Author's Note
This chapter is in need of editing. Be prepared for small changes by this fic's finalization at the latest.
Strange Events
The light was blinding. It was accompanied by high pitched ring that would most certainly deafen any unsuspecting ponies within the immediate area. It sounded like a knife being dragged against sheet metal, and almost ironically, the air had also been filled with a powerful odor of burnt steel. All of it came rather suddenly. One moment, the night was as still and calm as any other, but the next was pretty much the opposite.
Two soldiers were stationed in Canterlot’s sculpture garden. It was their lucky night. They had gone two years without anything weird happening anywhere near them, and all they wanted was for things to stay that way. Was that so much to ask? Was it too much to want an easy career watching lifeless statues nopony cared about?
No, The soldiers thought. Fortune just had to be so kind as to smile a weird light into the garden, on their watch. And where else but right above the statue of that queer, singing, dragon-horse-lion thing? No where, of course!
Iron Helm slapped the right side of his head in a vain attempt to rid himself of the ringing in his ears. “What in bloody Tartarus was that?”
Brawlen had dropped his spear to free his front hooves so they could rub his eyes. “Not a fuckin’ clue,” He growled, “but whoever did that better enjoy freshly tossed hoof salad, ‘cus they’re about to get some! I’ll shove my hoof so far up...”
“Shh,” Iron shushed.
Brawlen lowered his hooves from his face, uncovering a look of annoyance. “Why the fu…”
“SHH!”
“I’ll shut up when I’m damn good an…”
Iron rolled his eyes. “Don’t you hear that?”
Brawlen grabbed his spear, and stood up. His ears swiveled to and fro as he surveyed his surroundings. “Hear what?”
Iron replied almost too quietly for Brawlen to hear. “It sounds like...crying.”
The two stallions listened to the quiet sobs from behind a nearby tree while they tried to process what exactly was going on. What exactly was that big old flash of light about? Was it a diversion for some thief to get his grubby hooves on one of the statues in the garden? Naw. Nopony ever came here, except teachers who brought their students here every once in awhile, and the princess herself. Not to mention Iron and Brawlen would most likely have been attacked immediately after the flash if thievery was its purpose. And what is with the crying? Why would a thief cry on the job of all places?
“We’re going to have to investigate, Brawlen,” Iron whispered.
“The Hell I am!” Brawlen whispered back.
“We’re soldiers, damn it. We’re going to have to grow up at some point.”
“Uhg, fine. What’s the plan?”
“We’re both going to circle around the immediate area in opposite directions. I’ll go that way,” Iron pointed his hoof past one side of the tree, “while you make your way toward that weird statue over there.” He motioned his hoof in the direction of Discord’s statue.
“Why do I have to go near that weird-ass thing?” Brawlen snapped.
“Because, you have the spear.”
Brawlen slowly looked down at his spear. “Oh, hell no!”
He threw the spear at Iron. “You go near that stupid thing! I’ll circle around that way.”
Before Iron could protest that he knew absolutely nothing about any sort of weaponry whatsoever, Brawlen trotted off. Iron cursed and quivered as he poked his head out from behind the tree. He still didn’t see anything unusual. That didn’t make him feel better. He and Brawlen never go near that statue. It was simply too strange. A queerness that added unease with each and every moment their eyes held their gaze.
Come on Iron! He thought to himself. It’s just a lame ol’ statue. Your name is Iron Helm! It’s time you toughen up like one, and grow up already!
Slowly, but surely, Iron made his way around the tree he hid behind. Each and every hoof-fall of measured placement, as if the slightest slip up would send him tumbling into a boiling lake of lava. His horseshoes landing against any loose stones sounded like explosions to him. He could feel his heart beat thunder in his chest and his magical grip loosen on the spear.
Iron stole another glimpse of the statue. It seemed to be no closer than when he’d started. It was as if he had been moving in slow motion. One look back at the tree he’d left confirmed his suspicion. After what seemed like an eternity, he’d only managed a few hoof steps.
Iron sighed.
Why again did he want to become a royal guard? Oh yeah! It was because…
“Iron Helm!” Came an obnoxiously gruff voice from behind him.
The noise that found its way out of Iron’s muzzle was less than masculine.
“What in Tartarus assaulted my eyeballs five minutes ago!?”
Iron’s surprise quickly turned to irritation. The last thing he needed was a surprise visit from his commanding officer, least of all at a time like this. Fury Rein definitely had a tendency to pop in at the worst time.
Iron let loose a nicker before turning toward Fury, a straight and soldier-like look on his face. “Good evening sir!” He saluted before explaining the situation. However he did omit the part where he and and Brawlen hid behind the tree.
Fury’s face betrayed no emotion. “I see. Mind explaining who was crying?”
“I was just about…” Iron started.
“Soldier, tell me you’ve at least approached the source of the foal-ish behavior,” Fury said, almost annoyed.
“I was just about…”
Again, Iron was cut off. “You mean to tell me that after five minutes you could not approach the source of the infernal crying!?”
Iron almost lowered his head, which would only have served to exasperate Fury’s anger. He had a thing for bearing, after all. Soldiers were supposed to remain straight of both stance and face unless told otherwise. But even with perfect bearing, Iron couldn’t help but dread any conversation with his captain.
Can’t he loosen up a little? Iron thought.
“N-no,” Iron said.
“Unbelievable!” Fury screamed as he approached the statue that the crying had come from. It seemed to have stopped, probably due to the captain’s over-the-top exclamations. “I can’t even leave you two to guard a pile of rubble! You best start prayin’ to Celestia, because the instant I…”
Fury Rein’s eyes grew wide with shock as he lost all sense of speech. Iron had never known of anything that could make his commanding officer go speechless. In fact, he usually had some backhanded comment for just about anything that came his way, with compliments all but rare. But speechless. That never happened.
After a moment, Fury seemed to find his tongue. “Iron Helm. Come here.”
As disinclined as he was to obey, Iron found his place next to his commanding officer. What he saw before him, stupefied him.
Huddled up at the foot of the statue was a bipedal creature. It had no fur, nor tail. Its skin was dark, and its mane was black. It stared at Iron with bloodshot eyes, tears gushing from their corners. Lying on either side of it, just behind the foliage that framed the base of the statue, were four lion cubs.
It took Iron Helm a minute to remember what words were. But when he did, all he could think to say was, “What is it?”
