lock the wings stiff, so as not to have them ripped off by high speeds. The helmet on each suit was equipped with radar, night vision, thermal imaging, a minimap, and magic sensor, not to mention the perk of monitoring heartbeat, gauging fuel levels, providing clean oxygen in any environment, and administering pain killers. The helmet’s lower half was one solid piece with the exception of the disengaging muzzle guard and detatchable back plate to remove the helmet. The visor could be remotely disengaged, causing it to split down the middle and lock rearward. The helmet has a flashlight, and laser targeting system, and had a small opening in the top to allow the occupant’s mane to poke through, thus preserving the mane style. These suits were not commonly used on the ground because the pilot’s movements were somewhat restricted.
Skystorm was lucky to be the Alpha, the leader, of the Dawn Guards. His duty was the most honored and sacred of duties, to personally guard Princess Luna, while she dove into the realm of dreams. Dawn Guards were also considered another species altogether, because the rights and power of the Dawn Guards was passed on by the fathers into their son’s and daughters. The way it was passed on, is quite interesting. The power in the stallion is shared with his mare, making her a dawn guard as well, however, if a female Dawn Guard marries a normal pony, her power is withdrawn and she becomes a normal Pegasi.
Princess Luna created the Dawn Guard to be her personal army of supersoldiers, to destroy any traces of evil which festered in the night. Yes, Skystorm’s heart burned with a fire that could not be contained, a fire that burned against the cold night air as he began his protection of the Princess. He had dismissed his Dawn Guards to different parts of the kingdom to watch for signs of evil. Pacing back and forth he circled the apparently sleeping princess as he had done every night for the past five years. He thought about a certain Wonderbolt’s air show he had
seen a long time ago as a filly. Imagining them diving, banking, and swooping cause his elegant royal blue wings to unfurl and flap
experimentally. “Not right now” he thought to himself, focusing back on the task at hand.
Allowing his internal fire to burn brightly as he recalled the night his youngest brother was slain mercilessly by a changeling. He had just
got back from his training and was settling down by his sister on the couch in his cloud home’s living room. The fire was warm, casting its
bright orange glow throughout the humble room. All of a sudden, he shot into action as he heard his younger brother scream from up the
stairs. He had quickly unsheathed his curved, serrated moon knife from its sheath and charged up the stairs. What he found still made his
blood run cold. His brother was lying in a large puddle of blood, his face a mask of agony, with a changeling bloodthirstily licking his lips.
Seeing Skystorm, the changeling fled out into the still night air on insect-like wings. Sky dove out the open window after it when his wing
caught on the curtains and he was flung down onto Cloudsdale’s quiet streets. Grimacing at the thought, his mind continued to wander,
glancing over one particular memory burned into him like the cutie mark on his flank. The memory still bothered him from time to time. His
mind continued to wander to the one time he had seen a certain beautiful cyan mare in Canterlot, the day of Princess Cadence and shining
armor’s wedding. Ever since, he failed to remember what he was doing at the wedding, and why he was even there, since he had to get up so
early that night for his watch. The only other pony who knew about his crush on Rainbow Dash was Princess Luna herself, who happened to stumble upon him dreaming about the cyan mare.
The next night, Luna inquired about it, and Skystorm truthfully confessed to her about his secret. In the 5 years he had been diligently
watching over her, Princess Luna and Skystorm had become good friends. She was always there to listen to him and he could share his
thoughts with her freely, and in turn, he always was there for her, providing council and help when needed. Suddenly, his train wreck of
thought exploded when he saw what appeared to be a changeling smashing at the window directly in front of him. Drawing his sword with his
power, he leveled the steel capped titanium tip at the changeling outside the window when he felt an impact smash him from behind, sending
him flying onto the Princess’ bed. Quickly countering, he summoned a lunar launch pad right where he was going to land. Seeing the magic
white rune-encrypted pad appear, he used his wings to angle so that his back would land on the pad and launch him forward into the
changeling. His mind racing, he managed to remember to pick up the sword with his power, silently cursing because Unicorns were able to use levetational magic without having to think about it.
By now the second changeling had joined the party hitting the ground and rolling with a thud. The pad launched Skystorm forward, his sword impaling the changeling’s armor and slicing through its tough skin with its sharp, rigid point. The dark blue and black tones of the room
disguised the changeling’s horn until it is mere inches from his face. He ducks, caching the sharp appendage on the crest of his helmet. The
changeling screamed in agony as Sky’s blade penetrated deep into its chest. The second changeling began to move in from behind in an
attempt to catch Sky off guard, but he was ready. Sky lashed out with his finely toned hind legs, hardened from years of athleticism, and
bucked the changeling clear across the room. Turning around, he summoned another pad and launched his sword into the changeling’s face,
spiking him to the wall like a dart, before the changeling had a chance to hit the ground. Summoning his sword from the skull of the departed corpse, he turned and got hit strait in the face by an unforeseen third changeling.
He hit the ground hard, his head spinning in a multi-colored array of stars. The last thing he sees before he blacks out is his sister, Skybreeze, burst in and swing her axe at the changeling. He cursed himself for not remembering to watch his back. This was his first time he had ever been taken down. A tear slowly rolled its way down his cheek as he perceived that his dreams of ever having a chance Rainbow Dash were ruined, his life force gifted to him by Princess Luna ebbing away into the void of death. Then all went black as he slipped into oblivion…
Beyond his mental haze, Skystorm could hear the beeping of a heart monitior, as well as muffled voices and rapid hoofsteps. The voices kept fading in and out of clarity and he could only mange to pick up a few sentences “Come on ponies move move move!” A strong male voice said. “Were losing him!” Another voice said “We haven’t much time!”.
Then he could make out the rattling of a hospital bed and the sound of it narrowly avoiding walls in its mad dash towards and unforeseen room. Then his eyes open and pain shutters in violent spasms through his bruised, bloodied body. He stares into the eyes of his second in command, Skyfall, as he hurriedly pushes the hospital bed towards the end of a narrow corridor. Skystorm sees blood pulsing out of a gaping wound in his chest, and shudders as more unbearable pain smashes into his mind, enveloping his thoughts as he blacks out again…
~~~~~~~
It was a long and hard day on the front lines. The new Lunar Republic Army was at war with Princess Celestia’s armies for over three months. My long dead forefather had been fighting valiantly to hold of the Celestial Army’s advances, but they were closing in and he knew time was short. In his desperation, he called for one last aerial attack before they could breach the defensive wall protecting the forces of nightmare night from the advancing forces of the day. Trotting towards two Dawn Guards holding large M-1 Rune Carbines, he nodded for them to follow. The three of them ascended the tall spire of the Canterlotian castle.
Reaching the top, the two snipers proceeded to set up their rifles and aim them at two unidentified Celestial officers. SkyShield uttered three words, three words that would forever change the course of Equestrian history. “Fire at will”. Two large blasts of energy, sound, and light split the night air causing all noise to go silent. Skyshield would have gone deaf if it weren’t for his specialized helmet blocking most of the noise. The very sky seemed to hold its breath as the two unfortunate Celestial commanders where launched by the impact of the explosive rune stones. Wordlessly, the Celestial soldiers picked up the bodies of their fallen commanders and carried them off to be buried. No one has ever survived the impact of a rune stone. Such magic is contained in those runes, filled with dark incantations and spells, that their power rivals that of the twin rulers themselves.
Before recently, Rune magic was a forbidden art. For countless generations, all who dove into such sorcery were eventually consumed by the arcane magic contained inside. All accept the Dawn Guards. They are shadow… they are flame… and they are seemingly incorruptible. Pure life essence flows in their veins. They are the only ones who have the permission to use such magic, and now it was time for its use. Silently, three large Runestones fall from the sky, their cores pulsating with a blood red essence. The second they hit the ground, the world shakes with the explosions of raw destructive power. All soldiers in the blast are incinerated, and all who are not are knocked to the ground by the ancient power of death.
The battlefield remains silent, a ragged wasteland in the wake of the bombs. Everypony mills about in confusion at the sight of such power. Casting their weapons aside, the Dawn Guards take to the sky, flying back to report the victory to Nightmare Moon. When they arrived at the castle, a cowering general stood before the impressive black clad mare. “We, we did the best we could your majesty!” he pleaded in a shaky fear filled voice, cowering like a pup. Walking right past the groveling general, Skyshield approached his former friend, Princess Luna, now Nightmare Moon.
“The battle for the Capital is a success, our forces held out long enough for us to drop three B-3 Runestorms. The Celestial army retreated in defeat”. “Good” The nightmarish mare responded, turning to the still cowering general “at least one of my generals can win battles like a true warrior. Skyshield! Dispose of this defective wretch”! “What are his crimes” Skyshield asked turning his hard gaze from the general to his leader. “Failing to win, and falling to the weakest general in the Celestial army”! She responds. “That is hardly worthy of death your Majesty. I will not execute anyone for failure alone. When you founded the Lunar Republic, this” He said, motioning with his hoof towards his subordinate “was not your way. You cared for your subjects and you intended for them to prosper, not to get eliminated for a failure”!
“Are you daring to challenge OUR AUTHORITY!?” She roared. “No” Skyshield said coolly, he was brave but he wasn’t stupid. His armor was not equipped to handle a magic user, much less an Alicorn “I am only refusing to kill the innocent. Besides, if you kill everyone, no one will be able to enjoy your night, and this whole thing would be more pointless than it is already”. “Hmm, we see logic in your knowledge. We will consider your proposal. In the mean time, I have to chat with my sister” She said before soaring off into the night. Sighing, Skyshield about faced and trotted away from the castle, down the steps, and into the long staircase that leads up into the heart of the mountain, where the Dawn Guards keep is located.
It’s quite a scenic vista, however few ever see it but those who could either fly, or had access to the keep, which is still guarded today by over fifty soldiers. Skyshield went in, trotted up the stairs and two his right, where the barracks is located. Stepping inside his den, he paused, looking at the paintings of various battles and portraits of his predecessors, then proceeded to begin unclamping his armor from his sore muscles and replacing it on an armor stand. The armor gleamed with the enchanted aura of both day and night, giving it a shimmering appearance. Pressing a small button in the center of the chest plate, the moonstone power source slipped out of its narrow retainer and into his awaiting hoof.
Feeling the power wash over him in invisible waves of energy, Skyshield quickly trotted over to an enchanted obsidian Arcane Vault. He placed the gem inside and shut the vault, sealing it so that no one but himself could have access to the immense power contained in the dark blue and white stone. With that, he walked into his bathroom, turned on the shower, and washed all of the sweat, mud, dried blood, and ash from his royal blue coat. After his shower, he dried himself and cantered over to his large, spacious bed and lay down. Slowly, rhythmically, his breathing slowed, and deepened, finally allowing him to forget the battle, and the horror he had been forced to inflict on ponies in the name of the Lunar Empire, for that is what it was. It wasn’t a republic, it wasn’t democracy, it was tyranny, and there was nothing he could do about it but hope and pray that somehow, some way, Nightmare Moon would be eliminated.
~~~~~~~
The sun shines brightly as a dim flicker of it casts shadows on the walls of my hospital room, deep in the caverns of the mountain upon which Canterlot was built. My eyes slowly open, taking in my surroundings. Suddenly, a burst of fire explodes in my chest as I feel the pain of the previous night’s injuries cascade upon me. “Graaaah” I scream in agony as the burning sensation in my chest intensifies. Struggling, I begin to try to remember where I am, what I am, and what happened. Heck, at this point, I can’t even remember my own name. Then it clicked. The night before, the fight with the changelings, the injury, my dreams fading away, the gaping wound, it all snapped into my head like an explosion of memory. I look down to my chest to se a dark stain where blood, my blood, once stained my velvety blue coat. Looks like the medical staff did a good job of cleaning and stitching my wound together.
My head hits the pillow as it begins to ache. I moan and clutch my forehead. Just then, the door opens and a mint green unicorn walks in wearing a white lab coat and as usual, is carrying a clipboard, levitated by her magic. “Hi Lyra” manage to cough out. “Sky, this is the third injury this week! Slow down a little will ya” Lyra responds, shaking her head. My full name is Skystorm, but around here, all Dawn Guards get a nickname, mine being Skyler, and my sisters being Kayla. “Sorry” I grumble before continuing “can you give me any painkillers? It feels like somepony is trying to tear my ribcage apart”.
“You already have three heavy pain killers inside you. The pain is expected since the surgeon says that a changeling ripped your chest open” Lyra responds. “How long is the recovery time?” I quickly ask, cutting to the point. “About three weeks” Lyra drones automatically. “Three weeks?!” I almost shout “I can’t be down that long”! “Well, you will be able to walk around the keep in about a week, and I’m sure Skyfall can take care of the patrols and Princess Luna till you are back in fighting condition. *Sigh* “Well thanks anyway” I say, leaning my head back on the pillow of the hospital bed and closing my eyes. “No problem” Lyra responds turning and walking out of the room “Hope you feel better soon”. “Thanks” I mutter. Thinking back, I remember my life before I came to Equestria. I used to be a human, a military pilot.
While I was testing a new hyper drive engine in the lab aboard the U.S.S. Courage, the thing malfunctioned, causing a bright flash of light and an explosion which opened a rift in slip space, sucking me into the portal that brought me here. When I awoke, my body was blue; I had hooves, and wings. I had always dreamed of traveling to Equestria, secretly being a brony at heart, but this… was different. I was a colt, about 13 winters old, and as I later found out, the firstborn of the Alpha of the Dawn Guards. Gone was the intellect I previously held, only to be regained later when my father retired and I was pronounced Alpha. I graduated training at the top of my class, never being beaten by my peers in duels and fights. However, I kept my humility, looking rather to do the best I could, and never failing to defend the weak. I am now 22 winters old, my life coming perilously close to expiring, only to be regained in a world of pain.
~~~~~~~
In an explosion of color, Rainbow dash preformed her sonic rainboom, completing her routine. Eventually, as the rainbow trail of speed began to wear off, the cyan Pegasus began to allow her sore, sweaty body to relax. Flopping down on a cloud, she snuggled into its soft surface. The cloud caressed her coat as she burrowed into it, sending jolts of pleasure through her soft fur. As she relaxed, the cloud floated along, eventually angling to face the mountain upon which Canterlot stood, in the very heart of Equestria. She had always wondered, in all of her flights with the Wonderbolts if there was anything else she could achieve.
Equestria had a small standing military, 90% of it being guards, but the other 10% being made up of special soldiers which were almost never mentioned or heard from. Great mystery shrouded their existence from the peace loving inhabitants of Equestria. Some have said that they could become invisible, while still others claim them to be Alicorns of some species. She had only seen one of these special operations soldiers in her entire lifetime, and the one she saw had a very impressive wing span. He/She (it was to far away to tell at a glance) was sitting at the side of Princess Luna with large blue wings outstretched, a determined expression on their face. They looked quite impressive, being almost as tall as the ruler herself, their armor glinting in the sunshine. Emblazoned on the side of the armor was a picture of a rising sun, etched into the metal with precision and care.
As she stared at the impressive figure, she noticed that their mane was cut shorter than it would have been for a mare. His mane was jet black with cyan tips and gold accents. (Yes Rainbow Dash was looking at me, I found out later). Anyway, As Rainbow lounged on the cloud, she continued to ponder if there was something greater she could achieve. While putting on a show in Canterlot with the Wonderbolts, Dash had heard a loud jet like noise echoing off the rocks of the nearby mountain. After the show, she flew up to investigate. What she saw made her jaw drop. A Pegasus with some sort of armor was flying faster than she had ever seen, twisting and turning and performing stunning feats of skill and endurance that would collapse her ribcage from the pressure if she tried it.
Fascinated, Dash watched with rapt attention as the pilot continued his performance. Suddenly another one joined him, firing what looked like flashes of light at the Pegasus. The Pegasus turned and lifted his hoof, creating a purple energy shield that blocked the flaming projectiles and creating a large explosion. Dashes eyes grew wide with wonder and excitement. She had never seen Mk-3 Magic Penetration Cannons in action.
The cannons fire a large 20 millimeter rune crystal magically charged with explosive energy, designed for air to air combat. The crystal can be overcharged to take out concentrations of troops and weak buildings. Overcharging too much can result in a core meltdown, causing the rune to literally melt inside barrel, disabling the weapon. The weapon system has a target tracking device to help steady the weapon in complex aerial maneuvers. Not wanting to be outdone, Dash quickly dashed towards the Pegasi, gaining altitude and speed before plummeting downward to start with her routine.
Its been about two and a half weeks since my injury. My chest has healed and my head no longer hurts. Today Lyra informed me that I was safe to resume flying. I rush out the door, down the hallway, and up the stairs to the flight deck, a large flat bottomed cave packed with more military hardware and technology then the entire Pentagon contains. Slipping on a thermal cooling, Kevlar and Nomex flight suit, I walk over to Agent Sweetydrops as she converses with Ratchet, a white Unicorn with a green and magenta mane.
“Hey Ratchet” I call trotting over to the mare “Suit me up”. “You got it boss” she says, smiling as she walks over to a large control panel. She types a few things into the panel and several mechanical arms extend down from the ceiling, each one bearing a different section of the carefully designed, Orbital Defense Suit armor or O.D.S. for short. All of the pieces lock onto the flight suit with a metallic click, the helmet being last to slip into place. “Ok check your movements” Ratchet says, staring fixedly at the monitor. I begin to look around, moving my arms, legs, wings, and torso, making sure that there is nothing in the armor restricting normal range of movement. “Ok your all clear” Ratchet finally calls out.
Nodding my thanks, I walk towards the launch pad. The device resembles an airplane catapult on an aircraft carrier, but with a few modifications. Locking in my hooves, I activate my twin jets and test the flaps on them. Everything seems in order, so I turn the thrusters on full power and press the launch button. Everything is a blur as I am flung at over a thousand miles and hour out of the hangar. I never get over the feeling of flying, the wind whistling around my ears and the world passing by in a stream of distorted color. The air ruffles my mane as I begin climbing to an altitude of about eight thousand feet. I then backflip and level out, pulling an impressive 10 G’s of pressure. I consider free falling but decide a falcon dive would be faster.
Angling my wings to form a sort of M shape, I activate the lock and turn on my afterburners. I rocket towards the ground and hear the sound barrier break only a second after I begin my fall. A burst of black, blue, and gold erupts behind me, but I could care less. I am now only seconds from hitting the ground, so I bottom out and angle up for another climb, turning into a corkscrew as I ascend once more. I dive down again, performing several loops, spins, and turns as I work my way slowly down. At this speed, I’m averaging about 8 G’s if not more of pressure per trick, something that would collapse the rib cage of an unprotected Pegasi easily.
Suddenly, I hear a crackle over the radio and Skyfall’s voice is heard. “Not bad, seeing that you were nearly ripped in two. Lets see if you still got your combat groove”. “Bring it on” I tell him. I observe him shooting out of the hanger and angling up, his wings locking into attack position. Suddenly, his shoulder mounted weapons flash to life. I quickly side roll , fly up, and twist around so that I am now on his six. I fire a volley from my guns and he dodges, spinning around to face me. He fires again and this time, I raise a hoof, creating a large purple shield of magic. *BOOOOM* the four runes impact the shield with one giant simultaneous explosion.
I deactivate the shield and draw my sword from its sheath, the silver and blue moon metal shimmers in the noon day sun. Skyfall draws his axe and we begin sparring, the rings echoing through the clear blue sky. A little dot appears on my radar from about 1500 meters away. We pause and look towards the Pegasus as she, I could tell by her mane, flies around, doing tricks and such, however not as fast, which is to be expected since she was not not wearing an O.D.S. Puzzled, I look on as the Pegasus climbs higher and higher, eventually leveling off at about 3,000 hoofs in the cool air. She pulls into a dive, her arch growing steadily steeper.
I begin to realize two things. 1. She looks very familiar, and 2. she miscalculated her dive distance and at this rate won’t be able to pull out of it fast enough to not smash into the ground. I’m not about to let that happen, so I accelerate, the trees far below seemingly disappearing as I pour my entire effort into trying save whoever was falling to their certain doom. I push my efforts to their max, beginning to see the pony desperately trying to pull up.
~~~~~~~
That day, Rainbow Dash was heading for the ground in a dive, when she began to realize her mistake. The angle at which she was diving, was designed for a 5000 hoof drop, not a 3000. She would not be able to pull out without blacking out from the pressure. She began frantically trying to slow her decent, using whatever she could, but to no avail. Eventually, she just excepted her fate, closing her eyes tight for the inevitable, while a single tear ran across her face before her mind went numb and she vaguely felt like she was being carried by something.
~~~~~~~
Incredibly, I catch up to the falling figure I now recognize as Rainbow Dash. I match her decent, then carefully grab her like I would a bag of feed, locking my forelegs around her torso and doing something similar with my back legs. The pressure is intense! A whopping 15 G’s assault me as I finally pull up, mere hoofs above the leafy tree canopy. I am about to spin to kill some of the invisible claws squeezing my body in a death grip, when I remember the incapacitated Pegasus in my forelegs. Sighing to myself, I bear the pain a little longer and then begin the climb back up the mountainside. I reach the top, touch down, and carefully set the still sleeping Pegasus on the hard stone.
Slipping off my helmet with a metallic click and the hiss of escaping air, I finally stop and rest a moment, allowing my breathing and heart to slow. Suddenly, Dash stirs and opens her wide magenta eyes. ‘Oh crap. This isn’t going to go well, leave while you can!’ my mind shouts at me as Dash’s expression turns from one of confusion and shock, to disbelief. ‘here we go. If this goes south…’
~~~~~~~~
From the haze of unconsciousness, Dash remembered trying desperately to pull up, then blacking out, feeling two forelegs wrap her almost in a hug. She vaguely remembered feeling the sensation of flying up, and then being carefully lowered to the ground, the cold snow biting at her coat. Then she awoke to see a black and silver clad stallion standing a few hoofs away with a stoic expression on his face. “Are you hurt?” the stallion asked. “N No” she stammered, beginning to notice the Pegasus’ features for the first time. His mane and tail was black with cyan and gold accents, while his coat was a royal blue. His unnaturally (or at least she thought) large wings were the same color as his coat, with cyan tips.
He looked young, but older than she was. His stature was taller than most, and his cyan eyes appeared playful. “Can you fly?” he asked, breaking her chain of thought. “I, I thinks so” she forced out, trying to hide a blush. “Good” he said turning towards the edge of the cliff. “Wait” She called out “Whats your name”? Turning to look back at her he uttered “My name” he said as he slipped on his helmet “Is Skystorm”. Without another glance, he had flown off. She had crawled to the edge, and seen him disappear into a large cave on the side of the mountain. She had flown back to the Wonderbolt’s quarters and didn’t really remember the incident until now.
Sighing she thought ‘He was quite cute actually, but nopony is interested in a competitive tomboy like me’. She couldn’t have been more wrong. This was the lie she had been feeding herself for years, that she wasn’t pretty enough, smart enough, or attractive enough to ever get a date. With that, she drifted off to sleep, basking in Celestia’s summer afternoon.
~~~~~~~
After the flight and the incident with Rainbow Dash, I flew into the hanger, took off my armor, and headed to see my cousin, who was servicing my dented patrol armor. I walked into yet another cavern where the armory stood. Lily was clanging away at it when she noticed me and trotted over. Giving her the customary Dawn Guard greeting, nuzzling her head while she nuzzled my neck, I step back and ask her if my armor was done. Another thing I want to point out is that the Dawn Guard greeting in this manner was only done between a male guard and a female guard.
If the greeting was between a male and another male, then the two would bump heads. If the greeting was done between a female and a female, then the two would rub heads. The greeting generally means “Hi, haven’t seen you in a while, how are you?” and is not generally regarded as affectionate. Information flows pretty freely around the keep, so only when a mare and a stallion that are known to either be dating, in love, or married perform the greeting, is it regarded affectionately.
“So, is my armor ready?” I ask, stepping back to look Lilly in the face.
“Just about done” she says returning to her smithy’s anvil “All of the dents have been removed and the finish has been re-etched and painted. Just finishing the moonstone retainer now. You got a really nasty cut in the armor right above the retainer, and it’s made it really hard to insert the stone”. “Well, I’ll leave you to it. Thanks again Lilly” I call, making my way towards the large exit. “Stay safe out there” I hear Lilly call as she about faces and returns to her work. After that, I kinda took the day slow, spending time polishing my weapons, checking my flight controls, and finally, just flopping into bed to sleep till night, when I would be up guarding Princess Luna again.
Its been about a week since the incident. I head down the stairs and cross the main hall, heading toward the briefing room. Suddenly, Sweetydrops walks out and turns to me, a solemn look on her face. “You’d better get in there” She comments before turning and walking toward the hangar “the Princess would like to see you”. My head immediately snapped to attention. I saw Luna every night, but she almost never entered the keep. ‘Ok, this has got to be important. Otherwise why would she come here?’ my mind screams at me ‘Better not screw this up’.
I trot into the large cave known as the conference hall. A long table stands in the center of the room, adorned simply with a table cloth emblazoned with the dawn guard symbol, a picture of the rising sun. Torches adorned the walls, as well as banners representing countless battles from an age gone by. At the head of the table, a dark blue Alicorn sits, flanked by two castle guards. The other occupants include Skyfall, my second in command, several squadron captains, and my father, Skywatcher. “Please, take a seat” Princess Luna requests. Judging by the tone in her voice, this is a formal meeting. I comply and sit down. Not being one to beat around the bush, I plainly ask her what the meaning of her sudden arrival is about. “We have word that a changeling general, has taken to stirring up Ponyville, and since your also the best assassin in the Canterlotian army, we held a meeting and decided that you would make the best choice to, um , deal with the problem” Luna responds. “I shall be going now” Luna says as she rises to her feet and exits the room “The others will fill you in”.
“Ok, what’s my target” I ask Skyfall. He slides a folder over with several papers, three pictures of the target, and a legendary ice bow. Ice bows are renowned for having unnatural accuracy, and some who have wielded them claim that the arrows actually track their target. Picking up the file and bow, I turn and head toward the door. “Don’t miss” Skyfall calls. “I won’t” I say and walk out into the great halls of the keep.
~~~~~~~
Beyond the halls and confining corridors, beneath the ground deep in the Everfree forest, the single husk of what once was a beautiful Alicorn sat. Alone to hear thoughts, Queen Chrysalis meditated, her trance suddenly interrupted as she sensed the aura of love. This time, it was different. It came from a long distance away, and was stronger than she had ever experienced before. It rivaled the sensation she had felt, when she tried to stop the wedding between Shining armor and Princess Cadence. This was softer, purer, and overall more focused than she felt in a long time. ‘What could be causing that?’ she asked herself as she opened her eyes. Glancing around the wet, slimy cave, her gaze fell upon a single spell encrypted mirror.
Firing a beam of magic at the thing, she opened the visionary portal. In its reflection she saw a Pegasus, its dark coat a silhouette in the pale night sky, a peculiar triangle-like emblem hanging of his ear. “The Alpha” She breathed “I have been waiting a long time for this”. She begin to laugh, cackling madly at the thought of the chaos she was about to bring upon the unsuspecting souls of the countless inhabitants of Equestria. “You may have defeated me once! SkyStorm, Leader of the cursed Dawn Guards, But this time, YOUR MINE!” She Shouts, throwing open the chamber doors overlooking a sea of chanting changeling soldiers. Each one calling a single name. “ALL HAIL QUEEN CHRYSALIS!!! ALL HAIL QUEEN CRYSALIS!!!”. Once again, the satanic queen began laughing, her subjects shouts and screams echoing out into the night air, like a chorus of screeches from beyond the grave. No one, not even Celestia herself could predict the horror of which to come…
