Sleeping Giant

"Move, Move! Get out of the way!", Rainbow Dash yelled as she pushed through the crowd. Getting to the center, she gasped at the sight.

Blood. In all her years in Equestria, blood was not seen in any form other than from dental reasons or reproductive reasons. But this was different. The stallion struggling to stand was panting, blood leakign from his mouth as well as several cuts on his sides and muzzle. And above all, his wings, one was clipped.

"You, you are one of the elements of harmony, no?", he exhaled.

"Y-yes?", Rainbow Dash replied.

"Get a message to the queen."

"We don't have-"

"She is name the queen in the damned royal army, don't patronize me, this is more important than even you!"

"Ok, dude, fine, what do I need to do?"

"Tell the queen, that the neighboring kingdom to the east has advanced past the border. We will see a battalion here in no less than a month if we don't send more troops down south to fight troops they ahve implanted there. They've already gotten five vantage points."

"Wait, you're-"

"Go!"

Shufflign on ehr feet, Rainbow Dash remembered flight and took to the air, flying as fast as she could to Canterlot. On her way, the famous Sonic Ranboom was released, sounding off throughout Ponyville as it vibrated through the air. Rainbow Dash, traveling at the speed of sound, made it to Canterlot within ten minutes. Slammed through the front doors, her accuracy, agility, and wings not failing her. She only stopped when Celestia wrapped her own magic around the sonic pegasus, stopping her in mid-flight.

"Rainbow Dash! What is the meaning of this!", Celestia scolded.

Gasping for air, her breaths were ragged.

"We...war stallion....blood..."

"Rainbow Dash, calm down!"

"I can't...not with knowledge that I ahd to pass on."

"And what woudl that be?"

"Forces of the eastern kingdom have penetrated Equestria's boarders and will be in Ponyville in less than a month."

"What?!"

"Unless...Unless troops are sent to the south to counter an insertion of enemy troops."

"How do you know this?"

"A war stallion told me. He showed up in {Ponyville, everyone gathered around. I pushed my way through the crowd to see who it was, and he told me to relay a message, fussed at me."

"That's White Metal. If he has returned just to give a message, then another question arises. Was he alone?"

"Yes. He was the only new person in Ponyville."

"Thats not like White Metal to go anywhere without his platoon. Anything else?"

"He was bloody, really bloody. Several cuts all over as well as coughing up blood."

"This is more serious than I thought. We needed only keep an eye on the neighboring kingdoms, now one decides to attack. This is not good. A battle has begun, we must fight it. Guards! See to it that Rainbow Dash is brought to the infirmary, make sure she is well rested for a trip back to Ponyville. Rainbow Dash, I will need you to bring a spell to White Metal, ASAP. You will be given time to rest before-"

"No, I can take it now. I traveled here in under ten minutes, I can travel back in less if I wanted to."

"...I see. Then you shall take this with truth and honesty, assuring that you make it there as told?"

"Yes."

"Then so be it. The fate of Equestria's eastern boarders rely on you."

Rainbow Dash nodded. Celestia's horn glowed brightly, casting magic which solidified into a magical seal, glowing warmly. Rainbow Dash took it, nodded once mroe, then put it between her teeth, flying out of the castle at a fast speed before assuming her highest speed again. Once again, the Sonic Rainboom sounded, and rippled, through the air for the second time that day.

"So, what happened next? Did you make it back, grandmare?", the little filly asked.

Smiling to the cyan filly, Rainbow Dash answered, "Oh, I made it alright. But, White Metal didn't. He passed out after I left, then soon after, became weak. He needed the spell I was given to deliver..."

As the wind rushed past her, her left ear started to throb from an impending ear ahce. She didn't care. It was the second time within twenty minutes that she passed the skies to deliver something. Two Rainbow streaks next to each other in parallel. She didn't fool around, swirling the other like she would've done. She soon made it to the spot she first met the war stallion.

He wasn't there.

"Uh...where is he?", she panted as she removed the spell.

"Who? Him?", a mare pointed to White Metal, lying in a tent to get him out of the shade.

"Whtie Metal!", Rainbow Dash gasped.

"...Yes?", he responded weakly.

Rainbow Dash hurried over, hoofing him the spell.

"Princess Celestia made this for me to deliver to you.", she said breathlessly.

"You're a reliable mare, you are."

As he touched the spell, it disappeared, along with his wounds. Rolling off his back onto his legs, he stared Rainbow Dash in the eyes deeply.

"Thank you. I would nto have been able to survive much longer. Canterlot is a good day away by train, you didn't go by train."

"No, I flew. I am the best flier in Ponyville, after all."

"Not Cloudsdale?"

"I've not lived there my entire life."

"How fast, might I ask?"

"Ever heard of the legendary Sonic Rainboom?"

"Why, yes I have."

"I've created it twice today."

"Wow, quite a record."

"I can create a sonic rainboom as many times as I can go sonic, slow down, and return to sonic speed again."

"Amazing! I've not even seen it yet."

"Sorry, but I don't do requests, no matter how easily I can create one. I'm already exhausted enough as it is anyway. Flying to an from Canterlot, over 76 miles both ways, thats a real record for me to acknowledge."

"You sure know your speed."

"Yes I do."

"You'd be perfect...No, no, nevermind."

"What?"

"Just forget it."

"But I can't. As curious as I am loyal, I hate to go unanswered for something, even small."

"My team...I lost them trying to get back here. You'd be perfect to fit...My sister."

"Was she fast, was she strong?"

"Both. She was our Winged Juggernaut. She took a tank shell for us all. With her last bit of strength she even took down the battalion chasing us. It's amazing what she did..."

"I'll take her place. though I can't be as strong as she, I can sure make up for it in speed."

"Thats the spirit. Know any othjer people as loyal or headstrong as you?"

"Does pride count?"

"Stubbornness? Yes, yes it does."

"then I've got the perfect person. Another flight abled girl."

"Who is this mare?"

"Not mare, griffon. I'll be back in about three minutes."

Leaving the ten, she took flight again, and returnign three minutes later like she said, Gilda was close behind, anunhappy expression.

"Why'd you bring me back to this loser town? I though you hated me."

"Gilda, we've been best friends up until the scene you made at Sugarcube corner. Here is your chance to make up for that and mroe. Do this, and you will be a hero of Equestria's eastern boarders."

"Not a hero of Equestria?"

"Sorry, but that is meant for the real soldiers.", White Metal butted in.

"And who are you? You don't look like one of these scrawny ponies."

"Well, stubborn and a bully. Perfect. you'd fit my my best fighter, Roger."

"What are you talking about?", Gilda asked.

"Joining my platoon. See, I lost all of my platoon just to get here and give the queen a message."

"So which of the two got married?"

"What?", White Metal asked.

"Actually, Gilda, since you haven't been here for a few years, it's perfectly understandable that you may have missed something, but the queen is actually what the military calls Princess Celestia."

"Ah, true.", Metal appointed.

"So, we're fighting to save this land?"

"We don't really need to protect very much. I mean, we have the forces, we're just joining in the fight."

"Then count me in."