Chapters A unicorn, Solid Shield, looked out the carriage window and at the passing city of Canterlot. It was his first time riding inside one since it was usually only royalty or the rich ever used them but today was a special occasion.
Solid then looked over to his griffin companion, Ava, who was staring down at her bag that held everything she owned. Her feathers where a strawberry red and her fur was a golden brown which, like his own cyan fur, has been washed and groomed but she still had bags under her eyes from the last few sleepless nights they had had.
Solid looked back out into the city that was passing by on there why to his family’s home and as they drew closer he grew more anxious. Its been so long since he has last seen his family last but he didn’t know how his family, mostly his dad, was going to react to Ava when they met her but he did know one thing, that Ava would always have his back no matter what happens, and he would have hers.
After a few more minutes the carriage came to a stop outside of his family’s home and right before one of the Royal Guards opened the carriage door to revile a banner that was hung on the outside of his Family’s home that read. “WELCOME HOME SOLID!”
Then with a flash of lime green light his younger sky-blue color fur sister appeared in front of the door with tears of joy straming down her face, causing the Royal Guard to stumble back in shock.
“Solid Shield! Your home!” she said with glee and then jumped up and gave him a crushing hug.
“oof. Thank you, Kind Heart, it’s wonderful to see you again too.” Solid said trying to catch his breath. “But I would like to be able to breathe again.”
“oh, sorry.” Kind Heart let go of Solid and he stepped out of the carriage.
Then his older sister, Misty, came up with his mom, Snowfall, and dad, Magic Swirl, not too far behind her.
“Hey their little brother, where have you been?”
“Well, that’s a bit of-“ then a explosion sounded behind Solid, knocking him to the ground, and the broken body of a pony landed next to him, there dying eyes looking straight into his. Then his fore-hoof was grabbed and he was pulled up and he looked right at Ava. She had on her battle gear with a black helmet on with mud and blood covering her body, her rifle slung on her back.
“Solid!” Snowfall said and waved her hoof in front of him trying to get his attention. “Son are you alright?”
“Oh, yes I’m fine.” Solid gave strained smile. “Just got lost in thought. Oh, and I do have someone I would like you to meet.” And Solid turned towards the carriage as Ava hoped out with a small smile. “Hello. I’m Ava, it is wonderful to meet you all.”
As she got out Solid heard a gasp from behind him and when he looked, he saw that Snowfall had her hoof to her mouth and Magic Swirl what almost looked like a scowl on his face.
Solid’s sisters on the other hoof came up and Kind Hearts first question proved that she didn’t think the same way her parents thought.
“Do you mind if I give you a hug?”
Ava looked at her in surprise at first but then gave a smile to her and nodded and Kind Heart jumped up and gave her a hug while Misty was a little more reserved but still gave a happy smile.
“So how have all of you been? What’s happened in the 3 years I have been gone?”
“Misty got engaged!” Kind Heart said. “Happened just last week.”
“Really? Anyone I know?”
“I doubt it, he’s a Pegasus with golden fur and a short red mane named Red Stripe.”
Red Stripe… but he couldn’t quite place where he had heard the name before, so he just said. ”Don’t think I have.”
Then Solids stomach grumble and Kind Heart came up back over to Solid.
“You know when the messenger came yesterday saying that you where alive everyone was crying for joy and Mom and Dad said they were going to try and cook you tons of different foods!”
“Oh, and how did that go?” Solid asked remembering how both of his parents where completely hopeless at cooking. Messing up even the even the simplest of meal.
“Well…” Kind Heart continued. “The kitchen is currently out off order, and a plumber needs to have a look at the sink. Again.”
Solid chuckle at that. It seemed that Snowfalls and Magic Swirl would never be any good at cooking, especially if they haven’t gotten any better since he has been gone.
“So…” continued his younger sister. “Instead, we have chosen to take you to your favorite diner in Cantorlot!”
“Sunny Night’s Diner?” Solid said with a smile, his mouth starting to water at the thought of finally getting good food and not what he’s been eating for the last 3 years but if his memory served him right one of their hayburgers where going to be divine to his poor tongue.
A small chough from behind him reminded Solid of Ava’s presence and quickly asked. “Oh, would it be alright if Ava came with us?”
Magic Swirl turned and looked at Solid but before he could say anything Snowfall said. “But of courses! If she is a friend of yours then she is a friend of ours and we would love if she will join us for dinner.”
Ava thanked her then looked back to Solid. “You’re going to have to show me around the menu, I haven’t even been to this place.”
“Don’t worry about it, I think you will love it.”
They walk up to the diner, using the time to catch up with each other instead of using the carriage that princesses let them use for the day. They also had helped him get ready to see his family again and look “presentable” as they had put it, which was more then generous considering how they met.
Solid cringed at the memory and Kind Heart stopped talking about how she, unlike their parents, could cook and was talking about all sorts of food she had tried to make and looked up at him.
“what’s up Solid?”
“Oh, nothing just thinking my time up in the palace.”
“I wanted to ask you about that but the message we got said to try and limit the questions we ask you about what happened to you and to give you some time to relaxed.” Then she paused, then asked. “what are the princesses like? If you don’t mind answering, of cause.”
“Of course not.” Solid answered her. “Although, I probably didn’t make a great first impression.”
“Why is that?”
Solid picked up the device that had brought him and Ava into this hell of a world. Now with the angry crowd trying to breaking down the door chatting “Death to the traitors!”, “For Equestria!” and “For the Princesses!”. He could hear the screams of his fellow solders from inside the throne room on the other side of the door they were behind now as they were beaten to death by the ponies they had been celebrating with just a few minutes ago.
A group of Solids fellow soldiers, all of them wearing the Black Guard Dress uniforms, and all of them stared in fear at the door that was being held shut by Ava and another solder as others pilled whatever they could fine to hold the door shut, but it still moved and strained as the ponies on the other side bucked the door trying to get it open.
“Solid?”
Solid snaped back to where he was and looked back at his younger sister. “I’m sorry what Kind Heart, what was it?”
She gave him a odd look then repeated herself. “Why do you think you made a bad impression?”
“Lets say I dropped in on them at a bad time.”
Kind gave a knowing smile to Solid.
Then Ava came up on his other side. “So, do they sell anything meaty at this diner?”
“Oh yes.” Kind Heart answered. “The diner usually don’t have griffin that come and eat there but the owners figured that if they did come that it was best not to disappoint!”
“Sounds like a smart move to me!”
“Been a good policy to have for him in the past, so…”
They turn the street corner and could see the little diner in front of them now with only a few creatures inside eating. The diner had a sign that hung above the door with a image of a Moon with little sun flares surrounding it and the name of the diner written under the “sunny moon”. If he remembered right they once thought about changing the name to the Eclipse Diner but seeing that hasn’t happened yet it was unlikely for that to happen.
As they opened the door to the Diner a small bell rang, and a waitress came up with a smile on her face.
“Welcome to the Sunny Moon Diner! My name is Meadow Stream, and I will be your waitress today.” She then picked up a few manus then looked back at them and said. “If you would follow me, I will show you all your seats.”
After they where all seated Misty looked over to Solid and Ava.
“So where did the two of you meet?”
“You remember the lab I was working at? As one of the guards?”
“Oh yes, I do.”
“Well she was one of the other Guards there with me and we where often given the same spots when on duty.”
“So you both had sometime to talk with each other during the job?” Kind heart asked.
“No, honestly I found her to be a bit annoying after a while.” Ava gasped as Solid said this and playfully punched his foreleg then said. “Well, I was bored and you where my biggest source of entertainment I could get on those long hours.”
Solid rolled his eyes and smiled. “I’m sure. But the two of us have each other's back through our troubles.”
Then Snowfall spoke up. “But that doesn’t explain where you where you have been for the last 3 years.”
Solid sank back into his chair and Ava looked over to him, they both knew the question would be asked eventually but they had hoped that it wouldn’t be for a bit longer. Ava then looked back to Snowfall.
“Well-“
Ava was interrupted by the glass of the build they where in shattering, pelting both of them in the shards, as gunfire erupted outside and some of Solid's fellow solders fell to the ground. Someone from behind yelled “grenade!” and Solid jumped up to Ava and activated a Shield spell as the bomb went off behind them.
Then there was a tap on Solids foreleg from Ava's claw and Solid became aware of his soundings again. There was no gunfire, the glass was still intact, a pair of servers picking up dropped dishes and shattered glass and Solid could hear the sound of laughter behind him coming from a pair of foal from behind him.
Then he looked at his family. Shock and concerned faces looked back at him covered there faces and then Kind heart knocked on his light green shield that he had thrown up and asked. “Solid, are you ok?”
Solid dropped his shield and look towards the ground feeling his entire family staring at him and he took a breath.
“I’m sorry about that, I don’t know what came over me. I just reacted.”
“Solid, are you have blanked out a few times in front of this and just had a wide eye look on your face and now this? Are you sure your fine? I didn’t want to say anything but you, and your friend, look tired.”
“Mom, I’m ok. Just a little-“
“It's the griffin.” Magic Swirl suddenly spoke up catching Solid off guard.
“W-what?”
“You heard me. The griffin has done something to your head son I’m sure of it.”
“Dad, I assure you that-“
“They are all the same son, don’t you know that son?” Magic Swirl started to rant. “They come here only to take what isn't theirs and to make chaos.”
Then Misty tried to speak up “Dad lets not-“
“I’m not done!” Magic Swirl cut her off then turn to face Ava, who was sitting there stunned with her beak slightly hanging open. “Do you have some spell over my son to make him think he’s your friend?”
“Dad, stop!” Solid spoke up rising his voice. “I am not under any spell and Ava has helped me get through more then you could ever image and I trust her with my life!”
Magic Swirl stopped for a second and looked at Solid with shock as his son finished his sentence. Then, with renewed anger looked back to Ava and said with a snarl. “Now listen here griffin. I want you to end any charade you have with my son and I want to neave- AHHH!”
Magic Swirl pressed his hoof to his head where a saltshaker just hit him that Solid had thrown.
Solid sat there with a hoof outstretched and with anger on his face and eyes and his family stared at him in shock. Then he lowered his hoof and said starring only at his dad. “Don’t, just don’t. You think all griffins are low lives that only live to cause you problems. The only things you think they can be are greedy, selfish, and vile. Well I have something to tell you, the only reason I’m alive and in front of you is because of a griffin! And I won’t hear you say another word against them!”
As Solid finished up he noticed that most everyone in the diner was looking in their direction but as he looked over them try quickly went back to their meals but their ears where still perked up in his direction.
Then Ava got up and looked at Solid. “I think it’s best if we go.”
“Yes… I think it would be. Don’t want to cause more of a scene.” And he got up and started to walk to the exit.
Then the door opened and a group of ponies came into the diner with a overly joyful pink earth pony in front saying. “Come on girls, lets get something to eat!”
Almost everyone that lived in Equestria knew who these ponies are and they where beloved by them all, but for Ava and Solid they both of them stopped and shared a worried look with each other.
The elements stopped when they felt the mood in the room and could see everyone was looking at the unicorn and the griffin, both with tired looks on there faces like they haven’t been sleeping well for the last few nights, that where staring at them.
“Uhm could someone tell us what’s going on?” Asked the purple alicorn of the group, Twilight.
“Nothing, we where just leaving.” Solid said and then tried to walk around the group but was stopped by Pinky Pie. “Hay now what’s going on? And are you feeling okay?”
“I’m fine, just had a bad day.” Solid answered.
“A bad day!” Pinky Pie exclaimed. “Now that won’t do! What exactly happened?”
“I would rather not say.”
“Alright! Oh there’s a party that we where planning on going to go to after we eat would you like to join us?”
Both Solid and Ava looked at each other and Solid looked back where his family was sitting and he could see his Mom tearing into his Dad and Misty was joining in but Kind Heart was looking at him. Solid felt his heart tore a bit by the scene, he hadn’t believe that when he saw his family again that it would have been a easy reunion but this had gone terrible and he wanted to get away from it all.
“You know what?” Solid turned, trying to keep his emotions in check, and looked at the group of friends. “I might take you up on that offer but I am still leaving right now.”
Pinky pie jumped up with excitement. “Alright! I will find you after in a few minutes then!
“Sounds good.” Solid said and then quickly walked out the door with Ava on his hoofs.
They both walk in silence for a bit until they came to a alley way and Solid quickly turned into it and Ava followed him in, knowing what was probably about to happen.
After getting away from the street Solid stopped. His legs started to shake and he put a hoof on the wall trying to steady himself as tears began to run down his face but he still fell to the ground.
Ava quickly came to his side and got down in front of him to look him in the eye.
“It’s okay Solid. You are fine and so am I and I don’t blame you for what your father said. You had no control over that.”
“I-it's not that. I keep seeing our friends that have died and listening to my dad didn’t help with that. I've missed my family so much over the last three years! But I can’t tell them what I have been through. What we have gone through. They don’t deserve that.”
Ava looked at Solid then sat down next to him and placed her wing over him to comfort him. “I can’t say that my advice is worth much, but I think you should tell them. So they can begin to understand why you aren’t the same as you where three years ago.”
“Your… your probably right.”
Solid started to calm back down and, after he took some deep breaths, looked back to Ava.
“You have been such a good friend to me, I don’t deserve you.”
“Don’t say that-“
“But it’s true! You keep helping me get through my days, you support me when I need it but you always seem so strong about it all while I break down.”
“Solid, you have saved my life more times than I can remember. When I froze in battle you saved me, when we where being shot at you protected us with a shield. You healed any injury that I or anyone else had with your spells. It is only right that I help you get through what has happen to you.”
Solid looked up to Ava and wiped a few tears from his face and gave Ava a sad smile. “Thank you Ava. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
Ava helped Solid up then kissed him and he returned it, forgetting his troubles for just a moment. They had both grown exceptionally close to each other over the last 3 years. Traveling war torn lands, making new friends only to have them vanish the next day, with the only consisted being each other and their Commander, Grater.
Ava pulled back after a bit and smiled at Solid.
“Come on. We still have one thing to do before we figure out what we should do before we figure out what to do for the night.”
“That’s Right!” a pink mare said suddenly appearing next to them with a sequel.
Both Ava and Solid jumped up from her sudden appearance and causing Ava to reach for a weapon that didn’t exist and Solid to catch the pink mare in a telekinesis spell.
“Wow! That was a fast reaction! We will have to see how well that translate into a party!”
Solid let go the giddy mare and gave himself a second to calm down before saying. “You really shouldn’t sneak up on people pinky.”
“But it is so FUN!” then started to bounce away towards the street and Ava gave a sigh, letting her feathers settle down, and said. “I don’t agree with her on that one.”
“I agree with you on that.” Solid said as they both followed Pinky out of the alley.
Author's Note
I hope you all enjoy this story as I (slowly) write it. let me know what you think!
Solid and Ava followed Pinky Pie for a few city blocks before they got to a club with a large line of other creatures waiting to get in. Whatever was going on in there today must be good because the line almost stretch longer then the building.
“Pinky! Over here!” Called a voice and then pinky grabbed both Solid and Ava and quickly pulled them over to where the rest of her friends where at.
“You found them pretty fast, Pinky. Where they here already?” Asked Twilight.
“Nope! But I had a good idea where they were at!”
Pinky's friends rolled their eyes and Rainbow Dash followed up by saying. “Well, if we are all ready then let’s head in and make this party awesome!”
The group started to head in, with Solid and Ava trailing a bit behind, and entered the club.
Immediately Solid and Ava was assaulted by loud music and a noisy crowd and, as he looked around, he could see a few banners hung up saying ‘Thank you Elements!’.
Then another pony, a earth pony stallion with a gray fur and a golden mane came up to them.
“Look who finally made it! I plan to announce your arrival in just a few minutes so you all enjoy yourselves while I finish up with a few things.” The Stallion said.
“Thank you, Party Jack, we while meet you near the stage then?”
“Yep, see you in a bit.” He turned to walk away but then looked back and said. “And thank you again.” And he was gone into the crowed.
“Why is he thanking you for?” Solid asked the group of friends.
“Oh, he was having a family problem. I probably shouldn’t say more for privacy reasons, but we helped him out and he insisted that he threw a party for us.” Twilight said.
“Ah. Alright.” Solid said shaking his head.
Then Solid saw a plate of food someone was holding and his stomach growled at the sight.
Then he was pulled back by Pinky, who also had Ava in her grasp.
“I’m going to take these two to get something to eat! Sounds like they missed dinner.”
Before anyone could reply to her, she had taken off with Solid and Ava being pulled along as Pinky navigated the crowd of people with such ease and speed that seemed impossible. Then they stopped next to a table filled with food and drinks and as Solid and Ava got there baring, she quickly said. “You too enjoy yourselves I will find you in a jiffy.” And with that she was gone, leaving Ava and Solid trying to figure out if they were seeing a ghost or not.
After a few minutes they both had a plate of food to eat and a slightly less chaotic place to eat the music started to quite down and the voice of Party Jack could be heard over the noise of the crowd.
“I thank you all for coming tonight to show your support for the Elements of Harmony!” The crowd gave a cheer as the elements walked walk up on the stage.
“The Elements have done more for us then most of us will ever know but tonight I feel that it is the time that we all thank the elements for what they have done for each of us and we can grow closer together in Friendship!”
The crowd erupted in thank yous and cheers as Party Jack turned and looked at the DJ and spoke. “Now let’s get this party started DJ!”
The DJ nodded and looked down to their equipment and taped something and everything started.
As a song started to ramp up lights started to flash and fog from hidden devises started up. Solid watch the fog moved between the legs of the pones around him and he could feel his heart start to beat harder as it approached him and looking over at Ava showed that she was feeling unconfutable as well.
POP!
Solid turned and could see a cupple of lights in the back of the room near the door had blown up and small flames where burning out of the lights and onto the banner next to them, catching fire quickly.
CHRASH!!
Solid looked where the sound came from and saw one of the fog making devises had fallen from a spot on in the roof and started to spew out smoke with the fog obscuring what was going on to the crowd.
Ponies started to scream and panic as more devices failed around the club Solid and Ava tried to stay near each other as the crowd start to panic but got separated from each other. Solid started to try and get back to Ava but then something hit him in the head and knocked him to the ground.
Solid got back up, holding his head with his hoof and pulled off his helmet seeing that it had a large dent from where something that had been shot forward with the explosion. Then he felt his head with his hoof and pulled back to see there was blood on it. Then his hearing started to return, and he could hear the screams of the others around him took cover from the shells that where falling from the sky. Then he could hear the dreaded call.
“GAS! GAS! GAS!” Someone called and Solid turned to see several clouds of yellowish green shimmering smoke filled the air from where some of the shells where landing. He reached for his mask and pulled it up to find that one of the glass eyes had shattered rendering it useless.
Solid looked farther into the trench and saw a box of the masks a little farther way then he would like and sprinted up to them but found it empty. Then he looked up to see the gas sweeping towards him, shimmering with nullstone dust to keep the gas from being blown away and to not allow any clean air spells to work.
Out of the fear of death and desertion Solid tied to blow to fog way with his magic and to his surprise it moved way.
Solid looked around him has the scene around him quickly morphed from the trenches back to the club. Taking a second to recover from his confusion he quickly cast another spell causing the fog and smoke to dissipate and to reveal what was going on.
A fire was burning intensely near the front door and others had started around the club a few ponies were trapped behind the flames as the most the rest pushed each other out a fire escape.
Solid rushed over to one of the ponies that here trapped and cast a spell to blow the fire around the pony out. When they went out the pony ran for an exit yelling thank you over her shoulder. Then there was a scream as a support beam fell on another pony and Solid rushed over.
When he got there, he blew out a bit of the fire with a spell and spell came up to the Pony and when he got up to them he felt like he had seen her before but couldn’t quite place where.
She was a thestral and a dark gray fur and a dark blue mane and as Solid came up looked at him with a pair of pain filled amber colored eyes.
“Ma’am, are you okay?” Solid asked her as he started to look over her.
“No… I think my leg is broken.” She answered in a pained voice.
The beam had fallen on her back legs and had one crushed under it while the other was a bit freer to move. Solid looked behind him to see that the fire was growing much quicker than he had hoped with a large protean of the building burning now. Then he turned back to the thestral.
“what’s your name?” he asked as he made sure that she had no other injuries to prevent her from moving.
“Luner Star.” She answered.
“Alright Luner, I’m going to levitate this beam off your leg. Do you think you can crawl out?”
“I-I think so.”
“Good, when I say now move.”
“Okay.”
“Ready? NOW!”
Solid moved and cast his spell on the beam and lifted it up off Luner and she, as quickly as she could, moved out from it. As soon as she had cleared the beam Solid let it fall again and quickly went to Luner’s side to help her get out of the building.
But before he could the roof started to grown and mown as both the ponies looked up in horror as the roof started to fall on top of them.
Solid quickly put up a shield around both Luner and himself as derby fell on them and the fire around them grew hotter.
Ava watched in horror as the fire in the club grew. She had been scanning the crowd from above looking for Solid after she had been separated from him but after she looked over the crowed for the fifth time with no luck, she had landed on one of the roofs to see if she could spot him coming out of the building, but she was starting to loss hope.
Then she started to laugh.
The irony of all this, after all they had been through, three YEARS of hell, and he dies in a fire. They had survived bombs, poison gas, and artillery barrages but this is how he dies. It wasn’t fair or right.
But little was life.
Then she heard a couple of pairs of hoofs landed behind her as she sat there looking out at the building, but she didn’t look back.
“You’re the unicorn’s friend, right?” Twilight asked from behind Ava. “I’m sorry but I don’t think I ever got your names.”
“Yes.” Ava answered not looking back. “My name is Ava and my friend is Solid Shield.”
“Do you know where he is?”
Ava stared and the building as apart of the roof collapsed along with her hopes then replied with her head starting to drop. “no.”
Then Ava felt a wing come around her and she looked to see Fluttershy had walked up next to her was embracing her with her wing. The Ava felt a presence on her other side and looked to see Twilight sitting next to her.
Ava could feel tears starting to come to her eyes as Firefighters started to arrive and getting their gear ready to head in to put the fire out and to find anyone else inside.
Then Rainbow Dash flew in front of them and said. “I haven’t seen the unicorn any where in the crowd but it might be easier if I had a name for him.”
“Solid Shield.” Twilight answer for Ava and Rainbow was took off again, leaving what looked like a trail of a rainbow behind. Ava watch as Firefighter unicorns cast spells to help support the building from collapsing and pegasi started to drop fire retardants around and on the building as more Firefighters ran in to try and find anyone else and save the building.
“I’m sure Solid is fine Ava.” Fluttershy said in a quiet voice.
Ava lend into her, taking comfort in the yellow pegasus embrace letting tears fall. It was long over do for them anyways.
“HAY! I have two over here!”
Ava looked up as a large earth pony emerged from the burning Club with two bodies over his back, both covered in burns, soot, and ash but she could see that one was a thestral and the other was a unicorn with the same cyan color fur as Solid.
Ava jumped off the roof, spread her wings and landed only a few feet away from the firefighter as a few others with ran up with medical gear. She ran up to him as the firefighter set him and the thestral down and stopped a few feet away, fearing what she might find next.
But before she could get the courage to step up to see, the other firefighters and paramedics ran up and started to cast spells on both injured ponies seeing if they where alive and what injuries they had.
Then the thestral started to move and tried to get up but when see moved her back leg she let out a yelp and went back down as one of the paramedics pulled out a small needle and said. “don’t worry miss, you will be alright. I’m going to give you this for the pain, is that okay?”
The thestral nodded and the paramedic put the needle in her flank. Then the thestral asked. “where’s the unicorn that saved me? Is he ok?”
Ava then walked up to the cyan unicorn. It was Solid Shield! His face had a large gash over his left eye with blood trickling down and his fur was burned and singed but here he was, in front of her. But was he-
Before she could finish the thought Solid started to hack and cough as his eyes open and he looked up at Ava, a small smile touching his lips.
“You miss me, Ava?” he said in a weak and tired voice.
Ava lifted him up and embraced him, drawing a couple of gasps of pain from Solid as she held him tightly as she cried into Solid.
“Don’t ever, EVER, scare me like that again. I thought I lost you.”
“Can’t get rid of me that easily.” And he gave her a hug as well.
Then Ava felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see the paramedic.
“Ma’am, I need to look him over, so I need you to move over there.” And the paramedic pointed over to the side. “You can come back after I am done with him.”
Ava was about to protest but Solid spoke up before her, seeing what she was about to say.
“Don’t worry Ava, I will be fine, and you will be able to see what’s going on.”
Ava looked at him for a second but got up and walk to the side and the paramedic started casting spells over him.
“Move! Let me Pass! Let me Pass!” someone yelled with a slight screech at the end.
Ava turned to look behind her as a voice that she has known for the last few years behind her, but it couldn’t be him, could it?
She could hear the clanking of armor and a griffin with brown and red feathers and light brown, almost yellow, fur emerged from the crowd pushing, wearing full body armor with a familiar emblem engraved into the chest plate and the forehead of his helmet that was hanging off the side of his barrel, a shield that was designed to be shaped like a horse shoe with a unicorn’s horn in the middle of the shield, a pegisas’ wing on left and a thestral’s wing on the other, all being held up by a griffin’s talon, made his way out looking around wildly and called out. “Luner! Luner Star! Where are you?”
Then his eyes fell on where the paramedics where working as the thestral raised her head to look over at the griffin and he took off to her.
“Luner! Thank the moon and sun, what happened?” He asked as he started to look her over but stopped when he saw her leg being held by one of the paramedics as another was getting a cast ready.
“Dad, I will be fine. They are going to take me to the hospital to have the docs look it over.” This seemed to calm the griffin down a bit. Then Luner pointed over to Solid. “He saved my life though.”
The griffin immediately turned to look at Solid as the paramedic that was looking over him stepped back and waved Ava over.
The Griffin came over to Solid and as soon as Solid saw him he gave a confused look.
“My daughter says you saved her life, is that true?”
“Uh, yes. I saved a thestral named Luner.”
“Then you may consider me in your debt, sir.” And he bowed his head. “My name is-
“Grater.” Ava finish his sentence.
Author's Note
Well that was a bit faster then I thought I was going to get it out. well hope you enjoyed it and what comes after!
Author's Note
I made a slight edit to my story in the last part about something I forgot to add. it was a change in the amour the griffin that ran up had if you want to go find it. anyways enjoy my next part and if you have a suggestion then leave a comment!
Chapter 3
The griffin lifted his head, looking at Ava with a confused look.
“Yes, it is Grater. Do I know you?”
“Er, no. I thought I remembered seeing you somewhere before.” Ava said looking away, remembering that no one here knew what she and Solid had been through, even the those who had helped them and had been their friends.
Grater, who gave Ava an unconvinced look, looked back to Solid.
“Seeing that your friend here knows who I am already, may I ask what yours is?”
“Solid Shield.”
“Well Solid, thank you for saving my little star. Is there anything I can do for you?”
Before Solid could answer a paramedic came over looking at Solid and said. “Sir, if you’re ready I am going to take you to the hospital now.”
“Well, if that’s the case then I hope to see you again soon Solid. I’m going to stay here and figure out what happen to start this.” Grater said and gestured to the burning building with a tad bit of malice at the end. “I will be coming by the hospital later, so I will see you again soon Solid.”
“I will stay with Grater, Solid.” Ava said. “To see if I can help him find what happened.”
“You are too kind, miss?” Solid asked.
“Ava, Sir.”
“Well miss Ava, together I’m sure we can find what has happen here.”
The paramedics cast a spell around Solid was surrounded by a till blue glow of magic and was gently lifted onto a stretcher and then moved to a canvas cart with a red cross with Luner and set inside as two paramedics climbed in as well as another walked around front to get hooked up to the front and they were off.
Solid looked over to one of the paramedics, a Pegasus, that was pulling out some bandages from a chest and turn back to wrap his bleeding head after giving him some painkillers while her partner, a unicorn, cast a few orbs that she was looking through them at Solid with a strange look on her face.
“What?” Solid asked while looking at the unicorn.
“Oh, it’s nothing serious.” She said quickly glancing at him, then added under her breath. “At least for now.”
“Solid?”
Solid looked over to Luner who was looking at him.
“Why where you still there? In the Building I mean. Why didn’t you leave with everyone else?”
Solid didn’t answer for a second, looking back up at the roof of the cart, but then said.
“I… I figured that someone might have been stuck somewhere so I decided I would be a hero and stayed to help.”
“That’s a nice story.” Luner said. “Now what’s the real one?”
“It's not something I would like to talk about.”
There was a pause as the paramedics continue their work before Luner said. “Fine, but at some point I want to know.”
After a bit the cart stopped and Solid and Luner where encased by magic and taken out of the cart revealing the outside of the hospital and was taken inside. They were both taken to a room with two beds and after they both where settled one of the doctors came in.
The doctor was a unicorn had a tan fur was reading a note pad while another hovered in his magic behind him as he walked in the room then looked up at his newest patients.
“Hello you two I’m doctor Term, and I have some good news and bad news for both of you.” He said while putting on a smile.
“What’s the good news doctor?” Luner asked.
“Well both of you sustained mostly superficial burns and, with some treatment, you should be recovered from them in about a day.”
“And the bad news?” Solid asked.
The Dr. Term smile faltered for a second then turned to Luner.
“Your leg was fractured in two spots, one clean and the other incomplete. But we expect you to make a full recovery.”
Then Term looked over at Solid next.
“For you, sir, the biggest injury you sustained was a hit to the head, with caused a minor concussion, and you have a bad case of magical burnout. We will get you something for the pain.”
Solid nodded as the doctor finished. He had felt a bit of throbbing in his horn but hadn’t paid it much mind. Normal magical burnout would feel much worse and keep unicorns from being able to cast any spells, but Solid, like many Solders, had spells cast over him that helped or blocked intense pain from hindering him. But the doctors here wouldn’t know that.
“Thank you doc, but I should be fine.” Solid said giving a small smile.
“There is one more thing, sir.” Term said as he looked back at his notes. “We also found pocket of magical energy and strange growths throughout your body. It looks like it was caused from poor use of magic and healing potions, but I can’t think of what would cause this. I would like to run some tests if that is okay with you.”
Solid felt his heart sink. He had heard about this before from others soldier, they called it Healing Death. It was believed it was caused by healing spells cast improperly and exposure to elements that littered the battlefield. It would first cause growth of small tumors that would go unnoticed by most due to pain inhibiter spells, then it would have a draining effect, both magical and physical, on the poor soul that was afflicted, and the growths would become more and more obvious, leaving some with horrible bulges on their bodes.
There where ways that solders with Healing Death could be treated but it was only effective if it was found early but in most causes by the time it was found it was too late to help or there was no way they could receive the surgeries that where needed, for the injured and dying came first. Unfortunately, Healing Death was, left untreated, always fatal but there was a small positive to it, solders would experience regenerative abilities for smaller injury.
“You… Know some something about this don’t you?” Dr. Term asked.
Solid looked up at Dr. Term and Luner, both of them looking at him.
Solid just sat there cursing his luck for this horrible day. First he had a falling out with his dad over Ava, then he almost dies in a fire, and now he learns that he, more than likely, had a terminal illness.
Solid walk through one of the trench lines when he saw an earth pony with lavender fur and one of her eyes nearly covered up by a mass on her face. She was holding up a photo in her hoof that was covered in similar lumps like on her face.
“I’m so sorry.” She said to herself, a tear running down her face. “I'm so sorry mom and dad. I’m not coming home… I… I hope you get my letter.”
Then she pulled out her side arm with her other hoof and, before Solid knew what was happing, brought it to her head and pulled the trigger.
BANG
And the earth pony fell to the ground, blood spilling from her now lifeless, lumpy, corpse on the ground with blood covering the photo of herself with her parents when she was foil, all of them smiling as they sat out in a lush green field colorful flowers all around them with ‘Come home soon our little flower’ written in the corner.
Suddenly there was a light in Solid’s eyes that causes him to blink and waved his hoof to get the light out of his eyes, revealing Term standing in front of him with glowing light in his magical grasp.
“Sir, Solid, was it? Are you feeling alright? You where unresponsive for a second.”
“I’m fine.” Solid lied to himself.
Dr. Term gave him an unbelieving look and then asked. “Would you let me do some test to make sure it is nothing?”
“I doubt it well help you understand but you may do what you want.” Solid sighed.
Term casted another spell in front of Solid and stood there for a minute before casting another spell, this one felt like his brain was buzzing, then steeped back.
“It looks like something has seriously messed with your head. Have you had any run ins with powerful magic or artifacts in your past?”
“I have.”
“And do you know if any of it was Dark magic in origin?”
Solid entered the Cantrlot’s castle’s throne room. It was dark with green flames torches burning and, looking out the windows, dark clouds swirled outside obscured the city, making the castle seem to be in a void.
Then he heard laughter, but not the joyful laughter but more of a crackle, coming from the throne I the middle of the room and when he looked, he saw the one responsible for everything. The one that had started this war. The one that had to die to end this war.
“Well, I see you have finely arrived, Solid Shield.”
Solid reached for his sidearm but found that his holster was missing it and when he looked all of his weapons were missing. So, he looked back up at the pony on the throne of Equestria that did not belong.
His dark gray and black fur and red tipped horn making him seem more imposing with his battle gear on. Then he looked down at him and asked. “Tell me Solid. Do you remember who I am?”
Solid looked at the dark unicorn confused. “Uh, yes. You are Sombra.”
“King Sombra, but you are close enough. Tell me, do you know where you are?”
“In the Cantrlot castle?”
“Not quite right. We are in your head. I took just took this plaice so we could finally meet. Face to face so to speak.”
“What?”
Sombra got up from the throne and walked over to Solid saying. “I have come to have a problem. If what I have seen from your memories is right, then I am dead and Equestria has plummeted into chaos, but now we are in a new world. Your world.”
Solid stepped back from Sombra as he took In what he was saying. Then gathering his courage stepped towards Sombra, with a snarl on his face.
“If you think for one second that I would help you take over my world then you are sadly mistaken. I spent three whole years fighting to stop you. Why would I help you try and take my home after all that?”
Sombra simply just smiled at him. “I could make you stronger and help you recover from you affliction. I simply ask that you consider letting me help you. After all, if you die, who knows what will happen to me?”
“Hopefully get sent straight to Tartarus where blights like you belong.” Solid said, watching Sombra for a moment he didn’t seem to be watching.
Then Sombra turned and looked out the window and sighed.
“Perhaps I will. But for now, if you ever change your mind I will know.”
Then Solid jumped forward to grab the unicorn.
A few minutes earlier
Luner watch as the Dr. Term was talking to Solid, trying to judge the Cyan colored unicorn who had saved her life. He seemed to have some dark past that he was trying to keep hidden. He also didn’t seem to react to the burns like a pony would when they were messed with by the griffin that had grabbed him and, seemingly unnoticed by Solid, cut him slightly on with her claws while they embraced.
Then there was the reaction he had when the doc told him about the strange results on the scans, they had taken of him. He seemed to already know what the doctor was talking about while the doctor didn’t know what it was, and it seemed to worry him.
But what was the stranger thing was what happened right after the doctor asked him if he already knew about what was afflicting him. Solid seemed to tense up and his eyes glazed over and stopped responding to the Term and anything else.
“Sir? Mister shield?” Dr. Tram asked pulling out a small tool with a light on it and when he didn’t respond Term placed his hoof on Solids head to hold his eyes open and flashed the light in his eyes.
Solid suddenly jerked a bit and then waved his hoof in front of his face towards the light trying to get the light out of his eyes.
“Sir, Solid, was it? Are you feeling alright? You where unresponsive for a second.” Term asked as Solid seemed to get his bearings on the room again.
“I’m fine.” Solid said, looking more like he was trying to convince himself then the Doctor.
Dr. Term gave him an unbelieving look and then asked. “Would you let me do some test to make sure it is nothing?”
“I doubt it well help you understand but you may do what you want.” Solid said giving a sighed.
Term casted another spell in front of Solid as he laid there for a minute before casting another spell, but Luner had started to get lost in thought. Why did Solid act like that? What was going on with him? And why did she care so much about what was going on with him?
Luner’s adopted father, Grater, always talked about how they should always pay back their debts to others, but this felt different to her and she didn’t know why. She did know that when he looked at her she felt something in her gut.
“Sir? Sir can you hear me?”
Dr. Term tore Luner from her thoughts as he tried to get Solid’s attention and when Luner looked he could see the Solid’s eyes had glazed over again and tensed up again but this time he was mumbling to himself too quietly to hear but Luner could see his mouth moving like he was talking.
Dr. Term quickly walked over to the door and opend it and called out. “Can I have a hand over here?” then shut the door and came back to Solid and started to cast another spell as he walked.
As he did something with his spell Luner asked.
“Doctor what’s going on with him?”
Term turned to look at her and put on a smile but still had a concerned look on his face and said.
“Don’t worry ma’am we will make sure that he is just fin- “
The doctor never managed to finish his sentence as Solid, with a howl of rage, jumped from the bed with striking speed with his horn glowing light green with magic as he grabbed Dr. Term’s neck and put him in a head lock pulling him back and knocking the Doctor down, slamming both of them into a desk next to the bed.
Luner watched in horror as Term started to turn blue from the lack of air and she quickly tried to get up to come to the doctor’s aid, but as soon as she placed any weight on her back leg she yelped in pain and lean against the bed to keep herself from falling to the ground. Then she called out at Solid.
“Solid! Stop! What are you doing?!” but he didn’t even acknowledge her.
Luner realized she wouldn’t be any help to the doctor and Solid seemed to be blind with rage so she quickly looked over the room to try and find something she could use to help. Then she saw the clipboard the doctor had had with him.
She quickly picked it up and throw it at Solid, hitting him right on the noise, witch caused Solid to blink in surprise and, just for a moment, loosen his grip on Term. Term, not wasting a moment quickly took a breath and smacked Solid in the gut forcing the breath out of him and Term then jumped up as Solid recovered and, lighting his horn with magic, sent a telekinetic wave into Solid and sent him flying into a wall.
CRACK!
The sickening sound filled the room as Solid hit the wall and then slide down it, leaving a deep imprint where he had hit.
Solid laid limp for a second and Luner started to worry that he was dead as Term stood by her but then Solid started to move and get back up. The left side of his barrel seeming to be crushed inward and his left leg was bent in a place that it shouldn’t have been but still stood on it and didn’t seem to notice it as he turned to look at Luner and Term.
Luner could see the rage in his eyes quickly become confusion as he looked at them, especially at Term.
“y-you’re not Som… you’re not him.” Solid said, then looked to his left leg and side then back at the both of them.
“It would look like I have a few broken bones now doc.”
Then the door opened behind them, and a nurse said. “Dr. Term? You said you need… Oh my sweet Celestia! What happened here?!”
“Oh.” Solid said feeling the back of his head with his not broken hoof, still standing on the broken one. “I do think that this is my fault.” As he finished talking, he pulled his hoof away from the back of his head and looked at it, blood was covering it.
“Hah, would you look at that.” He said and looked up to Term. “You hit pretty hard for a doctor.”
Then Solid started to cough and gasp as he tried to breath. Then blood started to run from his mouth and then fell to the floor.
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