Tales of Paradiseby unknown GracesChapterschapter prolog: rainchapter:1chapter:2chapter:3chapter prolog: rainRain- a force that can wash away everything. Pain, memories, regrets, under the rain all of them are nothing but dirt to be cleansed. A flood that takes those things with them, but in the end, I still remember. A bright gray Pegasus is lying there in the dirt, she smiled at me while holding her stomach. " Lance, you need to be brave now, okay?" I shake my head, I had no intention of leaving her here. I can hear hoof steps in the distance. "Don't argue with me now go!" She pushed me as I tumble down the hill, crystal becomes nothing but a faded shadow through the dense rain. Then I see it, another shadow, with a sword floating in mid-air before the blade comes down on her running it through crystal’s body. "Crystal!” I cry, but the words get caught in my throat and I'm left in silence. The other pony seems to have left, I'm too scared to go see, so I sit there hearing more hoof steps. In front of me stood a large white unicorn stallion who had a full beard around his muzzle and an eye patch on his left eye. "Hello? I didn't think anybody survived the attack earlier." He extended his hoof out to me and I climb up to it." a pup, The things you've must have seen." The stallion said, picking me up from the wet ground with his magic. It felt warm like I was wrapped in a huge warm blanket as he settled me on his back. He then made a shield to keep out the rain as he walked "So then my little friend do you have a name?" "Lance." I answer with a whisper, though I can hear him laugh under the heavy patter of rain, Eventually, breathing a sigh, but I wasn't sure what he was laughing at, giving him a confused look. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be laughing, anyway lance you can call me fury. Now that's out of the way, how about we find some place to camp for the night and maybe dry you off, yeah?" Fury returned his attention to walking as I look back, barely being able to see my sister's shadow. I don't say anything, silently saying goodbye to her before falling asleep to the swaying motion of fury's walking. ***3 years later "That dream, wait, what time is it?" I get out of bed and look out the open window to see soldier march and fury barking orders. "Must be noon, meaning I should probably go do my rounds.” I pass by a mirror on the way out getting a good look at myself, I have grayish blue fur and jade green eyes, and a collar strung around my neck. I pull away from the mirror and head outside, ready for “Work”. I start walking into the training yard. Moving to the large white unicorn I lived fondly with for the last three years. " Morning, Fury." I say as he begins to yell at the trainees, blowing his whistle after every order. "Morning pup, saw you toss and turning earlier thought I'd have to wake you up.” Fury, says in between whistle blows and giving orders "Anyways, the practical test is today." I nod to his question though I loathe having to do it. "Hey, don't give me that, just remember to grade him as fairly, understand?" "Yeah, I got it, so if you don't mind, I'm off." “Still don’t get why you hate him so much.” I bow out, leaving fury to his duties, and head toward the castle. When I enter the castle I pass by the servants and guards all rushing through their daily routines. I trudge along, making sure not to get in their way too much. My job, if you could call it that, is filling in the holes the castle staff have when they get sick or have off time, if not that it's working as a guard dog for the “princess of love”. It's a nice gig, free food, walks, getting pets from ponies passing by, and the most important thing, having cadence all to myself. Well, mostly after all her boyfriend still an issue. Anyway, When I get to Cadence's bedroom door, I'm interrupted by a butler dressed earth pony I bump into. "Master Lance." "Morning, prose" He was a tan pony with a ponytail grey mane that circled around to form a clean beard around his muzzle. He bowed to my greeting, standing back up, adjusting his glasses before returning his attention to his watch. "Ahem, was hoping that you would be so inclined to help with the guarding the front gate tonight. After all, dawn's team is coming back for the graduation ceremony for the academy." With that said dawn is always out on assignments, usually gone for months at a time. He really only comes back for serious stuff. "Yeah, sure, though, you may see me sleeping on the job, Plus need a few days off after this k?" Prose sighs accepting my terms, bowing and returning to work as I did the same. Entering cadence's room, it's pretty much what you'd expect from a fresh, high school graduate, clean but not truly clean. "Alright princess, rise and shine you've got things to do today." I say opening the blinds. "Lance, please five more minutes. "She muffled through the covers. I tried to pull off her in which I succeed, revealing the pink form which I've come to know and love as cadence. "Alright then, guess I can go back to sleep today. Since you don’t want to go I can just fail your boyfriend and be done with it. Day off here I come. " I say leaving the room only to hear her as she springs up from her bed levitating a clock up with her magic. " I didn't realize it was so late." I sit and watch as cadence flies about the room getting ready to leave, guess that means no day off then.*** Walking out of the castle in the busying streets of canterlot, I eye ponies shopping, talking, and hanging out like they usually do. Positive, carefree, and always asking to pet me. Which I admit is probably one of the only good things about being a dog, I can hear cadence, chuckle as we walk past some mares. "What's so funny?" I ask as cadence who was resettling her tri color mane of purple, gold, and pink in a ponytail mane style. "Oh, nothing, it just seemed you were enjoying yourself with all that petting from those mares earlier." I sigh at her actuation but, I know that I'm slightly blushing under all my fur, I try to hide it but the alicorn can just see right through my tough guy act. "If I have to be honest pets are the only thing I get that's close to a message. Honestly, I've got so many cricks in my neck from night watch that I can barely move it sometimes." Our conversation is cut short but the shouting of two ponies, one was a white stallion unicorn with a cross of light blue and blue mane and tail wearing the typical golden knight uniform the other was a brown Pegasus he had an even deeper brown mane he was wearing a yellow vest. "Ah, there you two are. We can start the exam now, right armor?" "Yeah, I guess, anyway hi cadence, lance. I thought we were gonna start without you." Cadence and armor hug each other, armor drops to my eye level and pets my head, scratching under my muzzle and then walks over to surge. "If you're done, now it's time to begin the briefing. Since you missed taking the exam with everybody else, this is your sub-test. We've hidden a chest with a valuable item in it down in the sewers your exam is to retrieve it, lance here is to offer a guiding paw in finding its location. So your dear princess and commander fury has graciously lent him for this, so treat him well yeah?” Armor walks right if next to me with a smile on his face as surge opens the manhole, gesturing us to jump in. "Good luck both of you, Be careful. And lance please be nice with him. " I stop cadence from saying anything else with a loud assertive bark, I jump down the hole into the canterlot sewers I hear armor say something before coming down after me. "You've got thirty minutes to find the chest, good luck boys. Oh, watch out for the legendary, canterlot sewer beast.” That's The last thing we hear surge say, we look forward into the black abyss of the sewer. I hear fumble with his equipment as we walk into the blackness. Author's Note I know it's a bit short but I promise it will get better as it goes. anyway I'm open to criticism so please comment away chapter:1"So, you ready boy?” Shining armor using magic, irradiates his horn, creating a warm glow in front of us. Though the sight in front of us was nothing but brick walls and a river of green water. "Geez, I knew it would be bad, but this is something else, let's find this box and go." From his pocket armor pulls out a key with a handkerchief tied to it, I sniff it. Getting a decent scent of the box. "Well, did you get a good scent of its location? Alright then let-” I began to walk moving away from armor heading to where the chest was, ignoring armor’s calls as he catches up to me. We walk for what felt like an eternity, it was completely quiet between us aside from the sounds of running water and sewage armor kept stepping in. Every now and again armor would chime in with a question or some other nonsense. All the while keeping a positive attitude and a smile. We make it to a large room, a nexus of sewer tunnels all pouring into a large dark pit below us. There’s only one catwalk across to the other side. “Watch your step lance I don’t want you falling off.” I ignore him and get on the catwalk following armor, every step we take on it makes the walkway shake and cry out as old age and rust seems to have taken it. The bridge sways with every step, we’re halfway across when the floor gives way underneath me, I manage to grab a hold of the broken ledge. Barely hanging on I can hear armor rush over to me grabbing my tail. “Hey, lance you okay?” I’m staring at the black abyss hanging by my tail with armor grabbing onto me, trying to pull me up. The platform kept sounding like it would break off at every pull from armor. “Just hang on I'm going to try to pull you up with my magic.” I feel lifted up as a rose-colored aura engulfed me, and dropped me next to armor. “There, you okay?” Armor outstretches his hoof in front of me, as I shake off the mold and dust. I look at him for a moment, I sometimes think that armor is different from “him”. But they act so Alike that I know otherwise, I would let the same mistake happen again. I turn away from him as I look forward and get ready to fight. I can hear him sigh as he walks up next to me still smiling. “I'll take that as yes, now then-” I keep my eyes forward listening to the Loud footsteps echo throughout the room. As I see the source, out of the shadows was… a unicorn. But Its eyes were completely greyed out and its face was bleached white. “Hey, you're not your not suppose to be down here. Are you lost?” Armor walks ahead of me, though the pony before us doesn’t respond to him just keeps walking forward towards us, slowly revealing itself from the shadows. We look at the thing in horror as we see its body, The head of the pony was the only actual part of it that was a pony. Its body was also completely white, Its front hooves had claw intentions while it's hind legs were that of a dragon, and its wings were that of a pegasus. “What the what is that thing?” The monstrous pony’s horn begins to glow a white hue lighting most of the area. In an instant, three large fireballs ignite around us and begin to close in before converging on armor. He blocks it with a quickly timed shield spell blocking the explosion. “Wait can’t we talk this through first?” Again, no response as it sets up for another fireball spell, this time much stronger and in much higher magnitude firing them off at a time, before spawning more in their place. Armor looked exhausted under the stress of it all. I sigh, knowing I have no other choice. Since dodging on this platform is damn near impossible. Another barrage of fireballs appear and attack, armor loses the last of his stamina and the shield drops, I push armor into the water nearly avoiding the fireballs as we drift away into the speeding current. I try to keep my head above water, only to be dragged back down into the water. I manage to grab a hold of a platform and pull myself out, I didn’t think the current would be so fast. seems I lost armor in the current. I look around frantically for him, but i don’t see him meaning he’s still in the water. I dive in to find him, letting the current carry, me I put my head under the water to see if I can find him, Armor was floating down toward the bottom, still being carried by the water. I manage to grab his hoof and begin doggy paddling back to the surface. I lay down armor down on the floor, he didn’t seem to be breathing. So much to my dismay, I lick his face in an attempt to wake him up. “Armor, wake up I can’t have you dying on me. Cadence would never let me hear the end of it if you do, now wake up.” Nothing, no response from him whatsoever. I stepped away from armor, thinking of what to do next as I pace around. “Great, he's dead. Man fury and cadence will never let me off the hook for this.” “um, hey Lance?” “Shut up armor, I need to think of…” I turn around to see armor sitting up perfectly fine, smiling and all. I sighed in relief knowing that I didn't have to explain to cadence, how I drowned her boyfriend. “Wow, I've never met a talking dog before. I know cadence said you were special but not like this” Armor moves closer to me and begins to inspect me asking questions about myself in general. “So, how do you talk? Magic, talismans, curse, No I got it potions!” He begins to give me a full body check, feeling my ears, tail, and muzzle the once over. “Knock it off already!” I manage to shake armor off of me as I try to cover my blushing face. Armor sits back down laughing away at my embarrassment. “Sorry, I guess my little sister’s curiosity in magic rubbing off on me, anyways thanks for saving me back there. I hope we can be friends even if it's a little bit.” Armor, outreached his hoof to me smiling, but it just reminds me of him. I stay silent as I slap his hoof away with my paw. “Let's get one thing straight, I will never be your friend. In fact, I literally despise you as a person, personality and all.” “But why? We barely know each other.” I turn my back to him, getting ready to leave as I sniff at the ground, finding the scent of the chest once again. “But I know you and your type, the one who leaves everything you love to save yourself. So date each other as much as you want hell, you can even marry her, but I know deep inside you're just a coward who’ll run when they need you most. That’s just how you are, inadequate.” I leave armor and move forward the chest that we’re supposed to get. I can hear armor get up and tail behind me with loud hoof steps against the concrete as we move. After wandering around We find a large round room, probably the main flow point of the city. In the center of the room was a small wooden chest with the equestrian royal guard symbol on it. Armor looks around the room guess he was thinking the same thing I was, obviously, this whole thing was blatantly a trap. "Hey, there it is!" I draw my attention to the red eyes staring at us from the other side of the room, the monstrous pony we saw before had made its entrance. When it noticed us, its wings unfurled and a tremendous amount of magical energy blasted throughout the room. At that moment my heart was pounding in my ear, my body felt stiff, heavy even. Was I scared of this thing? No. I can't let myself freeze up, not now. I shake my head trying to settle my nerves, and take the stance to fight this thing. “lance, you can't be serious! That thing is giving off an insane amount of magical energy, There’s no way you can fight that thing.” “You think running is any better? If that thing gets to the surface, it'll cause mass destruction, especially with that much magic pouring out of it. So you can go if you want but, you'd be proving me right in the end. Besides surge would still fail you without that chest .” I can hear armor groans in annoyance as he draws his sword, encasing the handle in a rose aura. “Damn it. Fine then let's go!” Before armor can finish his thought a round of fireballs launch at us. We dodge each rolling away from the doorway. The monstrous pony conjures more fireballs, shooting them around the room. I duck under the barrage, charge at it and bite at its neck, digging my fangs into its throat as it wails in pain. It takes flight, thrusting upward, trying to throw me off with loops and barrel rolls, finally slamming me into the wall with a loud crash. It hurt like hell, I felt my spine crack, I couldn't breathe and all trying did was cough blood. Then the pony flew up and away probably back to deal with armor, I can feel myself begin to fall out of the large crater in the wall, doing a head-first free fall to the ground. “Lance!” In that moment I felt myself slow down gradually, eventually softly landing with a thud. But I still couldn’t move, armor ran over to me as I try to get back up to my feet. “Lance, are you okay? That looked like a pretty hard hit, wish I knew healing magic…” Armor tries to help me stand up, but that thing drops down right in front of us with a big gust of dust. “Shoot, stay here I’ll be back in a minute.” Armor leaves my side and readies his blade. The monster pony stares at him for a few seconds before it’s horn started to glow, a sword thinner than armor’s forms and floats down into the pony’s magic aura. The two charge at each other, clashing blades against each other in a back and forth struggle. Armor was doing pretty well, managing to block and counter most of the attacks thrown at him. The stained white pony knocks away armor’s sword with a swift hind leg kick. Coming back around it did a cross slash as armor jumped into the air, landing on a rose pink colored platform he had made with his magic. Once he landed his leg gave way, causing him to stumble before gaining his composer again. “Geez, he stronger than I thought he would be.” I can hear him gasping for air, exhausted from using so many spells together I assume. Though our opponent didn’t give him much time to rest as it soars right up to him in seconds. It brings it’s blade upward delivering a downward slash at armor’s face. Armor blocked it with another shield spell, stopping it in its tracks and launching a spear he conjured knocking the guy away. The thing shook off the spiral and conjured up some more swords in the air before throwing them down, covering the whole area in them. A Lot of dust was knocked up into the air, leaving me blind to the battlefield around me. The only thing I could see was a rose-tinted shield go down, leaving me in a room with swords, spears, and the smell of blood in the air. As the dust cleared I saw armor on the floor unconscious but alive, along with our abomination of an opponent standing on top of him. It wasn't doing anything but sitting there, holding it sword at armor’s throat, but moved it to his hoof and stabbed him. “Ahhhh!” Armor screamed out in pain if he wasn’t awake before he was now. Armor was sprawling on the floor trying to stop the bleeding, at this point I try to stand and actually manage to get off my ass this time. The abomination turned it’s attention to me and started walking towards me. showing a large toothy grin. I take one of the millions of swords stabbed into the ground, as the abomination charges dead at me and takes a swing of its sword. I step back, narrowly dodging each one. I finally make a strike which he blocks no problem. I keep trying to hit him miss or it gets blocked. I'm backed into a corner, and it tries to slash me and I jump up dodging away but my leg hurts like hell. I manage to land on the wall and bounce off of it, throwing myself even higher into the air. I began to run, fast, before falling, as I fell I ground the blade edge of the sword along the wall before the blade ignites and I crash down sending a massive fireball toward the abomination. Caught up by the blast it went flying into a wall. Feathers scattered and fell everywhere, the pony we were fighting had completely stopped moving or at least it seemed that way. Exhausted, I turn my attention to armor who was sitting back upright holding his hoof to his chest, it seems like he took care of his injury while I was fighting because it was wrapped up in a white cloth. “Hey, you okay?” Armor nodded and tried to stand up, he barely managed to do it so I had to be his stand. We begin walking to the chest we had left behind, as we head to the exit armor looks up at the massive crater my final attack made in the wall. "Lance, did you... Did you kill him?" Armor said, seeing the sight, he just sighed. He seemed a little shocked. "Maybe, or at least I hope so After all that thing, was monstrous as it was. and I thought surge was joking about that monster thing.” We were in the arc of the exit when we heard a noise from behind us, we turn around as our attacker fell out of the crater, battered, bruised, and bleeding but it was alive. It tried crawling after us, but its body wouldn’t move anymore. We stood there watching it trying to get up, but ultimately giving up and lying there on the floor with its hoof up in the air. Grasping at the light from up above, it said something. “Freedom, finally free.” It said With its last breath as its hoof dropped to the floor and it's body becoming lifeless. Armor was still staring at the thing, I decided to leave before I started to regret my choices about this. We make our way to the grate we came out of, all the while armor was really quiet throughout the walk back. “You alright Armor? I don't think I've ever heard so quiet before.” “Oh yeah, I'm fine l. I was just wondering if we did the right thing fighting it, killing it.” He looked down at the dirty brick floor sighing, he seemed a little sad. We reach the grate and I let armor off to climb the ladder up. “Duty, armor.” Armor looks at me with a confused glance. "What do you mean?" "It's your duty as a knight, a soldier to serve and protect Equestria from danger. Even if that danger seems harmless, soldiers fight so civilians can enjoy the freedoms they have now. That means making choices that don't look like the right choice to make." Armor looks at me for a moment before smiling, a somber smile sure but a smile nonetheless. "After all, what's the point of fighting if you're not trying to protect something important to you." he leaves, heading up the ladder to which I can hear, screams and gasps from the two waiting for us. I turn back to the blackness, one more time if only for a second I thought I saw something moving in the shadows, which should be impossible. No one is allowed down here excluding, us and workers who all went home before we got down here. I shake my head, clearing it of weird thoughts and begin to climb up. Readying myself for the report I have to give to fury and the chewing out I was going to get from cadence. chapter:2"That's pretty much the gist of the exam, all in all I'd call it a success at most." I report to fury, he seemed pretty pleased with everything I was saying about the exam's events laughing and grinning at the more awkward segments. “I see, so how would you grade shining armor’s performance?” “As much as I hate to admit it he did well enough. So he’s ok in my book, but I would like to know why I had to be the one to grade him when you could have done it yourself.” Fury sighs as he shows me a great big smile, coming over and petting my head gently. Though he had a tinge of sadness in his eyes, he looked like he was holding something back. “I’ll tell you later. for now, you and i need to get ready for the party.” Fury said, leaving the room as I followed after him, knowing that I wouldn't get a straight answer I decided not to ask again. Anyways, I did promise prose that I’d help with catering and other aspects of the ceremony. Basically, the knight academy and Celestia’s magic school hold this party every year for the graduates of both schools to kick off their summer break. Or in our case chaperoning the new knights on easy assignments, more or less giving their seniors a break. “Man, I can’t wait for this night to be over so i can sleep for a week.” I can hear fury laugh at me as we go our separate ways, me to the front door and fury to the main hall to talk with prose about something. *** The party finally started as many ponies and their families come in large packs of crowds and here’s me sniffing at their asses trying to find any dangerous items or contraband. Because the ponies manhandling my neck on this leash don’t want to be rude to their guest and parents. “Alright all graduates, please come and take your seats. Family and relatives, please sit in the back half of the sitting area.” With that announcement many of the guards, including the two guards that I was assigned to tie me against the gate and switch shifts with another two sets of guards but honestly they ignored me and go to the post. Leaving me to pull myself out of my collar, nearly dislocating my neck in doing so, but it’s that or staying out here and dying of dehydration in this summer heat. After I finally manage to pull myself free of my collar though I will give those guards, some credit my neck feels way better. Guess I should thank them for their massage work. I snicker to myself walking past the new guards and entering the main hall, making my way to the food table trying to stay out of sight of everybody. “Thank you all for coming to this glorious event now before we get to the diplomas, our princess would like to give a few words to our graduates, princess Celestia.” Prose says moving away from the podium, taking his place on stage is a tall pony, much larger and taller than most other ponies in the room. She had porcelain white fur and flowing mane in the seven colors of the rainbow. She wore a pinkish red ball gown. Aside from that, she had wings and a horn, she’s an alicorn the only other one besides cadence. She also controls the rise and lowering of the sun and the moon, without her the world wouldn’t be able to function without her. “Welcome, thank you all for coming on this beautiful night. Tonight we are here to say farewell to the students both from the knight academy and the gifted school for unicorns. As just like time we can only move forward, so while we may be saddened by their leaving know that all endings are just beginnings to new adventure and challenges. “ As Celestia finishes her speech many of the ponies began to clap their hooves. Once they’re done Celestia smiles, waving her hoof to silence the crowd as fury, along with four other ponies, a griffin and a dragon stepped up to the crowd. “Now then I believe I’ve talked long enough so I’ll be handing the mic over to daybreak so they hand out the diplomas.” With that Celestia exchanges places with a yellow unicorn stallion with a short brown mane wearing the upper half of a tuxedo. “Thank you, princess now then, first up…” *** And so began the long process of handing out diplomas. The one part of the whole thing that I can be glad I’m not up there with them cause I know that I wouldn’t be able to sit there stiff for that long. Smiling away, hoping that they finish it quickly enough so that their faces don’t freeze like that. “That is all them, now, enjoy the rest of the night and a have good summer break! Remember new recruits start on missions two weeks from now.” Daybreak finishes speaking as the crowds begin to scatter to their children. I decide to leave back to my post before- “Hey, Lance” I sigh as I’m stopped in my tracks by a griffin with dark gray feathers and a grey body grabs me by the shoulder and pulls me over to him with a large toothy grin along with the other ponies that were on the stage with celestia. “Oh, hi guilds. How it’s going?” “Great actually, though I think we’re all glad to be home. But really lance did you not think we would have noticed ya in the crowd?” “Well, in my defense the guards I was partnered to tied to the gate and left me to die.” I say mellow dramatically while rolling over on the floor in a dying motion as I hear fury sigh coming over to us with a smirk. “Lance, what am i going to do with you?” “Well fury you could always just take him with you instead of leaving him to ponies who are the ones graduating.” Along with furry came a grey unicorn mare, the mare was a light shade of gray, her mane was pink with several streaks of silver running through it. She also wore a pair of black thin frame glasses et at the bridge of her nose. They were both wearing formal attire. “Strings, if I wanted your opinion on this i would have asked. Anyways, I guess it doesn't matter now given most of the guest are already in the hall. Just don’t draw any attention to yourself and please stay out of trouble.” “Yeah sure thing, anyways I’m gonna wander around for a while. Have fun talking to each other. “Lance hold on I have something to tell you…” I hear furry say, but I didn’t really care to listen as I walked out of earshot.*** I enter the garden, though it’s more like a mini park in the backyard of the castle. I always end up here when I want to get away from the ponies a lot of the time. Though i did forget how hot it was out here seriously, why did the weather schedule call for a heat wave this early in the summer. “Oh come on cadence do you really believe that?” I’m pulled from my thoughts by two voices arguing though I almost immediately recognized the voices as armor and cadence. Who were arguing on the terrace nearby, knowing those two and their type they normally wouldn’t argue unless it was really important. Since something like this is so rare i decided to watch the fireworks shoot off. Climbing up on some bushes i manage to get in listening range of the two. “Shining, I’m sure lance has a good reason for saying that.” “He literally said he hates me and our relationship, doesn't that hurt you even a little?” Cadence sighed, moving closer to armor as he brutes over the railing to the night sky. “Of course it hurts to hear him say that, maybe he’s just being territorial about us because he not used to it yet?” Armor looks at cadence knowing that what she said made no sense. Before sighing, bringing her close to him in a hug. “Cadence it's been three years, since we started dating how long is enough for him? I just want to be with you, even if that means I have to fight him for it.” Cadence put her hoof to armor’s face quieting him as they kissed each others before letting go of each other. They then turned to open night sky. Watching the stars above. “Shining no, fighting will only make it worse. I’m sure if you give him some more time he’ll warm up to you, and even if he doesn’t, he’ll just have to get used to the idea of you being around because i’m not going to pick between the two of you.” I sigh and jumped down from the bushes and back to the ground. To be fair, I always had a feeling that cadence and I would split off at some point. I wanted to stay with her, But things change for ponies, zebras, griffons. Everything changes and some just stay in the same place, unable to move with them. I sit on a nearby bench thinking about when I met cadence. It was during her freshman year of high school, fury had assigned me to watch out for her since it would make too much of a scene if royal guards accompanied her to school. I wasn’t to thrilled to be woken up that day just to sit in front of a gate for nine hours a day, and I expressed that openly to her but she smiled no matter what I put her through. She was my first real friend in this huge castle. Now don’t get me wrong, I love fury and the other Grail knights but they’re the easiest to talk to. “Lance, that you?” I turn to see a dragon who is a bit taller than me, she had crimson scales and bright amber eyes. “Hey scarlet, I was thinking about stuff” “You mean cadence and armor right?” She said seeing right through me. You wouldn’t guess it, but she’s like 20 in pony years, so she usually can coax you into talking about your problems. “I just wish she didn’t move so fast sometimes.” Scarlet walks over to me and squeezes me gently with a soft smile on her face. “Lance did you honestly think she was going to be same forever?“ I get up from my spot on the bench and look up to the sky. Sighing, but know she’s right in the end, I just have to accept that we’re moving past each other. And I guess the best way to do that is to play nice with armor for now at least. “Yeah, I guess I might have a little but that’s because I felt like I had something with her. It always feels like I’m in a cage separate from everybody else. Cadence was the only pony who i could really bond with. I mean fury transferred me around the knights so much i just got used to the idea of being alone.” I say, scarlet sits there listening to me ramble on. But she still sat there quietly listening to me. “I guess I am afraid that I’ll revert back to being that lonely pup without her. And I know what you're going to say, she doesn't think of me like that and that if I told her I feel we’d be all good again. Right? Scarlet just nods before coming over and joins me, smiling and petting my head and nodding though I just give her an eye roll. “Give it time, I’m sure you two will find some common ground eventually. Anyway, I’m going to hit the hay. Don’t stay up too late now.” Scarlet leaves me to my thoughts, yawning as she went on her way back to the castle as I return my attention to the starry sky. Maybe this whole thing won’t be so bad. Though knowing my luck it’s going to be more of a hassle to try. chapter:3I woke up to the annoying sound of birds and sunlight stinging my eyes as I stretch and move groggily move out of bed. I move through the castle slowly, getting hellos and glances on my way to the kitchen. When I got there cadence was drinking, what I can assume is tea with silver strings and scarlet. “Morning Lance.” I say nothing to them as I walk over and face plant onto the table with a loud thud. I can hear plates clatter and the smell of an omelet in front of my face, which I happily dig into. “Geez, you look terrible, did you stay up all night? “I couldn’t get any sleep because the party was too loud.” I can hear them jokingly fawn over me, but I'm too tired to find a comeback, so I focus on eating my meal, devouring it. Stopping only to breathe and drink water. “Well, I'm sure you’ll get plenty of sleep on the way to las Pegasus later.” Cadence says, patting my head as she passes by me, moving to her seat. Honestly, I had forgotten about the trip, my mind being preoccupied with other “problems” of late. Though it’s more like a given vacation, that celestia couldn’t go on so she gave it to cadence and armor. So i get to come involuntarily to a beach in one of the hottest summers ever, "yea". I finish eating as Fury walks into the room talking to a stallion deep blue Pegasus talking away about the schedule while he and the others are gone for the next month and a half. From what i heard from fury, he, scarlet, guilds, and strings are all going to the continent west of equestria for recon. “Hey cadence, where’s that stallion friend of yours? I have something to tell him.” “He should be here soon.” Just then a maid walks in announcing that armor was in the main hall waiting for cadence, in which she immediately got up to go followed by fury. “Come on lance!” I sighed, getting up to follow the two along with grabbing a cinnamon bun out the way out. *** When I get there armor is saluting fury and then moves into hugging cadence. I move up next to fury who clears his throat, effectively ending the scene of affection as the two share an awkward blush. “Alright, shining armor. You are going along with Cadence and lance as a guest, so behave yourselves you two. Moving on from that, shining you'll be taking Lance's place as Cadence's guard since lance will be joining us on our mission.” “WHAT?!” We both look at him with wide eyes. I, myself more angry than surprised. Fury waited patiently for us to stop throwing questions his way. When we finally calm down, he began to explain. “Look, it is what it is we need you with us, so lance you're going to show him the ropes and help out with anything that comes up until we ship out, that's an order. If you excuse me.” Fury leaves me with silence and my thoughts. Armor and cadence walk right past me chatting away. I sigh slowly walking back with them.*** We got on the train heading for las Pegasus, fury and the others would catch up with us later that night. The car we were in was completely quiet except the sound of the rails clicking along the wheels of the train. I was sitting on the left with the ponies were on the right. Armor and Cadence were playing cards as I was trying to sleep, but honestly, I wasn’t getting any. I was still upset really, I've gone from a guard dog to being replaced completely by him of all ponies. Am I that useless now, a tool passed around where needed? “You got any threes?” “Nope, go fish.” I look back at those two laughing, smiling enjoying themselves. Would she even miss me at this point I mean if I stopped being there would she even notice? Still, I don’t feel comfortable leaving them alone. I sigh again, this time loud enough for the two to hear me. “ Lance are you-” Before cadence can finish her question the train begins to come to a stop as we reach our destination. We get out of our train car with ponies rushing on and off the train before it sets off again. “Lance, are you going to be okay?” “I’m fine cadence, just fine.” I say bitterly moving to the edge over the loading and unloading platform with cadence behind me. "We have to walk to the hotel, no coches left. It looks like it will be at least a mile walk from here I can hear armor say leaving the station with cadence and I following behind him i can see cadence stare back at me one more time before her gaze leaves me.*** Thus, the three us began walking on the road going to the hotel, it was pretty quiet between the three of us, not like there was anything to talk about really nor did I want to talk anyway but of course armor opens his mouth fixing for a question. “So, lance you ready for tomorrow?” Armor asks me looking behind him to see me. Sighing, i roll my eyes and him walk past him and cadence, getting ahead of both of them. “If you mean, I'm ready to be fired and replaced by someone I can't stand and feel is completely inadequate for the job he's being hoof given. then yes, armor I can't freaking wait to go on a month's trip into a barren wasteland.” I say sarcastically, making overly dramatic motions and gestures as I do, ending up with facing armor and locking eyes with him. “Okay, what is your issue? Armor yells me now annoyed. I look back at cadence for a second trying to form an answer, seeing her concerned face before turning around, my back to them. “You wouldn’t get it even if I told you.” I start walking, ignoring cadence’s calls That was when I heard it, a sound none like I've heard before carried by the wind, coming from a place nearby. So I follow the sound up a hill. Reaching the top I saw a huge meadow of flowers, all in bloom throughout. There in the center, I see her, a light grey wolf wearing a large red handkerchief around her neck. She had her head pointed up to the orange sky above, the sound she was making was amazing. I was mesmerized, I took a step forward towards her, causing her to stop and set her gaze on me. “Are you lost?” “Huh, did you say something?” She shakes her head walking up to me, now that i get a better look at her even though she seems older she was the same size as me if not a little bigger. I also notice that under the handkerchief there was a stripe of black fur. “I said are you lost?” She gives me a soft smile staring at me with her light blue eyes. I guess trying to get a read on me. “No, I'm not my friend is at the bottom of the hill. Anyway, what were you doing earlier?” “What you mean howling? I do it sometimes when I'm frustrated about something, you like it?” I nod and she laughs and smiles. But she stops and looks at me. ‘Oh yeah, I’m iris by the way. You?” “Lance.” Our conversation is cut short by armor and cadence coming over from climbing the hill. Cadence landing on the ground while armor huffed the last steps up the hill. “Lance there you are! Oh hi, i didn’t see you there.”*** “So iris, what are you doing here?” Cadence said, sitting amidst the blooms of flowers along with armor who was getting a breather, and myself. “Well, right now I’m searching for a flower that ponies say have been growing on this hill, and to no avail because I still haven’t found it yet.” “ So you're a florist?” Iris stays silent as if pondering what to say like she wasn’t asked that question before. “Nope, I'm more a researcher of old myths and legends from around the world. The one I’m working on now kind of revolves around this specific flower.” Iris explains excitedly, looking out over the setting sun over the horizon. Before getting up and walking over to the entrance of the hill. “Well, it's getting late if we want to get back to the hotel by nightfall we better go now, if you don’t mind me tagging along?” We all got up in agreement, preparing to go with armor being first. “Don’t worry girls, after all you've got one of the best knights in the army protecting you.” Armor says chest puffed out in confidence causing the girls to giggle a little, passing him by with cadence giving him an eye roll. “Oh, why thank you my knight.” We leave with me following behind slowly as we head for the hotel. With and cadence occasionally looking back at me, I can only assume that they want to talk about my earlier outburst but don't want to in iris's company. I can only sigh knowing what they were going to say when we got to the hotel, but I'd be gone by morning so it would matter anyway. *** When we got back to the hotel it was twilight with the sun setting down. We decided that cadence and armor would share the room we originally got and iris and I would share her room, though I found it odd that she let me stay there after we met only a few hours ago. “Thanks for letting me stay here and all iris, but I still don’t get why you want me here.” Iris was sitting on the bed adjacent of mine, she was messing with some cards that looked longer than normal ones. “To give you a break, it seemed like you needed some space from those two. Given how you were yelling back there." She smiled at me before looking out the window where cadence and armor were sitting on the beach watching the stars. The more i watched, the more annoyed I got at well, everything and I hated it. “I have a question for you, you said your group was heading for the continent west of here right?” Iris gets off the bed, stretching out and yawning, jumping down and heading to the balcony. Her fur glistening brightly under the moonlight. She gestured over to me to come to her. “I was wondering if I could tag along for the ship ride over there. Plus I was wondering if you would like to come along with me when I separate from your group.” I looked at her with her stern face waiting for my answer. I stay silent, thinking it over. I mean there’s nothing left for me besides watching those two move up in the world, growing old with fury in retirement. But that means throwing away the life I have now, then again, there's not much left of that now though. The room is quiet as only the wind and the waves can be heard between me and iris. “Iris, don’t you think this is a little sudden. I mean we literally met today and you want me to go off on an adventure with you? A person you barely know.” Iris opens her mouth to answer before she can say anything a loud scream can be heard from outside. I immediately got out of bed and moved over to the balcony to see armor on his back in the sand with cadence right at his side. Though there was too much sand and dust to see what was happening, ignoring all common sense, I jump from the second floor on to the soft sand below. The scene before me was, a hooded figure floating in mid air. With armor knocked out cold in the sand and cadence huddled over him. So really what I would be expecting of him in this type of situation. I can hear iris behind me as the hooded figure flew away the moment she got there. “Hey, where are you going?” I chase after him leaving iris with armor and cadence. It seems like whoever it was is heading for that hill we were at earlier. “iris, Take care of them, I'm going after him!” I say chasing after the hooded figure. I wasn't aware of it at the time but this is when my story truly started. On my last peaceful day on equestrian soil.
chapter prolog: rainRain- a force that can wash away everything. Pain, memories, regrets, under the rain all of them are nothing but dirt to be cleansed. A flood that takes those things with them, but in the end, I still remember. A bright gray Pegasus is lying there in the dirt, she smiled at me while holding her stomach. " Lance, you need to be brave now, okay?" I shake my head, I had no intention of leaving her here. I can hear hoof steps in the distance. "Don't argue with me now go!" She pushed me as I tumble down the hill, crystal becomes nothing but a faded shadow through the dense rain. Then I see it, another shadow, with a sword floating in mid-air before the blade comes down on her running it through crystal’s body. "Crystal!” I cry, but the words get caught in my throat and I'm left in silence. The other pony seems to have left, I'm too scared to go see, so I sit there hearing more hoof steps. In front of me stood a large white unicorn stallion who had a full beard around his muzzle and an eye patch on his left eye. "Hello? I didn't think anybody survived the attack earlier." He extended his hoof out to me and I climb up to it." a pup, The things you've must have seen." The stallion said, picking me up from the wet ground with his magic. It felt warm like I was wrapped in a huge warm blanket as he settled me on his back. He then made a shield to keep out the rain as he walked "So then my little friend do you have a name?" "Lance." I answer with a whisper, though I can hear him laugh under the heavy patter of rain, Eventually, breathing a sigh, but I wasn't sure what he was laughing at, giving him a confused look. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be laughing, anyway lance you can call me fury. Now that's out of the way, how about we find some place to camp for the night and maybe dry you off, yeah?" Fury returned his attention to walking as I look back, barely being able to see my sister's shadow. I don't say anything, silently saying goodbye to her before falling asleep to the swaying motion of fury's walking. ***3 years later "That dream, wait, what time is it?" I get out of bed and look out the open window to see soldier march and fury barking orders. "Must be noon, meaning I should probably go do my rounds.” I pass by a mirror on the way out getting a good look at myself, I have grayish blue fur and jade green eyes, and a collar strung around my neck. I pull away from the mirror and head outside, ready for “Work”. I start walking into the training yard. Moving to the large white unicorn I lived fondly with for the last three years. " Morning, Fury." I say as he begins to yell at the trainees, blowing his whistle after every order. "Morning pup, saw you toss and turning earlier thought I'd have to wake you up.” Fury, says in between whistle blows and giving orders "Anyways, the practical test is today." I nod to his question though I loathe having to do it. "Hey, don't give me that, just remember to grade him as fairly, understand?" "Yeah, I got it, so if you don't mind, I'm off." “Still don’t get why you hate him so much.” I bow out, leaving fury to his duties, and head toward the castle. When I enter the castle I pass by the servants and guards all rushing through their daily routines. I trudge along, making sure not to get in their way too much. My job, if you could call it that, is filling in the holes the castle staff have when they get sick or have off time, if not that it's working as a guard dog for the “princess of love”. It's a nice gig, free food, walks, getting pets from ponies passing by, and the most important thing, having cadence all to myself. Well, mostly after all her boyfriend still an issue. Anyway, When I get to Cadence's bedroom door, I'm interrupted by a butler dressed earth pony I bump into. "Master Lance." "Morning, prose" He was a tan pony with a ponytail grey mane that circled around to form a clean beard around his muzzle. He bowed to my greeting, standing back up, adjusting his glasses before returning his attention to his watch. "Ahem, was hoping that you would be so inclined to help with the guarding the front gate tonight. After all, dawn's team is coming back for the graduation ceremony for the academy." With that said dawn is always out on assignments, usually gone for months at a time. He really only comes back for serious stuff. "Yeah, sure, though, you may see me sleeping on the job, Plus need a few days off after this k?" Prose sighs accepting my terms, bowing and returning to work as I did the same. Entering cadence's room, it's pretty much what you'd expect from a fresh, high school graduate, clean but not truly clean. "Alright princess, rise and shine you've got things to do today." I say opening the blinds. "Lance, please five more minutes. "She muffled through the covers. I tried to pull off her in which I succeed, revealing the pink form which I've come to know and love as cadence. "Alright then, guess I can go back to sleep today. Since you don’t want to go I can just fail your boyfriend and be done with it. Day off here I come. " I say leaving the room only to hear her as she springs up from her bed levitating a clock up with her magic. " I didn't realize it was so late." I sit and watch as cadence flies about the room getting ready to leave, guess that means no day off then.*** Walking out of the castle in the busying streets of canterlot, I eye ponies shopping, talking, and hanging out like they usually do. Positive, carefree, and always asking to pet me. Which I admit is probably one of the only good things about being a dog, I can hear cadence, chuckle as we walk past some mares. "What's so funny?" I ask as cadence who was resettling her tri color mane of purple, gold, and pink in a ponytail mane style. "Oh, nothing, it just seemed you were enjoying yourself with all that petting from those mares earlier." I sigh at her actuation but, I know that I'm slightly blushing under all my fur, I try to hide it but the alicorn can just see right through my tough guy act. "If I have to be honest pets are the only thing I get that's close to a message. Honestly, I've got so many cricks in my neck from night watch that I can barely move it sometimes." Our conversation is cut short but the shouting of two ponies, one was a white stallion unicorn with a cross of light blue and blue mane and tail wearing the typical golden knight uniform the other was a brown Pegasus he had an even deeper brown mane he was wearing a yellow vest. "Ah, there you two are. We can start the exam now, right armor?" "Yeah, I guess, anyway hi cadence, lance. I thought we were gonna start without you." Cadence and armor hug each other, armor drops to my eye level and pets my head, scratching under my muzzle and then walks over to surge. "If you're done, now it's time to begin the briefing. Since you missed taking the exam with everybody else, this is your sub-test. We've hidden a chest with a valuable item in it down in the sewers your exam is to retrieve it, lance here is to offer a guiding paw in finding its location. So your dear princess and commander fury has graciously lent him for this, so treat him well yeah?” Armor walks right if next to me with a smile on his face as surge opens the manhole, gesturing us to jump in. "Good luck both of you, Be careful. And lance please be nice with him. " I stop cadence from saying anything else with a loud assertive bark, I jump down the hole into the canterlot sewers I hear armor say something before coming down after me. "You've got thirty minutes to find the chest, good luck boys. Oh, watch out for the legendary, canterlot sewer beast.” That's The last thing we hear surge say, we look forward into the black abyss of the sewer. I hear fumble with his equipment as we walk into the blackness. Author's Note I know it's a bit short but I promise it will get better as it goes. anyway I'm open to criticism so please comment away
chapter:1"So, you ready boy?” Shining armor using magic, irradiates his horn, creating a warm glow in front of us. Though the sight in front of us was nothing but brick walls and a river of green water. "Geez, I knew it would be bad, but this is something else, let's find this box and go." From his pocket armor pulls out a key with a handkerchief tied to it, I sniff it. Getting a decent scent of the box. "Well, did you get a good scent of its location? Alright then let-” I began to walk moving away from armor heading to where the chest was, ignoring armor’s calls as he catches up to me. We walk for what felt like an eternity, it was completely quiet between us aside from the sounds of running water and sewage armor kept stepping in. Every now and again armor would chime in with a question or some other nonsense. All the while keeping a positive attitude and a smile. We make it to a large room, a nexus of sewer tunnels all pouring into a large dark pit below us. There’s only one catwalk across to the other side. “Watch your step lance I don’t want you falling off.” I ignore him and get on the catwalk following armor, every step we take on it makes the walkway shake and cry out as old age and rust seems to have taken it. The bridge sways with every step, we’re halfway across when the floor gives way underneath me, I manage to grab a hold of the broken ledge. Barely hanging on I can hear armor rush over to me grabbing my tail. “Hey, lance you okay?” I’m staring at the black abyss hanging by my tail with armor grabbing onto me, trying to pull me up. The platform kept sounding like it would break off at every pull from armor. “Just hang on I'm going to try to pull you up with my magic.” I feel lifted up as a rose-colored aura engulfed me, and dropped me next to armor. “There, you okay?” Armor outstretches his hoof in front of me, as I shake off the mold and dust. I look at him for a moment, I sometimes think that armor is different from “him”. But they act so Alike that I know otherwise, I would let the same mistake happen again. I turn away from him as I look forward and get ready to fight. I can hear him sigh as he walks up next to me still smiling. “I'll take that as yes, now then-” I keep my eyes forward listening to the Loud footsteps echo throughout the room. As I see the source, out of the shadows was… a unicorn. But Its eyes were completely greyed out and its face was bleached white. “Hey, you're not your not suppose to be down here. Are you lost?” Armor walks ahead of me, though the pony before us doesn’t respond to him just keeps walking forward towards us, slowly revealing itself from the shadows. We look at the thing in horror as we see its body, The head of the pony was the only actual part of it that was a pony. Its body was also completely white, Its front hooves had claw intentions while it's hind legs were that of a dragon, and its wings were that of a pegasus. “What the what is that thing?” The monstrous pony’s horn begins to glow a white hue lighting most of the area. In an instant, three large fireballs ignite around us and begin to close in before converging on armor. He blocks it with a quickly timed shield spell blocking the explosion. “Wait can’t we talk this through first?” Again, no response as it sets up for another fireball spell, this time much stronger and in much higher magnitude firing them off at a time, before spawning more in their place. Armor looked exhausted under the stress of it all. I sigh, knowing I have no other choice. Since dodging on this platform is damn near impossible. Another barrage of fireballs appear and attack, armor loses the last of his stamina and the shield drops, I push armor into the water nearly avoiding the fireballs as we drift away into the speeding current. I try to keep my head above water, only to be dragged back down into the water. I manage to grab a hold of a platform and pull myself out, I didn’t think the current would be so fast. seems I lost armor in the current. I look around frantically for him, but i don’t see him meaning he’s still in the water. I dive in to find him, letting the current carry, me I put my head under the water to see if I can find him, Armor was floating down toward the bottom, still being carried by the water. I manage to grab his hoof and begin doggy paddling back to the surface. I lay down armor down on the floor, he didn’t seem to be breathing. So much to my dismay, I lick his face in an attempt to wake him up. “Armor, wake up I can’t have you dying on me. Cadence would never let me hear the end of it if you do, now wake up.” Nothing, no response from him whatsoever. I stepped away from armor, thinking of what to do next as I pace around. “Great, he's dead. Man fury and cadence will never let me off the hook for this.” “um, hey Lance?” “Shut up armor, I need to think of…” I turn around to see armor sitting up perfectly fine, smiling and all. I sighed in relief knowing that I didn't have to explain to cadence, how I drowned her boyfriend. “Wow, I've never met a talking dog before. I know cadence said you were special but not like this” Armor moves closer to me and begins to inspect me asking questions about myself in general. “So, how do you talk? Magic, talismans, curse, No I got it potions!” He begins to give me a full body check, feeling my ears, tail, and muzzle the once over. “Knock it off already!” I manage to shake armor off of me as I try to cover my blushing face. Armor sits back down laughing away at my embarrassment. “Sorry, I guess my little sister’s curiosity in magic rubbing off on me, anyways thanks for saving me back there. I hope we can be friends even if it's a little bit.” Armor, outreached his hoof to me smiling, but it just reminds me of him. I stay silent as I slap his hoof away with my paw. “Let's get one thing straight, I will never be your friend. In fact, I literally despise you as a person, personality and all.” “But why? We barely know each other.” I turn my back to him, getting ready to leave as I sniff at the ground, finding the scent of the chest once again. “But I know you and your type, the one who leaves everything you love to save yourself. So date each other as much as you want hell, you can even marry her, but I know deep inside you're just a coward who’ll run when they need you most. That’s just how you are, inadequate.” I leave armor and move forward the chest that we’re supposed to get. I can hear armor get up and tail behind me with loud hoof steps against the concrete as we move. After wandering around We find a large round room, probably the main flow point of the city. In the center of the room was a small wooden chest with the equestrian royal guard symbol on it. Armor looks around the room guess he was thinking the same thing I was, obviously, this whole thing was blatantly a trap. "Hey, there it is!" I draw my attention to the red eyes staring at us from the other side of the room, the monstrous pony we saw before had made its entrance. When it noticed us, its wings unfurled and a tremendous amount of magical energy blasted throughout the room. At that moment my heart was pounding in my ear, my body felt stiff, heavy even. Was I scared of this thing? No. I can't let myself freeze up, not now. I shake my head trying to settle my nerves, and take the stance to fight this thing. “lance, you can't be serious! That thing is giving off an insane amount of magical energy, There’s no way you can fight that thing.” “You think running is any better? If that thing gets to the surface, it'll cause mass destruction, especially with that much magic pouring out of it. So you can go if you want but, you'd be proving me right in the end. Besides surge would still fail you without that chest .” I can hear armor groans in annoyance as he draws his sword, encasing the handle in a rose aura. “Damn it. Fine then let's go!” Before armor can finish his thought a round of fireballs launch at us. We dodge each rolling away from the doorway. The monstrous pony conjures more fireballs, shooting them around the room. I duck under the barrage, charge at it and bite at its neck, digging my fangs into its throat as it wails in pain. It takes flight, thrusting upward, trying to throw me off with loops and barrel rolls, finally slamming me into the wall with a loud crash. It hurt like hell, I felt my spine crack, I couldn't breathe and all trying did was cough blood. Then the pony flew up and away probably back to deal with armor, I can feel myself begin to fall out of the large crater in the wall, doing a head-first free fall to the ground. “Lance!” In that moment I felt myself slow down gradually, eventually softly landing with a thud. But I still couldn’t move, armor ran over to me as I try to get back up to my feet. “Lance, are you okay? That looked like a pretty hard hit, wish I knew healing magic…” Armor tries to help me stand up, but that thing drops down right in front of us with a big gust of dust. “Shoot, stay here I’ll be back in a minute.” Armor leaves my side and readies his blade. The monster pony stares at him for a few seconds before it’s horn started to glow, a sword thinner than armor’s forms and floats down into the pony’s magic aura. The two charge at each other, clashing blades against each other in a back and forth struggle. Armor was doing pretty well, managing to block and counter most of the attacks thrown at him. The stained white pony knocks away armor’s sword with a swift hind leg kick. Coming back around it did a cross slash as armor jumped into the air, landing on a rose pink colored platform he had made with his magic. Once he landed his leg gave way, causing him to stumble before gaining his composer again. “Geez, he stronger than I thought he would be.” I can hear him gasping for air, exhausted from using so many spells together I assume. Though our opponent didn’t give him much time to rest as it soars right up to him in seconds. It brings it’s blade upward delivering a downward slash at armor’s face. Armor blocked it with another shield spell, stopping it in its tracks and launching a spear he conjured knocking the guy away. The thing shook off the spiral and conjured up some more swords in the air before throwing them down, covering the whole area in them. A Lot of dust was knocked up into the air, leaving me blind to the battlefield around me. The only thing I could see was a rose-tinted shield go down, leaving me in a room with swords, spears, and the smell of blood in the air. As the dust cleared I saw armor on the floor unconscious but alive, along with our abomination of an opponent standing on top of him. It wasn't doing anything but sitting there, holding it sword at armor’s throat, but moved it to his hoof and stabbed him. “Ahhhh!” Armor screamed out in pain if he wasn’t awake before he was now. Armor was sprawling on the floor trying to stop the bleeding, at this point I try to stand and actually manage to get off my ass this time. The abomination turned it’s attention to me and started walking towards me. showing a large toothy grin. I take one of the millions of swords stabbed into the ground, as the abomination charges dead at me and takes a swing of its sword. I step back, narrowly dodging each one. I finally make a strike which he blocks no problem. I keep trying to hit him miss or it gets blocked. I'm backed into a corner, and it tries to slash me and I jump up dodging away but my leg hurts like hell. I manage to land on the wall and bounce off of it, throwing myself even higher into the air. I began to run, fast, before falling, as I fell I ground the blade edge of the sword along the wall before the blade ignites and I crash down sending a massive fireball toward the abomination. Caught up by the blast it went flying into a wall. Feathers scattered and fell everywhere, the pony we were fighting had completely stopped moving or at least it seemed that way. Exhausted, I turn my attention to armor who was sitting back upright holding his hoof to his chest, it seems like he took care of his injury while I was fighting because it was wrapped up in a white cloth. “Hey, you okay?” Armor nodded and tried to stand up, he barely managed to do it so I had to be his stand. We begin walking to the chest we had left behind, as we head to the exit armor looks up at the massive crater my final attack made in the wall. "Lance, did you... Did you kill him?" Armor said, seeing the sight, he just sighed. He seemed a little shocked. "Maybe, or at least I hope so After all that thing, was monstrous as it was. and I thought surge was joking about that monster thing.” We were in the arc of the exit when we heard a noise from behind us, we turn around as our attacker fell out of the crater, battered, bruised, and bleeding but it was alive. It tried crawling after us, but its body wouldn’t move anymore. We stood there watching it trying to get up, but ultimately giving up and lying there on the floor with its hoof up in the air. Grasping at the light from up above, it said something. “Freedom, finally free.” It said With its last breath as its hoof dropped to the floor and it's body becoming lifeless. Armor was still staring at the thing, I decided to leave before I started to regret my choices about this. We make our way to the grate we came out of, all the while armor was really quiet throughout the walk back. “You alright Armor? I don't think I've ever heard so quiet before.” “Oh yeah, I'm fine l. I was just wondering if we did the right thing fighting it, killing it.” He looked down at the dirty brick floor sighing, he seemed a little sad. We reach the grate and I let armor off to climb the ladder up. “Duty, armor.” Armor looks at me with a confused glance. "What do you mean?" "It's your duty as a knight, a soldier to serve and protect Equestria from danger. Even if that danger seems harmless, soldiers fight so civilians can enjoy the freedoms they have now. That means making choices that don't look like the right choice to make." Armor looks at me for a moment before smiling, a somber smile sure but a smile nonetheless. "After all, what's the point of fighting if you're not trying to protect something important to you." he leaves, heading up the ladder to which I can hear, screams and gasps from the two waiting for us. I turn back to the blackness, one more time if only for a second I thought I saw something moving in the shadows, which should be impossible. No one is allowed down here excluding, us and workers who all went home before we got down here. I shake my head, clearing it of weird thoughts and begin to climb up. Readying myself for the report I have to give to fury and the chewing out I was going to get from cadence.
chapter:2"That's pretty much the gist of the exam, all in all I'd call it a success at most." I report to fury, he seemed pretty pleased with everything I was saying about the exam's events laughing and grinning at the more awkward segments. “I see, so how would you grade shining armor’s performance?” “As much as I hate to admit it he did well enough. So he’s ok in my book, but I would like to know why I had to be the one to grade him when you could have done it yourself.” Fury sighs as he shows me a great big smile, coming over and petting my head gently. Though he had a tinge of sadness in his eyes, he looked like he was holding something back. “I’ll tell you later. for now, you and i need to get ready for the party.” Fury said, leaving the room as I followed after him, knowing that I wouldn't get a straight answer I decided not to ask again. Anyways, I did promise prose that I’d help with catering and other aspects of the ceremony. Basically, the knight academy and Celestia’s magic school hold this party every year for the graduates of both schools to kick off their summer break. Or in our case chaperoning the new knights on easy assignments, more or less giving their seniors a break. “Man, I can’t wait for this night to be over so i can sleep for a week.” I can hear fury laugh at me as we go our separate ways, me to the front door and fury to the main hall to talk with prose about something. *** The party finally started as many ponies and their families come in large packs of crowds and here’s me sniffing at their asses trying to find any dangerous items or contraband. Because the ponies manhandling my neck on this leash don’t want to be rude to their guest and parents. “Alright all graduates, please come and take your seats. Family and relatives, please sit in the back half of the sitting area.” With that announcement many of the guards, including the two guards that I was assigned to tie me against the gate and switch shifts with another two sets of guards but honestly they ignored me and go to the post. Leaving me to pull myself out of my collar, nearly dislocating my neck in doing so, but it’s that or staying out here and dying of dehydration in this summer heat. After I finally manage to pull myself free of my collar though I will give those guards, some credit my neck feels way better. Guess I should thank them for their massage work. I snicker to myself walking past the new guards and entering the main hall, making my way to the food table trying to stay out of sight of everybody. “Thank you all for coming to this glorious event now before we get to the diplomas, our princess would like to give a few words to our graduates, princess Celestia.” Prose says moving away from the podium, taking his place on stage is a tall pony, much larger and taller than most other ponies in the room. She had porcelain white fur and flowing mane in the seven colors of the rainbow. She wore a pinkish red ball gown. Aside from that, she had wings and a horn, she’s an alicorn the only other one besides cadence. She also controls the rise and lowering of the sun and the moon, without her the world wouldn’t be able to function without her. “Welcome, thank you all for coming on this beautiful night. Tonight we are here to say farewell to the students both from the knight academy and the gifted school for unicorns. As just like time we can only move forward, so while we may be saddened by their leaving know that all endings are just beginnings to new adventure and challenges. “ As Celestia finishes her speech many of the ponies began to clap their hooves. Once they’re done Celestia smiles, waving her hoof to silence the crowd as fury, along with four other ponies, a griffin and a dragon stepped up to the crowd. “Now then I believe I’ve talked long enough so I’ll be handing the mic over to daybreak so they hand out the diplomas.” With that Celestia exchanges places with a yellow unicorn stallion with a short brown mane wearing the upper half of a tuxedo. “Thank you, princess now then, first up…” *** And so began the long process of handing out diplomas. The one part of the whole thing that I can be glad I’m not up there with them cause I know that I wouldn’t be able to sit there stiff for that long. Smiling away, hoping that they finish it quickly enough so that their faces don’t freeze like that. “That is all them, now, enjoy the rest of the night and a have good summer break! Remember new recruits start on missions two weeks from now.” Daybreak finishes speaking as the crowds begin to scatter to their children. I decide to leave back to my post before- “Hey, Lance” I sigh as I’m stopped in my tracks by a griffin with dark gray feathers and a grey body grabs me by the shoulder and pulls me over to him with a large toothy grin along with the other ponies that were on the stage with celestia. “Oh, hi guilds. How it’s going?” “Great actually, though I think we’re all glad to be home. But really lance did you not think we would have noticed ya in the crowd?” “Well, in my defense the guards I was partnered to tied to the gate and left me to die.” I say mellow dramatically while rolling over on the floor in a dying motion as I hear fury sigh coming over to us with a smirk. “Lance, what am i going to do with you?” “Well fury you could always just take him with you instead of leaving him to ponies who are the ones graduating.” Along with furry came a grey unicorn mare, the mare was a light shade of gray, her mane was pink with several streaks of silver running through it. She also wore a pair of black thin frame glasses et at the bridge of her nose. They were both wearing formal attire. “Strings, if I wanted your opinion on this i would have asked. Anyways, I guess it doesn't matter now given most of the guest are already in the hall. Just don’t draw any attention to yourself and please stay out of trouble.” “Yeah sure thing, anyways I’m gonna wander around for a while. Have fun talking to each other. “Lance hold on I have something to tell you…” I hear furry say, but I didn’t really care to listen as I walked out of earshot.*** I enter the garden, though it’s more like a mini park in the backyard of the castle. I always end up here when I want to get away from the ponies a lot of the time. Though i did forget how hot it was out here seriously, why did the weather schedule call for a heat wave this early in the summer. “Oh come on cadence do you really believe that?” I’m pulled from my thoughts by two voices arguing though I almost immediately recognized the voices as armor and cadence. Who were arguing on the terrace nearby, knowing those two and their type they normally wouldn’t argue unless it was really important. Since something like this is so rare i decided to watch the fireworks shoot off. Climbing up on some bushes i manage to get in listening range of the two. “Shining, I’m sure lance has a good reason for saying that.” “He literally said he hates me and our relationship, doesn't that hurt you even a little?” Cadence sighed, moving closer to armor as he brutes over the railing to the night sky. “Of course it hurts to hear him say that, maybe he’s just being territorial about us because he not used to it yet?” Armor looks at cadence knowing that what she said made no sense. Before sighing, bringing her close to him in a hug. “Cadence it's been three years, since we started dating how long is enough for him? I just want to be with you, even if that means I have to fight him for it.” Cadence put her hoof to armor’s face quieting him as they kissed each others before letting go of each other. They then turned to open night sky. Watching the stars above. “Shining no, fighting will only make it worse. I’m sure if you give him some more time he’ll warm up to you, and even if he doesn’t, he’ll just have to get used to the idea of you being around because i’m not going to pick between the two of you.” I sigh and jumped down from the bushes and back to the ground. To be fair, I always had a feeling that cadence and I would split off at some point. I wanted to stay with her, But things change for ponies, zebras, griffons. Everything changes and some just stay in the same place, unable to move with them. I sit on a nearby bench thinking about when I met cadence. It was during her freshman year of high school, fury had assigned me to watch out for her since it would make too much of a scene if royal guards accompanied her to school. I wasn’t to thrilled to be woken up that day just to sit in front of a gate for nine hours a day, and I expressed that openly to her but she smiled no matter what I put her through. She was my first real friend in this huge castle. Now don’t get me wrong, I love fury and the other Grail knights but they’re the easiest to talk to. “Lance, that you?” I turn to see a dragon who is a bit taller than me, she had crimson scales and bright amber eyes. “Hey scarlet, I was thinking about stuff” “You mean cadence and armor right?” She said seeing right through me. You wouldn’t guess it, but she’s like 20 in pony years, so she usually can coax you into talking about your problems. “I just wish she didn’t move so fast sometimes.” Scarlet walks over to me and squeezes me gently with a soft smile on her face. “Lance did you honestly think she was going to be same forever?“ I get up from my spot on the bench and look up to the sky. Sighing, but know she’s right in the end, I just have to accept that we’re moving past each other. And I guess the best way to do that is to play nice with armor for now at least. “Yeah, I guess I might have a little but that’s because I felt like I had something with her. It always feels like I’m in a cage separate from everybody else. Cadence was the only pony who i could really bond with. I mean fury transferred me around the knights so much i just got used to the idea of being alone.” I say, scarlet sits there listening to me ramble on. But she still sat there quietly listening to me. “I guess I am afraid that I’ll revert back to being that lonely pup without her. And I know what you're going to say, she doesn't think of me like that and that if I told her I feel we’d be all good again. Right? Scarlet just nods before coming over and joins me, smiling and petting my head and nodding though I just give her an eye roll. “Give it time, I’m sure you two will find some common ground eventually. Anyway, I’m going to hit the hay. Don’t stay up too late now.” Scarlet leaves me to my thoughts, yawning as she went on her way back to the castle as I return my attention to the starry sky. Maybe this whole thing won’t be so bad. Though knowing my luck it’s going to be more of a hassle to try.
chapter:3I woke up to the annoying sound of birds and sunlight stinging my eyes as I stretch and move groggily move out of bed. I move through the castle slowly, getting hellos and glances on my way to the kitchen. When I got there cadence was drinking, what I can assume is tea with silver strings and scarlet. “Morning Lance.” I say nothing to them as I walk over and face plant onto the table with a loud thud. I can hear plates clatter and the smell of an omelet in front of my face, which I happily dig into. “Geez, you look terrible, did you stay up all night? “I couldn’t get any sleep because the party was too loud.” I can hear them jokingly fawn over me, but I'm too tired to find a comeback, so I focus on eating my meal, devouring it. Stopping only to breathe and drink water. “Well, I'm sure you’ll get plenty of sleep on the way to las Pegasus later.” Cadence says, patting my head as she passes by me, moving to her seat. Honestly, I had forgotten about the trip, my mind being preoccupied with other “problems” of late. Though it’s more like a given vacation, that celestia couldn’t go on so she gave it to cadence and armor. So i get to come involuntarily to a beach in one of the hottest summers ever, "yea". I finish eating as Fury walks into the room talking to a stallion deep blue Pegasus talking away about the schedule while he and the others are gone for the next month and a half. From what i heard from fury, he, scarlet, guilds, and strings are all going to the continent west of equestria for recon. “Hey cadence, where’s that stallion friend of yours? I have something to tell him.” “He should be here soon.” Just then a maid walks in announcing that armor was in the main hall waiting for cadence, in which she immediately got up to go followed by fury. “Come on lance!” I sighed, getting up to follow the two along with grabbing a cinnamon bun out the way out. *** When I get there armor is saluting fury and then moves into hugging cadence. I move up next to fury who clears his throat, effectively ending the scene of affection as the two share an awkward blush. “Alright, shining armor. You are going along with Cadence and lance as a guest, so behave yourselves you two. Moving on from that, shining you'll be taking Lance's place as Cadence's guard since lance will be joining us on our mission.” “WHAT?!” We both look at him with wide eyes. I, myself more angry than surprised. Fury waited patiently for us to stop throwing questions his way. When we finally calm down, he began to explain. “Look, it is what it is we need you with us, so lance you're going to show him the ropes and help out with anything that comes up until we ship out, that's an order. If you excuse me.” Fury leaves me with silence and my thoughts. Armor and cadence walk right past me chatting away. I sigh slowly walking back with them.*** We got on the train heading for las Pegasus, fury and the others would catch up with us later that night. The car we were in was completely quiet except the sound of the rails clicking along the wheels of the train. I was sitting on the left with the ponies were on the right. Armor and Cadence were playing cards as I was trying to sleep, but honestly, I wasn’t getting any. I was still upset really, I've gone from a guard dog to being replaced completely by him of all ponies. Am I that useless now, a tool passed around where needed? “You got any threes?” “Nope, go fish.” I look back at those two laughing, smiling enjoying themselves. Would she even miss me at this point I mean if I stopped being there would she even notice? Still, I don’t feel comfortable leaving them alone. I sigh again, this time loud enough for the two to hear me. “ Lance are you-” Before cadence can finish her question the train begins to come to a stop as we reach our destination. We get out of our train car with ponies rushing on and off the train before it sets off again. “Lance, are you going to be okay?” “I’m fine cadence, just fine.” I say bitterly moving to the edge over the loading and unloading platform with cadence behind me. "We have to walk to the hotel, no coches left. It looks like it will be at least a mile walk from here I can hear armor say leaving the station with cadence and I following behind him i can see cadence stare back at me one more time before her gaze leaves me.*** Thus, the three us began walking on the road going to the hotel, it was pretty quiet between the three of us, not like there was anything to talk about really nor did I want to talk anyway but of course armor opens his mouth fixing for a question. “So, lance you ready for tomorrow?” Armor asks me looking behind him to see me. Sighing, i roll my eyes and him walk past him and cadence, getting ahead of both of them. “If you mean, I'm ready to be fired and replaced by someone I can't stand and feel is completely inadequate for the job he's being hoof given. then yes, armor I can't freaking wait to go on a month's trip into a barren wasteland.” I say sarcastically, making overly dramatic motions and gestures as I do, ending up with facing armor and locking eyes with him. “Okay, what is your issue? Armor yells me now annoyed. I look back at cadence for a second trying to form an answer, seeing her concerned face before turning around, my back to them. “You wouldn’t get it even if I told you.” I start walking, ignoring cadence’s calls That was when I heard it, a sound none like I've heard before carried by the wind, coming from a place nearby. So I follow the sound up a hill. Reaching the top I saw a huge meadow of flowers, all in bloom throughout. There in the center, I see her, a light grey wolf wearing a large red handkerchief around her neck. She had her head pointed up to the orange sky above, the sound she was making was amazing. I was mesmerized, I took a step forward towards her, causing her to stop and set her gaze on me. “Are you lost?” “Huh, did you say something?” She shakes her head walking up to me, now that i get a better look at her even though she seems older she was the same size as me if not a little bigger. I also notice that under the handkerchief there was a stripe of black fur. “I said are you lost?” She gives me a soft smile staring at me with her light blue eyes. I guess trying to get a read on me. “No, I'm not my friend is at the bottom of the hill. Anyway, what were you doing earlier?” “What you mean howling? I do it sometimes when I'm frustrated about something, you like it?” I nod and she laughs and smiles. But she stops and looks at me. ‘Oh yeah, I’m iris by the way. You?” “Lance.” Our conversation is cut short by armor and cadence coming over from climbing the hill. Cadence landing on the ground while armor huffed the last steps up the hill. “Lance there you are! Oh hi, i didn’t see you there.”*** “So iris, what are you doing here?” Cadence said, sitting amidst the blooms of flowers along with armor who was getting a breather, and myself. “Well, right now I’m searching for a flower that ponies say have been growing on this hill, and to no avail because I still haven’t found it yet.” “ So you're a florist?” Iris stays silent as if pondering what to say like she wasn’t asked that question before. “Nope, I'm more a researcher of old myths and legends from around the world. The one I’m working on now kind of revolves around this specific flower.” Iris explains excitedly, looking out over the setting sun over the horizon. Before getting up and walking over to the entrance of the hill. “Well, it's getting late if we want to get back to the hotel by nightfall we better go now, if you don’t mind me tagging along?” We all got up in agreement, preparing to go with armor being first. “Don’t worry girls, after all you've got one of the best knights in the army protecting you.” Armor says chest puffed out in confidence causing the girls to giggle a little, passing him by with cadence giving him an eye roll. “Oh, why thank you my knight.” We leave with me following behind slowly as we head for the hotel. With and cadence occasionally looking back at me, I can only assume that they want to talk about my earlier outburst but don't want to in iris's company. I can only sigh knowing what they were going to say when we got to the hotel, but I'd be gone by morning so it would matter anyway. *** When we got back to the hotel it was twilight with the sun setting down. We decided that cadence and armor would share the room we originally got and iris and I would share her room, though I found it odd that she let me stay there after we met only a few hours ago. “Thanks for letting me stay here and all iris, but I still don’t get why you want me here.” Iris was sitting on the bed adjacent of mine, she was messing with some cards that looked longer than normal ones. “To give you a break, it seemed like you needed some space from those two. Given how you were yelling back there." She smiled at me before looking out the window where cadence and armor were sitting on the beach watching the stars. The more i watched, the more annoyed I got at well, everything and I hated it. “I have a question for you, you said your group was heading for the continent west of here right?” Iris gets off the bed, stretching out and yawning, jumping down and heading to the balcony. Her fur glistening brightly under the moonlight. She gestured over to me to come to her. “I was wondering if I could tag along for the ship ride over there. Plus I was wondering if you would like to come along with me when I separate from your group.” I looked at her with her stern face waiting for my answer. I stay silent, thinking it over. I mean there’s nothing left for me besides watching those two move up in the world, growing old with fury in retirement. But that means throwing away the life I have now, then again, there's not much left of that now though. The room is quiet as only the wind and the waves can be heard between me and iris. “Iris, don’t you think this is a little sudden. I mean we literally met today and you want me to go off on an adventure with you? A person you barely know.” Iris opens her mouth to answer before she can say anything a loud scream can be heard from outside. I immediately got out of bed and moved over to the balcony to see armor on his back in the sand with cadence right at his side. Though there was too much sand and dust to see what was happening, ignoring all common sense, I jump from the second floor on to the soft sand below. The scene before me was, a hooded figure floating in mid air. With armor knocked out cold in the sand and cadence huddled over him. So really what I would be expecting of him in this type of situation. I can hear iris behind me as the hooded figure flew away the moment she got there. “Hey, where are you going?” I chase after him leaving iris with armor and cadence. It seems like whoever it was is heading for that hill we were at earlier. “iris, Take care of them, I'm going after him!” I say chasing after the hooded figure. I wasn't aware of it at the time but this is when my story truly started. On my last peaceful day on equestrian soil.
