Equestria: For Honor

The sun cast it beautiful rays upon the town of Ponyville as the dawn appeared. These rays of sunlight in turn affected the roosters, announcing the return of day, and waking many souls of Ponyville from their blissful slumber.

It only took one hour for the town to go from silent to bustling with activity. In the market, many merchants sold their wares, and ripped-off a few new customers, and the streets were alive with many ponies going about their business, and catching up with old friends.

“Stay safe, sugarcube.”

“Please darling, we will be just fine. All we are doing is going on a trip to Manehattan to negotiate with the griffons about their stolen idol,” Rarity said to Applejack. “Besides, we will have an armed escort to see us to the coast.” Applejack frowned.

“But it's the second time they lost their idol, stolen by some ruffians with axes,” she said. “Please, let the princesses deal with it.”

“W-why are you so worried about this t-task?” Fluttershy meekly asked.
Applejack shook her head. “Ah haven't the faintest clue, except mah dreams. I'm scared that those dreams might be warning me ‘bout this whole operation.”

“They are dreams, nothing more,” Rarity assured. “I promise that nothing bad will happen to us. After all, nothing on this continent could defeat a royal guard escort!”

Applejack shook her head. “Maybe you're right, but I can't shake this feeling of dread.”

“I-I'm sure everything will be alright.” Fluttershy said in her usual soft tone, and Rarity nodded in agreement.

“Well, we must be off,” Rarity said. “Can't keep Twilight waiting.”

“Y’all stay safe now.”

Rarity chuckled. “Don't worry darling, everything will be alright. We'll be home before you know it.”

(***)

“Let me have one last look of you son.”

“Ugh, mother, you have said that for the past hour!”

It's not like she could help it, for Pure Soul was a proud mother. And seeing her son, Braveheart, in royal guard’s armour, brought back lots of memories about her husband.

“Your father would be so proud of you, to follow in his hoofsteps. If only he could see you now…”

Braveheart caught her glancing at his father's picture on the fireplace as she said that. He knew the story all too well. His father, Valiant Effort, was one of the best royal guards Equestria would ever know. When the Changelings invaded the Crystal Empire during the royal wedding, it was his father that led the defense. He was supposedly separated from his fellow guards and was surrounded on all sides. They say he slaughtered up to one hundred twenty-three Changelings on his own before he was finally defeated.

Braveheart shook his head and said, “He probably already sees me.”

Pure Soul smiled, and hugged her son, who returned the favor. He pulled back and said, “Stay safe in Canterlot, dear.”

“I will mother.”

Braveheart turned and trotted out of the house.

Braveheart waited at the train station for his ticket out of Ponyville. As the dark thunder clouds covered the sky, he sighed as he wondered if the train is taking its merry old time getting here. Braveheart wanted get out of this town, for he never been anywhere else in his life. It was why he joined up, so he could travel around Equestria on diplomatic missions, fight the occasional monster, and swap insane stories about tours of duty, and maybe make some new friends since his old one took off to find some forbidden magic secrets that nopony should know about. He felt bad that he was leaving his mother, but he knew he had to leave the nest.

He sat there, staring at the tracks, until he heard screaming. He turned around, hearing a chorus of screams rise from the south side of town. Braveheart grabbed his sword, strapped it to his flank, then galloped towards the sounds of complete and utter panic.

He galloped past various ponies of all shapes and sizes, fleeing from the south of town, trying to get the Tartarus out of Dodge. He made it to the south side of town, and could not believe his eyes.

On a river that bordered the south side, three warships with carved dragon heads were emerging from the ominous fog, the lanterns hanging from the figure-dragon heads casting a dreadful and harsh light in the shadow of the thunderstorm.

He saw the physically imposing earth ponies on the ship, some wearing horned helmets, some not. A majority of them were carrying round shields and swords.

On one of the ships, an earth pony stood proudly on its hindlegs, a menacing spear in on hoof, and a shield in the other. The mare had a helmet with ram horns sprouting from the left and right sides of the helmet.

The Valkyrie yelled a fierce war cry, pointing her spear towards the town, and the two ships surged forward.

Braveheart drew his sword, and was joined by the few guards stationed in Ponyville.

The two ships crashed into the shore, and the screaming bloodthirsty warriors charged towards Ponyville. There were three warriors that stood out from the rest. All three were dual-wielding axes, and wore minimal armour. But that look…, that savage look in their eyes…

They charged ahead of the main body of warriors, screaming something about a place called Valhalla.

One Berserker ran into the group, and the blood began to run. The savage axe-wielder sunk one of his axes into the skull of a guard, and swiftly pulled it out, causing bits of mashed brain and blood to flop out of the gaping gash. The Berserker spun and smashed another axe into another guard’s abdomen, and viciously ripped out intestines. The Berserker was unnaturally fast, swinging his axes with such wild abandon, screaming bloodlust and eyes filled with fury. Soon, all that remained of the guards was Braveheart. Braveheart raised his sword as the twin axes came down, breaking his guard. Seizing this opportunity, the Berserker grabbed Braveheart by his mane with his teeth and threw him through a window, knocking the stallion out, and out of the fight.

Braveheart regained consciousness for a moment, hearing the screams of the Ponyville citizens as they were being slaughtered by the dozens. And once again, he blacked out.

(***)

Braveheart finally woke to the smell of burning buildings and burning flesh. He forced his eyes open, and somehow got up, shaking badly. He was bleeding from the multiple cuts he received from the window, and bits of his royal guard armor was shredded. He peeked out of the shattered window, and immediately wished he haven't.

Charred and mutilated bodies of the ponies he swore to protect littered the streets. Some were beheaded, some were disemboweled, and all died with the most horrified expressions on what's left of their faces.

Braveheart threw up.

Once that episode was over, Braveheart climbed out of the shattered window, glass cutting his flesh again. He stumbled into the grotesque Tartarus that the Berserkers and their warriors left in their wake. Nearly all the buildings were on fire, some already collapsed. Braveheart wandered the town, looking for survivors.

He found none. Almost.

He noticed some rubble moving, as if somepony was underneath it. He limped as fast as he could towards the struggling rubble, hoping to find somepony that wasn't a bloody mess. He activated his magic, lifting the rumble and casting it aside.

It was not survivor, but three. It would of been four, but the body of Colgate acted as a meat shield for the three survivors when the rubble came down. Pinkie Pie, Sunset Shimmer, and Octavia looked at Braveheart with eyes of terror, then it turned to eyes of sorrow as all three nearly tackled Braveheart in a hug, crying hysterically.

“Thank Celestia a guard is here!” Pinkie Pie cried. “We thought we were goners.”

Braveheart took in the image of the three.

Pinkie Pie had her cotton candy-like mane still up, but one could see that she was desperately trying to stay optimistic. Sunset Shimmer was cut up and bruised, but otherwise okay. Octavia was in the same condition as Sunset, except that she looked like she was sompony who just realized the world is gonna end in five minutes.

“What happened?” Braveheart asked.

Sunset spoke this time “We were following Applejack when the rubble came down on top of us. Applejack tried to help us, but was chased by one of those ponies with the dual-axes. We don't know where she Is right now.”

Braveheart looked to the distance, and saw a blaze that was separated from the town, in a familiar place.

“I think I know where she went,” Braveheart said. “Stay here.”

Before any of them could protest, Braveheart spread his wings and took to the skies, heading towards Sweet Apple Acres.

(***)

In a minute, Braveheart landed in the apple orchards.

Scratch that. He was in apple-Tartarus.

The Apple family's barn and house were on fire. The orchards were put to the torch as well. Branches that once gave joy, only give ash that reeked of death.

In the middle of the orchards, were four ponies. Two were alive, two were dead.

Braveheart trotted up carefully to the weeping Applejack and Apple Bloom, mourning the loss of Granny Smith and Big Macintosh.

Macintosh had his head cleaved in two, his brains already steaming within the heat that the orchards cast off. Granny Smith had a gaping hole in her side.

Braveheart was horrified. “What… happened?”

Applejack spoke. “Spears and axes… that's what happened.”

Apple Bloom drew a shaky breath, and said, “They went out to stop the bad ponies from taking our apples. Granny was the first to… die.” She choked out the word “die” like it was a piece of boiled cabbage. “Big Mac tried to save her, and… a-and…”

Applejack let out a mournful wail of absolute heartache as she still clung to the dead bodies of her Grandmare and her big brother. Apple Bloom joined her.

Braveheart bowed his head as a sign of respect to the two corpses. The echoes of the cries of sorrow mingled with the crackling fire of the burning orchards.