Rouge Flame: Legend of the Elemental Warrior

Chapters

Old memories
Regrets
Regrets: Part 2
"He can vanish?"
Nightmares
"DAMN IT PINKIE!!!"
Training day
The return
A/N

Old memories

After a long debate with Nurse Readheart, Eclipse had eventually convinced her to discharge him from the hospital, and to let him back into the air, "You know, ol Redheart is probably the only thing in this world that truly scares me", Eclipse said more to himself than the 8 ponies walking with him with a slightly suppressed shudder. "Now. About that lift home AJ. You still up to flyin at high speed? Or has apple buckin brought you down to earth?"

"Just how fast can you fly?", Twilight asked with her ever present need to question everything. "Alot faster than Cel. I'm sure she can vouch for that", Eclipse replyed with a chuckle. "Indeed he can, and if I can recall correctly, your crusing speed is roughly the same as Rainbow Dashes top speed without making a Sonic Rainboom" "Well you know I'm not one to boast-"

"No disrespect princess, but thats a laugh. Nopony is as fast as me!", dash interrupted with her chest puffed out with pride as she hovered in front of the group. Eclipse waved his hand in the direction of the cyan pegasus and said in a mocking tone, "But on the other hand, Dasho here couldn't zip about between th trees or carry large loads long distances like I can, or pull out of a high speed dive like I did with Luna th other day even if her life depended on it." Dash just huffed and took off in the direction of Sugarcube Corner.

Eclipse watched her zip off in her usual hot headed manner, "She hasn't changed one tad has she?"

"Nope, and ah doubt she will, now are y'all sure ya can handle me on yer back?"

"Oh c'mon. I could but Big Macca to shame when i was half the age I am now, and I have no doubt that i still can."

"Hmm ya do have a point there."

"Alright then. Hop on", Eclipse said as he did his crouch once more, but with his torso bent forwards in a deep bow, which Applejack used to her advantage by simply walking over his back. Eclipse then interlaced his fingers and placed his hands just above her hocks to keep her secure, and Applejack put her fore legs over his shoulders to help in securing her. Once she was set to go, Eclipse stood up to his full hight with Twilight gawking at how he lifted Applejack with such ease. "She normaly like that, or is this a one off?", Eclipse asked nodding in Twilights direction.

"She'll get over it, now lets get goin so ah can make sure Apple Bloom hasn't destroyed anythin."

"Ok then. Ill see you lot in a few minutes." And with that, Eclipse turned to look down the street, he then spread his wings to about half of their full span, roughly the same width as the street. He then run down the street lightly flapping his wings trying to gain some speed, then as if choreographed, he leaped into the air and unfurled his wings to their mighty span and began to beat them in one swift movement. From this distance Twilight and Luna were in awe of how much sound he made with each downstroke, to them it was deafening, and yet they both found him majestic in the way he flew, and within a few wing beats he was out of sight.

Celestia chuckled lightly at the faces of her sister and student, she didn't know a ponies jaw could drop like that. Twilight then shut her mouth and turned to her, face beaming with her head obviously filled to the brim with questions, "Calm down Twilight, i am sure he will answer any questions you have in good time." After a few minutes, they had moved to Ponyville square, which was the biggest place inside of Ponyville that could handle Eclipses wing span, and true to his word, at two minutes to the dot from when he left, Eclipse had done his first flyby over the square. Twilight and Luna didn't see him at first untill his second run, and both were, once again, in awe. This time by his speed. The reason they missed him the first time was because he was going so fast, that he was just a dark coloured blur.

Eclipse was on his landing run, and Twilight could now guess why he was called Eclipse. He had shifted his body into a standing position with one leg bent at the knee, with both wings beating hard to slow him down, during all of which, he had blotted out the morning sun. All the ponies in the square, the princesses included, had to brace themselfs from the sheer volume of air Eclipses wings were pushing around. When Eclipse was about 5 feet from the ground, he stopped beating his wings and fell the rest of the way, his feet were pointing down so he would land on his toes, which he did, then landed on his feet proper, then bent his knees to furthermore absorb the shock and he stood up and folded his wings back behind him again. All with the grace of a cat.

"My, my Eclipse. You have certainly gotten good at your landing haven't you", Celestia said as she was now making her way through all the ponies that had gathered to see this new spectical, while muttering things to each other, such as 'Is that really him?', or 'But he died years ago, that can't be our Eclipse can it?'. Eclipse just shrugged, "Well its an everything eat pony world out there, or in my case, an everything eat hybrid. So ya gotta learn quick." Eclipse then looked over to Twilight again and spoke in a language that she couldn't comprehend which made Luna visibly tense up, it sounded like warm milk and honey flowing over a river bed, and despite his voice sounding like gravel cruching under ones hooves (acording to her), it was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard.

((bear with me guys, i wouldn't know how to write a different language even if my life depended on it. So use your imagination))

Eclipse then gave her an odd look and turned to Celestia, *I thought she was your student?*

*She is.*

*Then how come you haven't taught her the language of the alicorns like you did me?*

*Sister. I thought only an alicorn could speak our tounge, so how did you manage to teach him?* Luna asked.

*I used to tutor him when I would visit his parents, and we would have alot of free time, so i indulged him a little.*

*That you did, and damn was it hard to learn, but I won't lie, it was alot of fun.*

*And sister?*

*Lulu, you don't have to be formal when we're speaking our own language. And besides. I doubt young Eclipse here will repeat any of this*, Celestia said as she threw a warning look in his direction.

Eclipse just put his hands up with his palms facing the two regal sisters, *Hey c'mon, I'm not that stupid. So fire away*.

Luna sighed with relief and looked back towards her sister, *Ok then Celi. The question i have is: why haven't i healed, yet Eclipse has?*

Celestia decided to say what she had to in Equestrian so her student could also hear, "Because Luna, its the simple fact that he's non magical. You see dear sister, both the arrows had a small amount of poison on them, but don't be alarmed. This particular poison doesn't kill its victims, because its ment for magical targets such as yourself. This poison affects the magic in ones body. And by that, i mean it weakens your abilities from using spells, but you can still do simple stuff such as telekinesis, and how you are affected by magic. Such as you are for the moment unable to be affected by healing spells. And added to the fact that you are now heaver, so flight is out of the question for now."

"But. How is Eclipse able to fly if hes non magical?", Twilight asked with a hoof pointed at Eclipse.

"Brute strength", Eclipse replyed while making a point by flexing an arm until making his already large bicep bulge.

"Oh. Well I guess that works just the same. Added to the fact you also have an obviously large surface area to work with."

"What can I say? Genetics love me", Eclipse said over his shoulder as he too was making his way over to Sugarcube corner.

'ding'

"I'll be right with-your highnesses! And.. Eclipse?.. Is.. Is that really you?"

"The one and only miss Cake... Sorry about the mess i made a few days ago, i was forced to 'land' here, if you get my meaning."

"Oh thats fine dearie. But if I may ask? Why land in here?"

"I was just about to ask the same thing", Dash asked from a nearby table.

"Ever try to land on water when your goin flat stick with a load on? No offence princess Luna."

"None taken", Luna quickly dismised.

"No. Why? Does it hurt?"

"Id rather fly head first into the nearest mountain at my top speed than land on water."

"Pfft. At YOUR top speed? Your talking to the fastest flyer in Equestria, so it couldn't of hurt that much. Anyway, why were you.. Uhh.. Not going to land in water?"

"Thats funny that you call yourself 'The Fastest Flyer in Equestria', because it should now be 'The Fastest Pegasus in Equestria and The Slowest Flyer in the world'. And the reason I landed in here is because I had the 'choice' of ditching in the lake and getting myself and luna killed from the impact or, end up with a few bruises and busted bones. And I chose the second option."

Celestia watched as Rainbow Dash and Eclipse were now arguing over who was the fastest flyer in all the land, and she chuckled lightly to herself at some old memories that were starting to surface, "Ahh, those were the days."

"Excuse me princess, but.. Uhh.. Could you tell me about how you and Eclipse are family friends?", asked Twilight as she too watched this 'spectater' sport.

"Ok then. You might want to take a seat, this is a long story. It all happened during the war between the Shadow Elves of the far south."

35 years ago.

Battle. Violence... Death.

These were the things that ran through Celestia's mind as she ran as fast as her already fatiuqed body would go. Her wings were in ruin. Her perfect white coat was red with blood. Her mane and tail now draged in the dirt. And the tip of her horn was snapped off. She was a wreck. She gambled a glace behind her, only to see her pursuers were still with her, baying for blood. Her blood. She kept running for as long as she could, but it wasn't long before her legs buckled from beneath her, and she fell to the ground comletely exhausted.

Her pursuers caught up with her and were now laughing like hyenas would. Just before they made the kill. "So Celestia. Are you ready to die? To bad if you arn't", and with that last sentence the laughing increased, and her hope plummeted. She raised her head to gaze into the eyes of her killer. The leader raised his sword preparing to strike uttering thier prayer, "for the father, our king." Celestia looked back at the ground and waited for the blow.

All of a sudden, the otherwise still air was broken by a loud explosion. Celestia quikly looked back up to her would-be executioner, only to find half his head missing with his comrades in shock from what had happened.

"Get. The fuck. AWAY from her you sons of bitches!"

Celestia whipped her head around to look behind her only to see something that made her blink in disbelief. It was tall, and well built. It wore clothes on its mostly hairless body with a felt hat atop its small head, and it stood on its hind legs as tall as she. It was a human. A legend ment to scare young alicorn foals from doing anything naughty, was now standing in front of her, defending her from her assailants. In its clawless fingers, it held a long metal stick with a wooden bottom that got larger as it got to the rear. The stick had a compact telescope on top, and it had a small knob on the side, and a small ring of metal on the bottom protecting a small sliver of metal.

The elfin soldiers regained thier composure and stood thier ground, "This does not concern you. Now get lost before we lose our temper."

The human lifted one of its hands to the small knob on the side of its stick, lifted it, and pulled it back, which made the stick eject a small brass cylinder. It then pushed the knob forwads and down again, "one last warning you fucking retarded gimps. Piss off and leave her alone." The elves roared, and charged at the human. The human raised its stick to its shoulder, and leveled it at the nearest one. Its finger then wrapped itself around the small piece of metal at the bottom and pulled it.

There was another crack of thunder, and the leader fell. The human repeated the process with knob again, and there was yet another crack of thunder, and another fell. The last elf was now too close for the human to pull the knob again (pun unintended), so it fliped the stick around so it was now holding the long metal piece in its hands like a club. "COME AND FUCKING GET ME YOU SHITSTICK SO I CAN KNOCK YOUR FUCKING HEAD OFF AND MOUNT IT!!!". The elf complied. As soon as the elf got within range, the human swung its improvised club, which connected with the side of the elfs head with a sickening crack.

The human now stood over its quarry before it lifted its now obvious weapon above its head, and brought it down again on the dead elfs head. Again. And again.

After the human had reduced the head to nothing but a gory puddle, it threw its now useless weapon away, lifted its head towards the sky and let out a blood curdling warcry. It then turned towards Celestia, and started to make its way to her. Celestia was now truly afraid of this legendary creature of violence, death and pain. When the human had reached her, it stood there. Looming. Threatening. She quickly jamed her eyes shut as it raised a hand to its shoulder, obviously getting ready to deliver a killing blow to her. But she was snapped out of her state of utter fear when there was a loud thump on the ground in front of her. She opened her eyes to find a large bag lying in front of her. The human then kneeled down to its bag, unzipped it, and began rummaging through it.

Celestia tried to think of a way to get away from the human before it could pull out another weapon. But her plotting was cut short when the human started to pull its hand from its bag. Too scared to look away from the retreating hand, Celestia wondered what the human had decided on what it would use to finish her off, she hoped it would be quick. But what the human pulled out of the bag wasn't a weapon. It was a small white box with a red cross on it with the words 'First Aid' stencled on it, and a carrot. "Hey there. You want somethin t' eat?", the human then held out the carrot for Celestia.

Celestia was indeed hungry, and she stared at the carrot expecting it to be pulled away at the last second so the human could mock her. But the carrot held its place in front of her muzzle, "Go on. Take it. I got plenty more. Ya can 'ave a second if ya eat this one, and a third if ya let me take a look at ya." Celestia cautiously sniffed the carrot before she gingerly took it from its fingered grip, "There ya go, now I promised ya could 'ave a second one, so here ya go", and the human thrust another carrot into range of her muzzle.

Celestia had to admit, this human knew how to fix up her up, and it had so far kept every promise it made. The human was now sitting cross legged in front of her, re-arranging its 'First Aid' kit. She had to say something to it, to thank it for saving her, and giving her medical attention. Only two words could summaries how she felt, "Thank you."
"SONOFAFUCK!!!", the human propelled itself away from her in complete shock, as if it didn't expect her to talk. It now lay somewhat awkwardly on its side, pointing a shaking finger at her, "th.. The fuck? You can.. Talk?"
Celestia nodded, "I'm sorry if I startled you. But i had to say something for your kind deeds." "ya nearly gave me a fuckin heart attack, but from whats happened t'day this is a new one."

"Why? What happened?"

"first up, I was out huntin feral pigs when the ute shit itself. Second, after I pull me head out from under th bonnet, I find myself here. Third, I saw them fuck 'eads tryin t' kill a horse with wings an' a horn (aka you), then ya said thanks. The first one would be normal on any other day. But two and three are new."

"I see. Once again, I am sorry for giving you a fright."

"nah shes right. Now. Do you have anywhere to be in particular? A fowards operating base or something similar?"

"How do you know I was in battle?", Celestia asked with amazement.

"th' breast plate kinda gave it away.", the human replyed as it shoved its first aid kit back into its bag.

Celestia looked down to her chest to see a scratched and dented golden breast plate, "Oh. Well I don't think i can walk that far to the command tent."

"How far away is it?"

"Its a few miles to the north.", Celestia said as she nodded in a northerly direction.

"Hmm. Can ya stand? It just has to be for a few seconds."

"I think so. Why if I may ask?"

"Well. If you let me put my bag on ya, I could carry ya there."

It was decided. Celestia agreed to having the humans bag on her back, while she rode him to the command tent. Celestia winced slightly as the human stood up with a bit of effort, with the rope that was tied around both cutting into each others skin slightly. "North was it?", Celestia nodded, "righto then". The human then dug his hand into one of the pockets on his shirt, and pulled out a small black rectangle with a silver back. The human pressed a button and the rectangle lit up, the human then used a finger to fiddle with the strange rectangle, each movement of his finger manipulating it. After a few seconds, the human pressed a small triangular symbol, and music started to play from it. "So. Ya got a name?" "Celestia" "Nice to meet you Celestia. Names Cameron."

Present day.

"So.. What happened after that?"

"While I was healing, he helped us win the war, then he retired to become a Blacksmith. And he was the finest Blacksmith in Equestria, and Ponyville was lucky to have him. And a few years after that, he married a nice young pegasus mare, and they both had a child, and they called him Jacob. But he was always called Eclipse. And Eclipse it shall remain."

"But, that incident was fifteen years ago. Shouldn't have Ponyville gotten a new Smithie?"

"Yes Twilight, it was fifteen years ago. We were asked if we wanted a new Blacksmith, but we all said no. So now we get contractors from Canterlot."

"But why Rarity?"

"Sentimental reasons. You couldn't replace Cameron for his skills for even a million bits. Like the princess said, he was the best. He could make things to last."

"My regalia Twilight. Cameron made it all for me as soon as the war ended, 34 years ago. I have never had to have it repaired. And quite frankly, its alot more stunning and comfterble than any other regal wear i've ever had.

"So he was even better than the leader of the Blacksmiths Union?"

"My student. He was the leader till the day he died."

Then thier convosation got interrupted by laughter, and all three mares looked over to where Eclipse and Dash were sitted at. "And i kid you not D, his glasses were like this.", and Eclipse grabed ahold of both thier empty mugs and put them to his eyes, which made Dash fall off her chair, and cross her fore legs from her laughter, "Now, combine that with the best combover you could possibly imagine." Dash then laughed so hard that her face was beginning to look even bluer than ever, and she began to gasp for air.

After a few minutes, Dash had sort of managed to settle down a bit, but she was still giggling from whatever Eclipse was talking about, "Oh Celestia, if only Pinkie Pie was here to hear that. Speaking of which, where is she?" "I've got a fairly rough idea." "Really? Where?" "Looking for the best combover to go with coffee mug glasses." And once again, Dash was rolling on the floor in laughter.

"Ok. But seriously Eclipse. Where would she be?" Twilight asked.

Eclipse scratched his chin and pondered for a second, "Hmmm, knowin her. Shes most likely stettin up some 'Welcomehomefromthedeadinwhichyouwereflyingaroundtheworldforfiffteenyearswithoutwritingtousoncebecause youweretryingtoprotectusfromsomebadguyspartywhichdoublesupasathankyouforsavingprincessLunaparty'.", and Eclipse gasped for air, "I really do not know how she can say stuff like that without taking a breather. And i've got a large lung capacity. So thats sayin somethin."

"Shes got me stumped on that one too. As with her Pinkie sense."

"Yeah the Pinkie sense has everypony stumped. Your not the only one tryin to figure it out."

"Eclipse, darling?" Rarity interupted.

"Yes, Rarity-poodums dear?"

"Would it intrest you if I made up some attire for you, including some boots? And i remember not wanting you to call me that", the last sentince said with a hint annoyance.

"Why yes it would interest me, but I can't pay you for it."

"Call it a favour for not calling me by that name again."

"Ok then, yes please. But on one condition. No fancy stuff, just basics for me."

Rarity sighed, obviously disappointed with Eclipses request on non fancy clothing, "Ill see what i can do". And she trotted off to her boutique

"So, Eclipse. Do you have anywhere to sleep tonight?", asked Twilight.

"I'm sure theres a good tree somewhere out in the park."

"A tree? I was going to offer a room at the library for you."

"Huh? Oh, right yeah. Well if you insist."

"SPIKE! Get the spare room set up, we have a guest."

"You don't have to do that, Ill probably end up sleeping on the bookshelf."

At that moment, Spike walked out of the kitchen with an amethyst in his claws, with a large chunk bitten out of it, "Is that him? Hi i'm Spi-", Spike was sudenly interrupted as he got pinned to the wall via his throat from Eclipse. "Dragon, what are you doing here?", Eclipse growled menacingly at the small purple dragon squirming against his vice like grip. "ECLIPSE!!! LET GO, YOUR CHOKING HIM!!!". At Twilights request, Eclipse let go of spike and he fell to the floor. He then clamored his way over to Twilight, crying as he did so.

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR!? YOU COULD OF KILLED HIM!", Twilight stomped her hoof for emphasis.

Regrets

Twilight awoke after a night of unrest, still feeling guilty for yelling at Eclipse. As it turns out, he got those three scars on his face from a dragon just a few decades older than spike. Spike understood, and made up with Eclipse. She had just finished brushing her mane, when she noted the smell of a cooked breakfast in the air. It must be a pretty special occasion for Spike to cook a meal. But when she got to the kitchen, it wasn't Spike doing the cooking, but Eclipse slaving over the stove. "G'day, how do ya like ya eggs?", Eclipse asked without even looking away from his cooking.

"Uhhh. What's 'g'day'?", asked Twilight from the doorway looking at the scene before her.

"Oh, dad used to greet ponies like that. Apparently it was used quite commonly were he came from," Eclipse said as he absently flipped a pancake.

Twilight soon found her seat at the table, "Did he say where he came from?"

"He always wished 'bout goin back to some place called 'Australia'," Eclipse shrugged his shoulders, "I dunno, he seemed to be fairly attached to this place. Now back to the question at hand. How do you like your eggs?" he asked as he cracked an egg into the now empty pan.

"Sunny side up please. Uhhh, how did you do that?"

"Do what? Crack the egg into the pan?"

"Yes, how did you do that?"

Eclipse turned to her with a surprised look on his face with a - paint scraper? - clutched in one of his large hands. "You have a Dragon for an assistant. And you've never seen that?"

Twilight shook her head, "I usually cook the eggs," Eclipse shrugged his shoulders then turned back his eggs in the pan, "Eclipse. Why are you using a paint scraper instead of an egg flip?"

"Paint scraper works better. Doesn't stuff it up like an egg flip," Eclipse replied flatly. ((It works. Really it does, I use one all the time and it NEVER stuffs anything up... If you know what your doing.))

Eclipse then walked over to the table with a bowl filled with scrambled eggs; with crushed sapphire in it. As expected, Spikes mouth began to water at the sight, "Whoa, hang on a sec there mate not just yet," Eclipse said as he made his way over to Spikes stash of jewels.

Twilight looked at the bowl of eggs in disbelief. How in the hay did he crush the sapphires? Just as she thought this, Eclipse returned to the table with a small ruby in his hand, "Eclipse? How did you manage to crush the sapphire?"

Eclipse now held the ruby in both hands over the bowl, "Like this," and Eclipse crushed the ruby with his bare hands, sprinkling the dust over the eggs. After he had done this, Eclipse shoved the bowl over to Spike, "There ya are mate. Dig in." And as expected, Spike basically drove his face into the bowl.

After a few seconds, the baby dragon pulled his face from his breakfast with a smile, "Oh wow. Apology accepted," Spike replied as he licked his chops.

"Glad to hear it," Eclipse acknowledged as he put a plate in front of Twilight, containing her breakfast. And Eclipse sat on the other side of the table with his own.

"Ho.. How did you crush that ruby?"

"With my hands. How else would I do that?"

"Just how strong are you?"

"Strong enough," Eclipse said as he picked up his knife and fork in his hands. Twilight ignored her breakfast, and studied the way in which Eclipse was manipulating the cutlery in his hands.

Wow. Their strong AND dexterous. Nothing like a dragons. The ultimate utility tool. Is that why his father was the best Blacksmith in Equestria?, "Hey Eclipse. What did your father look like?" She knew it was a silly question.

"Like me, but minus the wings," came the reply.

"Oh. Ok," and Twilight took the bit of pancake that was on her fork. Her eyes went as wide as her plate. Oh Celestia. These are the best pancakes I've ever had.

"Did I undercook em?" Eclipse asked with a hint of concern.

Twilight swallowed her mouthful of pancake, "No. These are brilliant! Just out of curiosity, does your cutie mark have anything to do with cooking?"

"I don't have a CM," he replied bluntly.

"Ok, funs over. Let's see it."

"I honestly don't have one. I've got a birth mark, but not a cutie mark."

'Non magical? No cutie mark? But his mother was apparently a Pegasus, so he would have to have SOME magic'.

Again, Eclipse read her mind, "Dad was non magical, so my best guess is that I've more of his side in me."

"You know I still don't belive that you haven't got a cutie mark," Twilight said as the odd pair were making their way to Carousel Boutique. "Everypony has a cutie mark."

"Well I'm sorry to say this, but I don't have one in any shape or form. Dad never had one, and according to him, no other human did either."

Then their convocation got interrupted by none other than princess Celestia who once again appeared from nowhere, "He speaks the truth, my faithful student. His father never had a cutie mark, and as go the old stories Alicorn mothers would tell their foals to make them behave."

Any protection shall be in vain.
Against this creature of death and pain.
One thing does it desire.
Ones flesh cooked by fire.

Where there should be a cutie mark.
You will find it's flank stark.
Fight hard you may.
But quicker shall you not see the next day.

Never will it have a goal.
For black is it's soul.
Now behave my little one.
Or the human will come.

"Really Cel? Thanks for portraying us humans like that, even if I am a hybrid," Eclipse said with a slight frown on his face. "Anyhow. Why aren't you back in Canterlot?"

"Oh, Lulu wanted to spend the night here, so we went to the inn," Celestia dismissed with a wave of her hoof. "So what are my two favorite students doing on such a fine morning?"

Twilight whirled around and stared at Eclipse with a look of disbelief, "Your one of her students!? But you don't have any magic, so how were you a student to the princess?"

Eclipse burst out with laughter, "Oh Cel. You shouldn't scare your student like that," Eclipse said as he wiped a tear from his face. "It was a tutorship. Cel here would often visit us during the evening when she had essentially knocked off from work. And she would quite often help me with my homework."

"Oh. Well I guess that makes sense," Twilight said.

"Oh does it just," Eclipse said as he pushed the door open leading into Rarity's boutique. As he did so, he was met with a pitch black room with no light coming in from any windows or doors. And a cold lump formed in his gut, for he knew exactly what this ment, "Awww crap."

Just as he said this, the lights flared to life and all the ponies in Ponyville jumped from their hiding places with a loud, "SURPRISE!".

"Dang it Pink, you know I don't like it when ponies jump out at me like that!"

At that moment, Pinkie Pie bounced her way up to Eclipse with a huge smile on her face, "Oh silly, it wouldn't be a 'surprise' party if you weren't surprised."

"Yeah 'surprised', not flailing around the room trying to catch your skin 'cause you got scared out of it," Eclipse replied an annoyed tone. "But thanks anyway."

And as expected, Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie, changed the subject, "Hey look. Your friends made it," she said as she pointed a hoof out the door.

Eclipse, Celestia and Twilight turned around to see these 'friends' Pinkie was on about. When they saw them, Celestia went completely catatonic, with utter terror on her face. While Eclipse and Twilight just looked them up and down before recognizing Celestia's state of pure fear of these beings. "Hey, Cel. What's wrong?" Eclipse asked, his voice laced with concern.

She only said two words, that spoke emense volume to Eclipse, which made him tense up ready for anything.
"It's him."

"Him, who ol' girl?"

Celestia turned to Eclipse with a fear he had never seen in his old friends eyes, "35 years ago, the leader you see here.. Was shot and killed by your father when we first met." Eclipses jaw dropped, he had heard stories about that fateful day, and about his fathers legendary weapon of a thousand arrows and spears. He was told that NOTHING survived being struck by his fathers 'Rifle'.

"Celestia, we meet again you old coward," the leader spoke, voice dripping with malice.

Twilight then noticed Eclipses hands had balled into fists, his head was lowered with his eyes closed, and he was starting to make deep hissing sounds every time he let out a breath. She looked to Pinkie and Celestia, whose attention had turned to the now obviously angry Eclipse, both their faces had the same look. 'run! Just run!'

Eclipse then opened his eyes, and instead of their normal deep crimson color, they had turned a deep black. So deep they now absorbed all light, and Twilight also noticed his hands started to glow a faint aura of the same color. But this aura, much against any and all logic, glowed with an intensity that stunned Twilight and the princess. "You will not speak to the princess like that," Eclipse said in a voice that was in a sense, a low rumble in his chest.

"Oh. Is that so you insignificant insect?", the leader taunted. "Well then, we might get two birds with one stone. Then after that," the leader then smiled so evilly, that it could strip paint off the walls, "We shall kill the viliagers and feast upon their flesh."

Eclipses wings ruffled the slightest amount, then he slowly turned towards the group, reveling his obvious burning anger. "As long as I live, you will not touch my friends. So if you value your lives, then you will return to the hole you call home."

"ENOUGH!!! Kill them both!" Then from out the back of the group, a pair of archers reviled themselfs with weapons at the ready. They took aim. And let go on the strings.

It all happened so quickly that the princess had to blink a couple of times to comprehend what had happened, as Eclipse now had one of his glowing fists in front of her face with an arrow in it's grasp with the tip just inches from her face, and Eclipse sported a fresh cut on his own. Eclipse then let go of the arrow and wiped a few fingers across his cheek, then examined the blood on them.

"Big mistake."

Eclipse then launched himself into a run faster than Twilight could blink, with the added fact he ran faster than anything she had ever seen. Roaring a blood curdling war cry, Eclipse sprinted his way into the group of evident warriors, and let loose. His fists connected with the first one he could reach, and Eclipse sent him into the ground with a sickening 'smack', and the others came at him with every weapon imaginable, from daggers to a spear. Eclipse dodged and blocked the blows they gave, and gave some of his own, using his arms as both shields and as weapons along with his glowing fists.

Eclipse fought, and the group of warriors was falling fast. Eclipse was currently finishing off an opponent, using his fists like clubs, when another came at him with a spear at the ready. "ECLIPSE!!! BEHIND YOU!!!" Twilight bellowed just as the spear was launched.

Eclipse spun on his heel and caught the spear mid flight, spun it over his head like the rotor blade Pinkie used on her contraption a few months back, before smashing the end with the tip on it to the ground, breaking the head off. He now stood with his feet apart with his new staff pointed out in front of him, in a rather dramatic yet menacing way, before he once again spun his weapon around his body, over, behind and beside him before he lunged back into battle.

How the hay can he fight without those massive wings of his getting in the way?

Eclipse continued to fight like a whirlwind from hell, breaking bones and giving bruises. But what scared Twilight, the princess and Pinkie most of all, was the fact Eclipse looked so calm. He just stared straight ahead, boring his cold glare into the very souls of his victims, all while fighting with a fury like a cut snake in a tumble dryer. This went on for a few seconds, before a new opponent and weapon reviled themselves.

This particular warrior was HUGE, and he sported two slightly curved swords, one in each hand. Eclipse turned just in time to see this new opponent swing his blades, and Eclipse raised his staff to block the blow, but his staff was cut short (quite literally) by the two wicked looking weapons. Eclipse then discarded his now useless weapon and got into a crouch, as his opponent raised his swords for a downwards strike.

Just before the warriors weapons reached their peak above his head, Eclipse sprang up and over the head of his foe, pushing his hands on the pummels of the blades, sending them into the warriors back effectively killing him. Eclipse landed on the other side of his now dead opponent, lifted himself off the ground, and without looking back, grabbed ahold of both handles and yanked them free.

Eclipse then raised both swords in front his chest and crossed them over in a dramatic defensive gesture, "Come and get me. If you can," his cold, heartless glare still present. The remaining warriors took him up on his challenge, but they were never prepared for the awesome speed that was an angry Eclipse.

Blood was spilt. Agonizing cries filled the crisp morning air. Flashes and the echoing bang of steel on steel. And the wet 'thwacks' of blades cutting flesh filled the ears and eyes of the ponies who dared to look on. But most were too scared to even move. Eclipse was now blocking a failed blow, which he did by crossing both his blades under that of his would-be killer.

They stared at each other, waiting for the right moment to strike. This went on for what felt like ages. Then after Eclipse had felt that enough was enough, he flicked his left wrist and sent his enemies blade flying before he spun on his heel and jammed his left blade through the midsection of his once-was foe. Then in one swift series of motions from his right wrist, he spun and swung the blade around before flinging it over his shoulder to one remaining enemy, sinking it up to the guard in his throat. And standing behind his latest casualty, was the leader of these 'warriors', quaking with absolute terror. Eclipses face remained placid as he stepped over the body's that littered the ground, to within spitting distance of the leader. He then formed his still glowing hands into a crude claw shape, extended his now blood soaked wings above his head, took a step forwards lowering his torso, and let out the most terrifying roar that anypony had ever head. Windows broke, houses shook and even princess Celestia cringed at this awesome barrage of terrifying noise, emanating from someone she had known from his birth. After Eclipse had finished his battle cry, the leader took this as his leave and ran as fast as his legs could carry him. Eclipses hands lost their glow, his wings folded behind him and he turned back to see the horrified faces of his home town and friends.

Twilight had simply forgotten how to speak, how transfer her thoughts to her mouth. She had let a killer sleep in her library last night. And as she looked at the being in front of her, covered in blood that wasn't his and hardly even concerned for the ones he had killed left her speechless.

Eclipse then looked at his skinned and bruised knuckles, then looked at his blood covered hands and looked back to his terrified friends. "I shouldn't have come back," Eclipse said in a sad tone, before he leaped up into the sky, and vanished.

A/N

*Sorry if this chapter isn't very long, but I've been working flat out and haven't had much time to write this up.*

Regrets: Part 2

"Are you sure he would be here?. . . I mean. . His parents where killed here. Remember?"

"Think about it RD. He wasn't on Clover hill, or the at the pond, or at the hollow. So..." Applejack paused as she turned to face Dash who hovered over the wrought iron gate that led up to an old house, which was supposedly Eclipses place when he was younger, "He must be here, if not anywhere else."

Twilight was still wondering why she was being dragged along, she didn't want to see this. . . This murderer. But nonetheless, Celestia, Luna and her friends had dragged her every hoof-step of the way, right up to the front door of this old house up on oak hill. Applejack knocked on the old wooden door. No response. She decided to go in anyway.

The old door creaked on it's hinges, and in the doorway stood Applejack. "Sugar cube? Are ya here?"

Nothing could be heard, except for faint sobbing coming up from the hall. Celestia entered the home, and proceeded towards the noise, the old floorboards creaking as she went. When she had reached Eclipses room she found a sight that left her baffled, yet sad. On the old bed at the far side of the room, sat Eclipse clutching an old photo frame while he sobbed and fought back tears. She saw the photo frame, and knew what the photo in question was. Celestia went and lay down on the old creaky bed and saw the photo. It was Eclipse, back then Jacob. With his mother and father, just after he had learned to fly. He was seven years old. Jacob sat on a sky blue Pegasus with a white mane and tail, with a cloud being blown along by wind gusts as her cutie mark. It was His mother, Prevailing Winds. Standing next to them, tall, strong and proud, was Cameron. His father.

Eighteen years. Eighteen years since he had first learned how to fly. Fifteen since he had vanished. Fifteen years she hadn't seen this innocent boys gleeful, infectious smile.

"I shouldn't have come back," Eclipse said without looking away from the photo. His cracking voice barely in check.

"If you hadn't of come back, Lulu wouldn't be here. If you hadn't come back, Ponyville and I would be dead. Yes you killed, but you saved us," Celestia said as she soothingly rubbed a hoof on his shoulder.

A short blast of air escaped Eclipses nose, "You don't get it do you? Did you see me even flinch as I took those lives with my bare hands? The rage in my eyes? The hatred with every move? I'm a killer, and nothing will change that."

"A killer, yes. But y'all fought to defend, and killin' them was just the undesired side effect," Applejack interrupted from the doorway.

"No AJ. It was the desired effect. I wanted them dead for threatening my friends," Eclipse said as he shot a glance at Applejack. Leaving her stunned.

"Yes. Out of love," said Celestia, causing Eclipse to turn and look at his oldest friend in the eye. "It's because you love your friends like you do that caused you to kill them in hatred. Or to be more exact, fear. Fear of losing the ones that you love."

Eclipse let out a weak chuckle, "Oh Cel. I don't feel fear anymore. Only anger and hatred against those who dare fight me. I learned a long time ago that fear makes you venerable to mistakes. Makes you weak!" and with that last statement, he threw the photo frame at the nearest wall. Causing it to shatter. Then Eclipse began to cry openly.

"You mean to tell me, that one being decimated your entire squad?"

"Y...yes your excellency. H...he fought like nothing I have ever seen. A force of nature, with the fury of a thousand hurricanes," the desecrated warrior said as he continued to kneel before The Shadow.

"I do not care how he fought. All I care about is why you have failed to kill that weakling Celestia, and find the body of Luna. And why the best warriors in the known world have failed to kill one being?"

"In all honesty, we think that this being was the same one who rescued the night princess when Lok'l shot her down. Another team claims to have shot down a creature of similar discription at roughly the same time at a different location near the edge of the forest." Although the ghostly apparition lacked any appendages, Tric'co could feel the living shadow almost scratch it's chin in thought.

"Describe this creature to me. Every detail."

"He was tall, with large, black and silver wings. He had scars that covered his entire torso and face. His dark eyes oozed anger and hatred. His hands glowed with dark flames. His voice betrayed no fear or emotion. Each of his breaths was like that of a giant serpent. He had the strength of ten of my men. And the speed to rival even light itself," then Tric'co shuddered uncontrollably as he recalled the most frightening memory, "And his roar could rival even the dragon kings, for ferocity and volume."

"Thank you Tric'co for this information. Now leave while I ponder."

"Yes excellency," and with that, Tric'co scurried out of the tent.

"Me? Magic? What are the royals smoking these days, and how strong is it? Why would I have magic? I can't even land on clouds and I'm a creature of flight Cel."

"Well, my best guess is that your magic is brought on by fits of rage or defensiveness. Either way, you've got magic, and you've never tried to land on a cloud before."

"Well... You do have a point about me not tying to land on a cloud before. But magic? You've gone bananas ol girl," Eclipse said as he leaned against the wall out on the veranda they were all sitting on.

"It's true," Twilight interrupted. "You had a fully functioning magic field around your hands."

Eclipse scoffed at this, "I'm twenty five years old. You'd think I'd know by now if I had any magic."

Now it was Rarity's turn to try and convince him, "Darling could you at least try to use magic? Just so you can see for yourself?"

"Ugh, fine," and Eclipse stuck out one of his arms, and pointed his hand with fingers splayed, at a small nut lying on the floorboards.

"Now. Concentrate on whatever object your thinking about. Clear your head, and grasp the object with your mind," Celestia coached.

Eclipse did exactly that. He cleared his mind of all irrelevant things, except for the lonely nut, and concentrated on it. Then he 'saw' the nut in his minds eye. What had originally started out as a blur in the back of his mind, morphed into the nut he saw on the floor. He tried to grab it with his mind, but he failed. "Concentrate. Feel it," Celestia whispered in his thoughts. Eclipse tried again, concentrating with every ounce of will power he had, and slowly, he began to feel the nut in his 'grasp'. Eclipse opened his eyes to see a floating nut, suspended in a glowing black aura, and his hand covered in black, magical flames that danced around his hand, licking at the air like the flames on a campfire. And the strange thing was that his hand felt... Warm... Cozy... Like it was in an actual fire. And as soon as he thought this, the nut burst into flame, and turned to ash. Eclipse recoiled at this and looked at his hand in shock and awe. No bloody way... I have magic?

"That... Was cool. But why did it suddenly catch fire? I just noted the fact that my hand felt warm then "poof"," Eclipse said as he flexed his fingers experimentally. The others just stood there, mouths agape at what they just saw. With the exception of Fluttershy, who had dived into the nearest bush and was peaking out from it.

Luna, with mouth still agape from what she had just seen, turned to look at her sister who had the same look on her face. "Celie? Was that... What I think it was? Was that... Elemental magic?"

Celestia just looked at the pile of ashes on the floor, "Impossible... The only beings to posses elemental magic were the guardians and-"

"Yes but the guardians needed to be trained to use it, and they needed to use a special combination of moves to activate what spell they wanted to use," Luna interrupted before Celestia could finish.

"Yes Lulu, but the legends told of a being, a warrior, who could use elemental magic WITHOUT training or a combination of moves."

"The only ones known capable of doing such a feat were our ancestors Gia, and Anshar... Surely you are not considering this? They were legends."

"Legends, yes. True? Yes, for they were our ancestors, living and breathing, like you and I. So Eclipse must be a warrior of the elements. The Elemental Warrior. The most powerful creature in the known world," and as Celestia finished this she looked over to Eclipse, who had the most dumbstruck look on his face.

Eclipse then pointed a finger into his ear, then shook his head around while making rattling sounds, before pointing his other finger out the other. Now Luna was the one who was dumbstruck by this odd gesture, "Lemme clarify it for ya Lu". Eclipse then waved an open hand over his head while making a 'NNNNNNEOW' noise to accompany his hand. Luna was STILL confused by these VERY odd gestures, "Bah never mind, you'll get it eventually."

"He can vanish?"

"Please remind me why we're going to Canterlot?" Eclipse asked from his spot under a shady tree, as he, the princesses, Twilight and Dash waited for the chariot.

"Its so we can run some tests on you. You know, physical and magical, that sort of thing," Celestia dismissed.

"Ah."

"So Clipie, are ya gonna be flyin' in the chariot, or with me?" Dash asked with her chest , as always, puffed with pride.

"I do have two arms, two legs, two wings and a heart beat. Of course I'm gonna be flyin' out of th chariot."

Dash rubbed her hooves together in glee at this.

"Shame the others couldn't come eh," Eclipse said with a sigh. "Oh well, you'll get ta run some tests on me," Eclipse said over Twilights direction making her look up from her book to see Eclipse flick his eye brows at her, making her cheeks turn scarlet. This of course had Eclipse and Dash in fits of laughter, and even made the princesses giggle. Twilight just huffed and went back to reading her book.

"Hey look. The chariots here," Dash said as she pointed to a growing dot in the sky.

"'Bout time too. Now if you'll excuse me I gotta get away from the fan club," and Eclipse took off and again disappeared, right before a certain green unicorn came galloping towards the group.

"ECLIPSE, I KNOW YOU LOVE ME!!! I KNOW YOU DO!!! YOU CAN'T DENY IT!!!" And after that, she took off as quickly as she came.

"...Whoa..." all four mares said in unison.

"Fun fact: Lyra is the only pony to make him take off like that," Dash stated.

"I can tell why dear," Rarity said as she walked up to the group with some clothes, and a strange pair of leather containers with thick rubber on the bottom upon her back. "Well it seems that you'll have to give these to him on my behalf. Now can you please tell him that I've made him five sets of clothes and a pair of boots."

"So that's a boot?" Twilight asked as she poked one of the leather containers with a hoof.

"Why yes Twilight. His father always wore those... Monstrosities everywhere he went, but I will admit. They are fairly sturdy. Well, considering he always called them WORK boots. But unlike his fathers, Eclipses don't have a steel cap."

"A 'steel cap'?"

"Yes, it was a piece of metal that encased the tip of the boot to prevent his toes getting crushed if he dropped something heavy on them."

"Clever, very clever," Twilight said as she put the boot back with the other one next to the pile of clothes.

"I'm really sorry ms Rarity, but we must be going," princess Celestia said as the chariot landed in front of them.

"Oh no, that's perfectly fine your majesty. I'll be off then. Bye Twilight, bye Rainbow."

Goodbyes sorted. Luggage packed. The princesses and Twilight boarded the chariot, and left Ponyville behind them as they made their way to Canterlot.

"Dash, I thought you said Eclipse would be following us."

Dash flew up beside Twilight and shrugged, "I don't know, maybe he flew on ahead."

Then something on a cloud caught Twilights attention, a small black blotch. A shadow. But whose? She looked up to try and find the owner, but saw nothing except for a blue sky. Then out of nowhere a speck formed, which got bigger, and bigger with each passing second. Then a big black bullet shot forth and flew through the small gap between the chariot and the team of pegasi pulling it, shaking the chariot and the passengers.

"WHAO, WHAT THE HAY!?" Twilight shouted as she peered over the side to try and see what had just zinged by. Only to find nothing.

"OI! Ya lookin' for me?"

Twilight whirled around to find Eclipse calmly flying alongside the chariot as if nothing ever happened with a big, smug grin on his face. Ignoring the look on his face, she looked at how majestically he flew. Massive wings out to their full span, with his right one shadowing the chariot, he simply glided. On, and on. Barely even thinking to flap, unlike the three pegasi of the group who continuously flapped just to stay aloft. Luna then joined her to look at this rather awe inspiring feat. Then Twilight noted shading of his wings had changed from their moonlight on water illusion, to that of a starry sky.

"Hey Clipie, race ya to that cloud!" Dash shouted before she zoomed off.

Eclipse gracefully rolled away from the chariot, and gave an almighty flap. Luna and Twilights jaws hung from their faces as Eclipse shot away with a deafening 'FWOOMPH'. Three seconds later they heard a "Hey, no fair I wanna rematch!" from Dash. Then a "Hey I did tell ya that I've gotten quicker" from Eclipse.

They were nearing Canterlot. Their chariot was descending for the runway on the edge of Canterlot Mountain, Dash went ahead and landed, then the chariot. Eclipse just kept going, before he practically turned on a pin head to face away from the mountain. Now what's he doing? Twilight thought to herself. Eclipse then tilted his wings back and got then caught in the updraft caused by the cliff face where the runway was put, which in turn gently brought him to the ground. Then they were met by the sound of somepony applauding, and up came a dark blue unicorn stallion with test tube and beaker as his cutie mark.

"Chemical Analysis. How are you doing today?" Celestia asked as she stepped off the chariot.

"I am doing well your majesty. Is this the specimen?" he asked as he gestured to Eclipse.

"Pardon me, but I'm not a specimen. Anyhow, names Jacob but everypony else calls me Eclipse," and Eclipse put his hand out to shake.

"Likewise, and I'm sorry if I offended you. It will be a pleasure putting you under the preverbal microscope. Do you mind if I..?"

"Go ahead. That's why I offered it."

Chemical Analysis then grabbed ahold of Eclipses hand, and began to examine it. "Hmmm... Full 360 degree movement in the wrist... Five appendages on each hand, all nimble and dexterous... The smallest and fattest, fully opposable... Knuckles (I'm guessing) skinned and bruised, most likely from---"

"Ahem," Celestia interrupted causing Chemical Analysis to look up from his examination of Eclipses hand.

"Oh, sorry I thought you meant I could examine it."

Eclipse grabbed Analysis's hoof and gave it a shake, making him stare at Eclipses hand in fascination. "Nah it's ok. Your just doing your job."

"Wow... Grip, very very strong. No doubt very powerful."

"Yeah Twilight can vouch for that," Eclipse said as he thrust a thumb over his shoulder at the lavender unicorn.

"How strong?"

"Well.. He did crush a ruby and some sapphires in his hands," Twilight said matter of factly.

"Impressive. Now standing out here won't get us any data now will it?"

"No, I believe it won't will it. Lead the way," Eclipse said with a wave of his hand.

"Well, if it's all good with you princess Celestia I'll be in the library."

"That's perfectly fine Twilight. I will see you both at dinner."

'wow, what a way to spend the afternoon', Twilight thought as she walked through the corridors of Canterlot towards the science wing, her head filled with new knowledge. She rounded the corner and walked into the lab, which she had spent most of her time when she lived in Canterlot. When she arrived, she found the scientist she had met earlier that day, with his head resting on a table asleep. And Eclipse in another room running on a treadmill, reading a book.

"Uhhh. Mister Analysis?"

Analysis woke with a start and quickly looked at the clock on the far wall, then Eclipse. "Sweet Celestia. He's still going?"

"Excuse me? What do you mean by 'still'?"

"Eclipse here has been running non-stop for almost three hours, and he's not showing any signs of exhaustion," Analysis said with awe an interest.

"Really? How's that possible?"

"Well, I'd say being bipedal has something to do with it. Basically he's only using two limbs for movement, which frees up his chest muscles which in turn allows him to breath better under exertion, which is actually quite efficient. And the fact he has no fur on him, which exposes his skin to the air and he has ALOT of sweat glands. Which combined with bare skin cools him a lot better, even in a hot breeze. Then again his wings could be used as a sort of heat sink. Then he has a larger stride than a quadruped like you or I, further more meaning he doesn't need to run as fast to catch his prey. He's more a creature of distance then speed, meaning he just has to run down his food rather than catch it as quickly as possible, but he is capable of incredible bursts of speed."

"How did you know he eats meat?"

"He told me he was an omnivore, which I tested. His diet is rather strange actually, he cooks his meat before he eats it, but then again it's probably easier for him to digest I guess". Twilight did not what to know how Chemical Analysis tested that.

Then Eclipse calmly walked into the room still reading his book, before he took a seat at the table. "Jus' lettin' ya know that your treadmills buggered."

Analysis just stared blankly at him. "H... H... How did you manage that? That was a top of the line treadmill, and you've just, literally, run it into the ground!"

Eclipse just shrugged his shoulders, and continued reading.

"Anyhow, Mister Analysis. What else is he capable of?" Twilight asked, genuinely intrigued.

"Well.. He can lift almost twice his own weight. As to how I don't have the foggiest idea, but he can lift up to 1.5 metric tons if only just."

Twilights jaw hung limply from her head, while her brain was working overtime to comprehend this new information.

"And I (and a few guards I borrowed), found out that he can simply vanish into thin air if he wants. It was during an experiment of how well he would do in a stressful situation. Results were... Very conclusive". Analysis walked over to a monitor and beckoned Twilight over. "This is the footage of that test."

"Ok boys, here's our task. The good doctor has asked us to harass his little specimen that he's running some tests on. So to make things clear, just piss it off as much as possible". The squad leaders instruction was met with mutters of agreement.

The camera mounted on the leaders helmet turned in time with him, to come to a stop on a lone steel door. "We're ready!". The door opened and Eclipse walked out into the room. He looked about and obviously noticed the boxes strewn about the place, then the group of six guards. "Uhhh.. Doc? What is that?"

"That..." Analysis said over the PA, "Is my.. 'experiment', his name is Jacob or more commonly known as Eclipse".

"He's an ugly one," said one guard. Eclipse held a blank stare, and tilted his head to one side in mock stupidity. "And from the looks of things, not very bright".

Eclipse then flicked his wrist and the lights cut out for a second before they came back to life, to reveal that Eclipse had vanished. Then there was a high pitched scream, followed by a loud thump from the rear of the group. They all whirled around to find the guard that insulted Eclipse, gone. Vanished. Except for his helm that now sat on the ground staring blankly at the group of now five gaurds. "I think I forgot to mention that he CAN understand you".

"QUICK, GET INTO A CIRCLE. EVERYPONY FACING THE OUTSIDE!!!".

This did not help, whatsoever. The lights cut out again, and there were another three muffled yelps in quick succession. The two remaing guards were now facing each other both, presumably from the second on the camera, were struck with terror. "Back to back, and keep circling," whispered the leader. Again. This did not help in any shape or form. There was a shriek of terror from the second guard, but when the leader turned around, the last he saw of his comrade was his hind quarters getting dragged behind a large box.

The squad leader started to hyperventilate, and he started looking in aimless directions. And before long he was starting to babble incoherently. After a few moments of this he took off, and rounded a particularly large box near the edge of the testing room, and he ran smack into something hard, yet soft. As he started to look up a pair of long, clothed legs, an audible gulp came from the squad leader. Eventually the camera came to rest on the rather unamused face of Eclipse, with his beefy arms crossed over his chest.

Eclipse then bent towards the squad leader and tapped him on the head. "Tag.. Your it".

Although that was a somewhat serious test, Twilight was in near agony with laughter. "Oh Celestia, you just made her guards look like idiots. You didn't hurt them though?"

"Nope, just scared them into silence. A couple fainted," was Eclipses reply.

Twilights laughter only increased, till she turned a darker shade of purple and started gasping for air.

"Ah, Twilight, Mister Analysis. I trust the tests were successful?" asked princess Celestia, as she came into the room. "My faithful student, whats so funny?"

"Eclipse... Made... Your guards... Look like... Complete and utter... Imbeciles," She managed through her laughing.

"I'll admit it. I did go a teensy-weensy bit to hard on them, but it was worth it. After all, it's not everyday you make a squad of royal guards squeal like little fillies at a slumber party," Eclipse said nonchalantly, with his stout nose firmly stuck in his book.

"I see. Anyway, I've come to collect you three for dinner. Rainbow Dash is waiting for you, and if I'm not mistaken she's rather impatient".

Nightmares

"WHAT!? AN ELEMENTAL WARRIOR!? YOU DARE MOCK ME!?".

"N-n-no you excellence, our spy wouldn't dare lie to us for we have his family captive," Tric'co said as he whimpered on his knees before The Shadow, gripped with true fear. Silence filled the tent as The Shadow thought. Tric'co knew this as the ghostly apparition started to change colors, from it's usual deep blue to a light shade of red.

"If, this is true. We will need more troops. Tric'co you will go to the Gryphon lands to.. Convince their king to join us. I already have others recruiting the Dragons, Minotors and the Orc clans. All of which want to see Equestria fall."

"Orcs? Why if I might ask? They are just a bunch of savages that try to convert everything they touch".

"Fodder".

"A wise decision your excellence. I shall depart for the Gryphon lands immediately. May the night be eternal, may your rule last".

The Shadow watched Tric'co scurry from the tent, it was only a matter of time before she, Nightmare Moon, had enough power to take on a physical form. A week at best, but for the moment she is but a shadow of her true self. Like when she took possession of that, weakling, Luna. When she had returned from her thousand year banishment, Nightmare Moon was literally hours from having enough power to take on a physical form, only to be stopped be The Elements of Harmony. Foals, the lot of them. When I get my hooves on them all, I'll kill them. Slowly. Painfully.

"YOU DID WHAT TO THOSE GUARDS!?" asked a very surprised Dash.

"I told ya, I scared th' liven' hay out of 'em, and had one scream like a three year old filly with the biggest Hearth Warming presie' under th' tree with her name on it." Eclipse stated matter of factly with a cup of tea in hand. Dash couldn't contain it. She promptly fell on her side and began to laugh, while Eclipse shook his head.

"You know I'm still not impressed about you faking your ability to lift 1.5 tons," Chemical Analysis said as he glared at Eclipse, who gave a nervous glance and twitch expecting another chase around the palace.

Eclipse skidded around the corner, almost losing it on the slick marble floor nearly knocking over some servants just around the bend while hollering at the top of his lungs "I TOLD YOU IT WAS A JOKE AND WAS WILLING TO REDO THE TEST!". And also skidding around the corner came a rather, for lack of a better word, ticked unicorn.

"I DON'T CARE, YOU FALSIFIED THE RESULTS. JUST WAIT TILL I GET MY HOOVES ON YOU!".

Servants and nobles watched in utter bemusement at the sight of a winged bipedal creature being chased by a, literally, mad scientist over some test results. Unfortunately for Analysis, a tall biped like Eclipse is extremely agile in tight areas, making the only way to catch him was to wear him out. Kind of difficult if the chaser is less fit than the chasee, which Analysis was, but karma was on Analysis's side today. Eclipse had made a wrong turn, into a dead end. And you can probably guess what happened at that point, because karma is a bitch.

Eclipse lightly rubbed his sore cheek with his free hand at the memory, "Yeah I don't really wanna go through that again. I take back what I used to say 'bout academics".

"So.. How much can he really lift?" Twilight asked.

"Nearly 200 kilograms, WITHOUT a spell on the weights making them lighter than air," Analysis replied while giving Eclipse another glare.

"Hey don't look at ME like that, your the one who showed me the spell during my magics test".

"But his run on the treadmill? I take it he didn't fake that?" again Twilight asked.

"No, that was all true. I guess the years spent on the move did that to him".

"And what about his little, disappearing act?"

"Your looking at the reason at why Pinkie Pie can pop out of nowhere," Dash answered.

Twilights accusing eyes then set themselves onto Eclipse, who was slowly trying to slink his way under the table, "I admit it, I wasn't thinking straight that day. So in short, I gave the pony who doesn't even consider the laws of physics another advantage. Valuable lesson learned that day, shame I can't take it back".

"Excuse me if I may interrupt, But do you remember how to play?" asked Celestia.

"Play?.. Ooh, play. I think so. Why?"

Then at that moment, Celestia then pulled down a box from atop a large bookshelf. Twilight always wondered what was in that box, tonight she would find out. When the box came down to Eclipse, he undid the clips and pried open the lid, then he pulled out a strange looking instrument. It was as long as she was, with one end that was as wide as Eclipses shoulders with a hole cut in the middle, and the other just as wide as one of her legs with odd lengths of wire of varying thicknesses strung between the two ends, and it was made with very fine ash wood. Eclipse then absently plucked at the wires, while turning some odd knobs at the 'top' end of the contraption, "It's great to see you again ol' pal". Then Celestia levitated a randomly flat triangular-ish chip of plastic.

"Yes, it's been a long time since I heard your guitar in action".

A... Guitar? That's a guitar? I've never heard of them before, Twilight absently thought.

Eclipse started plucking the strings with his chip of plastic in one hand, while he placed his fingers on seemingly random spots with his other. All of which brought out a beautiful melody as he played. And yet again were Twilight, Luna and Analysis fascinated by the strange way in how the instrument was played. "Seriously guys, you three staring at my hands constantly is starting to creep me out. Lyra is bad enough as it is."

"I am truly sorry Eclipse, but it's such a stunning and harmonic sound. It's just so, hypnotizing," Luna confessed, as the other two nodded their heads in agreement.

"Fair enough".

And at that moment, the doors opened up to a few palace servants pushing some trollies filled with food. "Thank you, have a wonderful night," Celestia said as the servants left the room, and Eclipse was already cutting a slice of cake for himself. "Eclipse, I believe you are supposed to eat the mains BEFORE you have desert".

"Life is uncertain... Have desert first".

"MUM! DAD!"

Blood. Everywhere. On his clothes. On the floor. On his hands.

Tears leaving a wet trail down his cheeks, cutting through the grime from lunch at school. Jacob knew it was too late, but his love for his parents drove him on, to look for ANY sign of life. He refused the truth, he didn't want to listen to reason. Their bodies were cold to his touch, their lips were void of colour and their eyes portrayed a fear that was unrecognizable to the small child who kept nudging his beloved parents. His tears wet the fur on his mother, the clothes on his father and fell to the puddle of blood on the floor. A sign of their last act in their lives was his mother and father, hoof in hand with his fathers free one clutching a photo of Jacob as a baby, obviously smeared in blood, in full view of both parents. Jacob looked over to the knife that lay on the floor with the blade covered in his parents blood, with a note next to it.

Your true purpose cannot be fulfilled. Nobody has or ever will strike down our might. You cannot win, you never will. Deciding to exact revenge for our blood will be futile and foolish. But I have an offer to make.

Go into exile. If not, both you and those you hold dear will be slaughtered. Make no mistake, we can and will.
So run. Run away and never return, for yourself and your precious friends.

May the night be eternal. May her rule last. May her enemies perish.

Jacobs hands shook with a violent anger that he never knew. His tears of sorrow were now replaced by an utter and most pure hatred, that they almost burned as they fell from his cheeks. He picked up the knife so hard that the ivory handle was almost crushed in his small hands, 'I'll find you. I'll kill you with this very knife' "I'll make you suffer... I'LL KILL YOU!!!"

"I'LL KILL YOU!!!" Eclipse repeated a second time shooting into a sitting position on the bed, body dripping with a cold sweat that drenched the sheets. And next to the bed wearing a very concerned face was Celestia. It was still the middle of the night, Eclipse knew this because Celestia wasn't wearing her regalia.

"Eclipse... What's the matter?"

Taking a few deep breaths Eclipse settled down. Barely. "I had a nightmare," he replied bluntly.

"I gathered that when I could hear you screaming from inside my chambers. But it was no ordinary nightmare was it?," she asked as she climbed onto the bed, giving Eclipse a hug with her wing.

"No... It was when I found mum and dad dead... When I swore I would kill the one who did it with the same knife they used. As dad would say "God help em if I ever get my hands on them"," his voice was laced with that same hatred he used in his cries. Celestia flinched, but only slightly. Although she knew he could practically rip her in half, she wanted to comfort her friend. "You know you can leave if your scared of me. Sometimes I scare myself, but you have the option of leaving. But the things that scare and torment me most," Eclipse then put a finger to his temple, "Are the memories of what I have done. Horrible things. Things you would never even consider possible". Then he looked Celestia square in the eyes, "Governments and even entire civilizations have been flipped upside down because of what I have done and said. One such civilization called me 'The devourer of nations'."

"Eclipse, please stop."

"Countless gallons of blood, spilled by my hand."

"Eclipse!"

"The fear in their eyes as I took their lives."

"STOP PLEASE!"

"But also the good I've done. I've helped end corruptions. I've slain the most dangerous creatures to help those in need. I've defended the weak, helped the strong. A village I helped, their chief told me "Although it takes honor to wield the sword, it takes courage to wield the shield. But it takes both to die for the innocent"."

"Please... Just stop," Celestia asked in a hushed tone.

"But it's the memory of what happened to the ones I loved most that torture me. More than anypony could imagine, let alone dream," tears starting to make their way forwards.

Celestia was speechless. Sitting beside her was someone who could kill without thinking and could use the most destructive magic known to ponykind. And he was crying, and not in the way he did a few days ago. The tears he shed were of unimaginable pain to Celestia, but she knew the pain they carried. A pain that came with the loss of the ones he loved most in his life, and to be separated from the ones he cared about. Eclipse had once said, "I consider ALL of my friends as my family. You are all equal in my eyes, and my love to you is as equal to that of my parents". He was just six years old when he said that, making him more mature and wiser than any child of his age.

When he said that, Celestia had memories of when her mother told her the legends of the human race.

Long ago, there were three all powerful races. The Alicorns. The Dragonaquis. And the Humans. The Alicorns took possession of the heavens, and hence forth bringing the light of day and the beauty of the night. The Dragonaquis took possession of the earth, giving it life, but also taking it. But the most powerful of these three races were the Humans. A wise, noble and intelligent people, the Humans never took possession of any relm, but instead embraced life itself. Powerful in science, magic and technology, the Humans were the oldest of the three.

Their cities were majestic in every way, nearly double the biggest Dragonaquis city. Their medicine was nothing but the best, one Human nurse was worth three Alicorn doctors. And for every job imaginable, they had their machines. Technology. Although Humans could not fly themselves, they overcome this with flying machines known as airplanes, helicopters and gliders. The Humans were well known and well respected, and in return they kept the peace. But it was a fleeting peace.

A Human king got greedy, he wanted everything. Land, money. Power. Always power. The king corrupted the entire Human race, and went to war with the other two races. Countless lives lost, an entire race extinct. The Humans were so powerful in every way imaginable, that the Alicorns had no choice but to turn to the Creators and tell them of what the Humans were doing and asked for it all to stop. The Creators obliged, and sent the humans into another relm which they could fight amongst themselves and leave this one in peace. And so the Humans became legends, legends became myth. And eventually, the Human was seen as a deadly creature that was used as stories to young Alicorns to make them behave.

Then several millennium Later, some two thousand years before the Nightmare moon incident. All the Alicorns vanished. Without a single trace. To be found nowhere in the world, not even a corpse. The three legendary races, gone. Eternally.

"Eclipse?"

"Yeah?" his voice on the verge of breaking.

"... Let it out, let it all out. I'm here for you, cry on my shoulder, share the pain and get it off your chest," she said in a whisper before hugging him tightly with both wings while giving a small nuzzle. Eclipse basically latched onto her as if she were a piece of driftwood in an endless sea of torment and pain. Or an oasis in a desert of hopelessness and regrets. And he didn't let go as the floodgates of pain and sorrow opened up onto Celestia's shoulder. Then Celestia sung a lullaby that her own mother used to sing to her, hoping that can help a friend whom she had known since he was born. After an hour of sheared tears, he finally dozed off into a fitful sleep.

Celestia wiped her own tears away before heading for her personal chambers. Sunrise was in an hour, and tomorrow, Eclipse will have the time of his life. Once she got to her chambers, she started to write out a letter to the element of laughter.

Dear Pinkie Pie

I have a VERY special assignment for you.

Eclipse is now 26 years old.

"DAMN IT PINKIE!!!"

Ponyville was coming up fast, even faster now that the pegasi pulling the chariot were in a dive ready for landing. Eclipse and Dash went on ahead to scout the town, Eclipse springing into action as soon as he touched the ground, disappearing into an ally way with the grace and speed of an oiled panther. Dash just flew aimlessly around the main streets looking for the beast that was supposedly attacking Ponyville, while Twilight reread the letter that she got nearly half an hour ago from Pinkie.

Twilight

Twi you gotta help us, and I mean 'now'. Ponyville is under attack from a monster, we don't know what it is, Hay even Fluttershy doesn't know what it is. Anyway we need help 'now', come as fast as you can!

Twilight looked at the town again, no signs of an attack anywhere. What's going on?. All the houses, stalls and the lamp posts even where still standing. No damage anywhere. As she and the princesses disembarked the chariot, Dash flew up to them wearing a confused face. "I don't get it. Where's the monster? And how can ANY monster NOT do any damage? And where is everypony?"

"Not in the side streets, not in any of the sheds lying about, not even dads old forge. But the lack of damage has me worried," Eclipse said from his perch on the ridge cap of a nearby building, looking like the dangerous predator he is on the hunt for his next meal.

"What do you think it is?" Celestia asked.

"No major structural damage, not a Hydra or Dragon. No paw prints, not a manticore or timber wolves," Eclipse then raised his squat nose and sniffed, "No scent. To my knowledge, it could be anything from a rouge to a gorgon, but even they leave a scent. That's why I'm worried. I don't know what I might have to fight."

Then Twilights ears perked up, "Guys, I just remembered. Pinkie has a shelter in case of a shelter emergency in Sugar Cube Corners basement."

Eclipse nodded from his perch, this obviously made sense to him, "Seems legit, you go on ahead, I'll see you there."

The walk put everyponys nerves on edge, fearing that something would jump out from the shadows to prey upon them, but they made it to the bakery. "Hey, you made it". The four ponies all looked up to the roof, where Eclipse was perched rather close to the edge of the roof.

"Wai- wha? H.. How did you beat us here?" Luna asked with amazement in his obvious speed, and no doubt, extreme agility.

Eclipse just smirked and, still in a crouch, hopped off the roof in a free fall, landing in the fashion he did when he got out of the hospital, but without making the tiniest sound. Not an "Oof", not a grunt, not a thing. Then in a low predatory crouch, entered Sugar Cube Corner. The rest also entered, and found Eclipse peeking into every nook and cranny trying to find that devious little pink mare. After a minute of searching the first floor, Eclipse turned to the four mares in the main dinning area and gave a shrug.

"HI-*CRASH*-YA!"

Pinkie's mystical powers never cease to surprise. Hence the word "surprise".

This was then followed by nearly everypony in Ponyville jumping from their own respective hiding places all while shouting, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!". Pinkie Pie now stood smiling under Eclipse, who had his head buried in the first floor ceiling, with his feet dangling a few feet above the floor.

Then a slightly muffled voice came from where Eclipses head should be, "Pinkie?"

"Yeah?"

"I am sooooooo getting you a collar with a bell on it."

"Okie dokie lokie!"

Then Eclipse, by the looks of things started to panic, as he started to tremble slightly. Then all of a sudden, "Oh no! No! NononononononononoAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!" and Eclipse stated flailing his limbs in all directions, before curling his body, planting his feet on the ceiling, and pushing in sync with his hands. And you could probably guess what happened as result of that. Eclipse now lay on his back with a frown written on his face looking at the hole his head had inadvertently created in the roof, with curiously lipstick colored, kiss shaped spots randomly dotted about his face.

"Whoa... What happened to you?" Dash asked as she gave Eclipse a nudge with a hoof.

Eclipse simply pointed to the hole in the ceiling and said, "Her," with unfiltered distain.

Dash looked up to the hole, and saw a mint green unicorn looking down at her latest "kill" wearing a very, very creepy grin."Yesh... Is that Lyra again?". Eclipse just nodded. "Ok. I'll go lock her up somewhere for now," Dash said before running up the stairs to catch this menace to Eclipses already frayed sanity.

"Now," Eclipse said while picking himself off the floor, "What was all this about again?"

Pinkie then started to jump excitedly in Eclipses face, "It's your birthday silly! This is your birthday party andIjustwantedtosaythatwasfunnywhenyou-"

Pinkie was abruptly silenced by Eclipse, who pinched her muzzle in between his thumb and index finger, effectively silencing the still bouncing mare, before turning to Celestia. "Lemme guess ol girl, you had Pinks set us up with a little "monster" to get us back here for my birthday?". But the confusing thing was, Eclipse had a small smile on his face. "Thats an old one. You've had fifteen years to come up with new ideas."

Celestia calmly returned the warm smile, "I figured, what the hay. Old joke for an old friend. And now my sister and I would both like to give you something. Something for the warrior". Then Celestia and Luna closed their eyes, and both their horns lit up, burning with a great fury. Then a blinding light filled the room for a few seconds, before fading again. Eclipse opened his eyes to find four floating objects in front of him, with everypony in the room "Oohing" and "Aaahing". "These were our fathers, passed down generation after generation. And we both decided that you should wield them."

Eclipse was at a loss for words. Floating in front of him were a pair of arm gauntlets, and two neon blue blades. The gauntlets were a dark shade of onyx with flowing blood red lines etched into their surface with silver highlighting. The two blades were each as wide as one of his hands with only a single cutting edge, and were as long as his arms, both tapering down into a wicked point. Eclipse grabbed ahold of one of the magnificent swords and gave a few test swings, "Its so light," Eclipse said with awe.

"The gauntlets are made from Dragoniaum steel, which is virtually indestructible and will mold to the wearer's needs. The swords are made from Alicorteo steel, which makes the best swords for they will never dull, and they can be used against arcane magic and also protect one from such magical blows, and will also mold to the users needs," Luna stated in a school teacher like manner.

"But I think this will make your day even more special," said Celestia as she held up a small box with a ribbon attached.

Eclipse took the box from Celestia's magic and began to unravel the ribbon, with obvious nervousness in his eyes. Could it be what he thinks it is? As he took the lid off the small box, he was met with a familiar object. It was about the size of his palm, with a jet black front with a silver backing. The only thing he could do was gasp. He remembered playing with this object as a child, he remembered the beautiful melodies that would emanate from it, he remembered Celestia putting a spell on it to stop the thing from going "flat". That particular memory still confused him, it was already flat. He picked the object up out of the box, and pressed the lonely button on the front.

The blackness lit up with that familiar image of a sign, with words that only he could read that said, "This sign is in Spanish when your not looking" with a small square on the bottom with the same text that said, "Slide to unlock". So he did. The room was then filled with the familiar, yet alien, snap. And he was met with another sign that said, "No drama, violators will be bitch slapped". Then he turned it over so he could see the the silver backing, and looked at the symbol of an apple with a bite taken out of it with more Human script under it.

iPod.

All Eclipse could do was grab his first, oldest friend in a near choking hug. Good thing Alicorns are stronger than regular ponies, because Eclipse was hugging Celestia so tight that she started to wheeze. "Thank you. You have no idea what this means to me."

The party was well and truly going, well into the night in fact. Although most of the ponies were still doing things that you normally do at a party, Eclipse and Celestia sat aside from the group, "flicking" through the photos on Eclipses fathers iPod. Twilight decided she would go and see the history of this alien creature, that was a hybrid of pony and mythical creature. Collecting three glasses of Pinkie's famous party punch, she weaved and jinxed her way through the crowd of party goers, to the lonely pair sitting at a table in the corner quietly chuckling to each other.

And as she reached the table, Eclipse suddenly doubled over with laughter. "I remember this one ol girl, you remember when Fluttershy's pet rabbit did a Buck Norris number on you and you chased him down a hole?"

Celestia gave an embarrassed grin, "Yes, I remember you and your father nearly choking on your tongues with laughter while my nose was being used as a punching bag when I was trying to get myself out," then Celestia gave a warm chuckle.

Then Eclipse noticed Twilight standing on the opposite side of the table, then Celestia half chuckled-half warning said, "Eclipse, don't you even think about it". But Eclipse had already sprung over the table, scooped up Twilight and made a dash for the door. All the while taunting, "To late," in a cheery voice.

As soon as Eclipse reached the outside world, he put Twilight back to the ground and handed her the iPod, "Hide this until she tries to catch me, then all you have to do is press the triangle with your nose. You won't regret it," the last sentence said with a wickedly mischievous grin.

Then Celestia burst through the door with a wild yet playful look in her eye, "Give it to me or face my raspberry of doom."

"I'm not gonna give it up, and you gotta catch me to give your raspberry of doom," Eclipse cackled as he playfully pranced down the street, enticing Celestia to give chase. She was more than willing to comply. And so the pair ran shrieking down the street.

Twilight watched the pair run off into the darkness, "O... K? Now to see what the fuss is all about". Eclipse was not wrong when he said she wouldn't regret it, as she was now lying flat on her stomach, pounding the ground with a hoof with a maniacal laughter.

"Twilight sparkle, what's the joke if I may ask?" Luna questioned as she walked up to the purple mare giggling like an idiot in the middle of the street.

"I'm sorry princess, words can't explain. Here watch," Twilight said as she "handed" the iPod over to the princess, with the video already playing.

"Hey Celestia, I hope you aren't gonna burn mine and Jacobs sangas are ya," came a gruff voice, obviously it belonged to the one holding the iPod. Eclipses father.

"Cmon dad, your a wus. It's just a bit of charcoal, it's not like it's gonna hurt ya," came a reply. Then the iPod came to rest on a young Eclipse who had, by the looks of things, just finished having a little play time with a big red colt with a blond mane. No doubt they were having a wrestling match. The red colt then added his own, "Eeyup".

"Look at you two," came a slightly annoyed tone, "Go wash up, lunch is almost done."

Once again the iPod moved and shifted it's gaze on a sky blue pegasus. Luna had a pretty good guess who this was. "But muuuum!" whined Eclipse.

"Just go and wash up!"

"Boys will be boys. The'll just end up dirty again Windy," came the gruff voice of Eclipses father.

But the young boys wash up was interrupted, when a slight "Oof" was heard in the direction of Celestia. Again the iPod spun around to face the princess wearing a pink apron, with a small white rabbit atop it's latest victory waving it's arms like a champion, with a small butter yellow pink maned filly trying to coax the offending rodent off the princess.

"O...k?" princess Luna said with a slightly confused face.

"Just wait, the next ones best!" Twilight announced.

"Cameron, can you just get me out of here?" Celestia asked in a muffled voice. Her head was now jammed in a hole under an old oak tree, and the rest of her body lying limply on the ground.

The view on the iPod was shaking, most likely as a result of the wielder of the device was vainly trying to suppress his laughter, "Why? This is comedy in action, and I'm gonna catch every second of it."

Celestia tried pulling her head out again, it was a wonder how she got it down there in the first place. She braced and beat her wings, but she then started to struggle harder, and shouts came from the area of Celestia's head. "Ow! Stop that! Stop it! Stoptitstoptistopitstopitstopit!... OH FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, CUT IT OUT!!!" and that was evidently enough motivation for the "regal" princess to pull her out out with a loud, satisfying "THOP".

Then the view suddenly jerked upwards, and the onlookers, by the sounds of things, couldn't contain it anymore as they all roared with laughter. And after a few seconds the view tilted back down to Celestia, who was rubbing her nose while glaring daggers at the iPod.

"I am soooo gonna keep this," declared Eclipses father, then the video ended.

Luna grinned wildly while trying to suppress a giggle. Then at that moment, Eclipse and Celestia came up the road, with Eclipse riding on Celestia's back like a knight with the biggest, smuggest grin possible. "What are you smiling about Luna?" Celestia asked with concern.

Luna then held up the iPod, "Ammunition dear sister," wicked grin on her face.

"Oh you Sneaky one Eclipse," Celestia declared before rearing up, sending Eclipse rolling off her back onto his feet. Then Celestia thrust out a hind leg to give Eclipse a nudge, only to have it not return to the ground. She turned around to see Eclipse holding her leg up off the ground. So. She tried using her other leg. Now Eclipse held both her rear legs, in the fashion of holding up a wheelbarrow. Eclipse just smiled.

"WHEELBARROW RACE!!!"

A look of horror crossed Celestia's face.

Training day

One week later.

Canterlot castle.

"Why did I agree to this again?" Eclipse whined to the princesses. Down below the balcony, 40 stallions stood. They were guards, both solar and lunar. They all milled about, talking to each other about various things. The one thing they all had in common was that they were all insubordinates. Questioning orders, going AWOL, you name it they've done it. "Do I have to?" he asked again in a pleading manner.

Celestia gave a dainty chuckle, "Well, you could always go and train the recruits."

Eclipses eyes narrowed at her, "Fine. But remember, I won't show any mercy and I'll be running them into the ground," he said as he jumped the railing. As he neared the ground, he flared out his wings and pumped them hard, sending dust and fine grit everywhere. The stallions all looked to the large figure of Eclipse, squinting and shielding their eyes from the fine debris.

When Eclipse landed, an earth pony stallion decided to speak up, "Hey, look at the flying monkey!". This earned small chuckles from the group.

"RIGHT, I WANT YOU ALL IN LINE 30 SECONDS AGO!" Eclipse bellowed out. The stunned guards all went and staggered into ranks, save one. The same one who had insulted him, "You, get into line."

"Like Tartarus I will, you're not my superior," the stallion replayed with indignation.

Eclipse calmly walked over to the stubborn pony and bent down to his level with a look that could kill, "Get into line, or you'll find out first hand what it's like to get your spine shoved back into your skull. And you should really listen to me, considering I'm the newly appointed commander." This it seemed, was more than enough, as the stallion all but tripped into line with his fellows. "I can only imagine that you're wondering why you are all gathered here today," the assembled guards all gave him a curious look, as he paced in front of them like a general with his hands behind his back. "The reason behind this is because you all have been chosen to become an elite special forces core. Namely, the Elemental Guard."

The guards all gave hushed whispers between themselves, genuinely surprised about what would happen, "Now all that I can say of the coming months is that it won't be easy," Eclipse gave them a slight sympathetic look for a split second, before turning around and pacing back down the line. "Many of you will not be joining the ranks of this new core, many of you may be injured in such a way that you'll never see active duty again. There are 40 of you, but there are only 20 places. Only the best shall make up the first regiment, the only regiment. Now I'm asking YOU," he emphasized to the stallion whom had insulted him, "To ask yourself, "Can I do it? Can I become an Elemental guard?". I now want anypony who wishes to drop out to do so now."

After a few tense minutes, a white hoof shot into the air, followed by five others like the first. "Thank you for your honesty gentlecolts, you have chosen wisely." Those last words sent the alarm bells going off in the heads of the rest, "As for the rest of you, you are now officially in training. I want you all to give me 700 push-ups." Everypony just looked at each other, with the same thoughts. 700 push-ups WITH full combat armor?! "800," was the commanders reply to their silent question. "900," again receiving blank stares of shock at the task. "1000, get down and do them or it'll go up another thousand for each second wasted!"

Shocked into motion from this ultimatum, the guards all dropped into their thousand push-ups. "Alright troops, repeat after me."

"Strong and silent," Eclipse bellowed out, with his new troops replying in unison.

"Faithful and bold,

Cautious yet daring.

I shall never waver from what is right, I shall never back down from my duty to protect all that is right from wrong. I will fight till my last breath, and when I have drawn my last, I will still fight. Honor and courage will be my sword and shield. Duty and cause will be my armor and helm, they will protect myself and my brothers if I deem it. I will deem it.

I shall protect with courage,

I shall fight with honor,

I shall wear my duty,

I shall hold my cause higher then my head."

Eclipse continued to listen to his troops recite the oath, "I will return in one hour. If you finish by then, stand at attention till I return," and with this he left his troops to their grueling challenge.

Celestia watched the new special forces recruits go hard at it, while chanting an oath of some form, when Eclipse came flying up face to muzzle with her. "Ah Eclipse, I take it everything is running smoothly?" she asked as he landed on the balcony.

"As smooth as a hydras rear," he replied with a hint of annoyance. "I had to threaten one with maiming just to get him in line."

Celestia let out a soft chuckle, "You did say that you would "run them into the ground", am I not correct?"

Eclipse opened his mouth to reply, but thought better of it as he just followed her out to the hallway, "Do you have their military records?" Eclipse asked. Celestia nodded and conjured up a small stack of classical brown file folders, stuffed with paper, "... I shouldn't have asked should I?" again Celestia let out a soft chuckle. Eclipse put the pile floating at his side in his flaming aura, while he casually plucked the first one off the top of the pile, and began to flick through it.

"It's not like they have any outstanding records, Eclipse, they're insubordinates," Celestia asked with a bit of confusion.

"If one were to look hard enough at what they were charged for, then look at the frequencies of those offenses," Eclipse then placed the first file under the pile and grabbed the next one, "One would find out their strengths and weaknesses."

"And which one do you intend on finding?"

Eclipse grabbed another file from the top with a sadistic smile, "Why they're weaknesses of course," then he showed her the file he was looking at. "Solid Force here has a record of being late for drills, takes too long in the shower and uses it so frequently to the extent that he uses ALL of the hot water, is untidy, unruly, steals others rations and has an obvious problem with authority."

"How is his authority issue obvious?"

"He was the one I threatened with grievous bodily harm. Seems I might just have to follow out with that promise, he's the worst by far. What I intend to do is use those offenses against them. Those are their weaknesses". By this point, Eclipse was three quarters of the way through the stack. Celestia had forgotten that he was a speed reader. She also remembered the look on Twilight's face at the discovery, when he had finished one of the larger tomes in her library in under half an hour.

After another five minutes, Eclipse had discovered what he'd needed, and the pair had finally reached the throne room. "Now, Eclipse, I have a special case for your new task force," Celestia said as she sat upon her throne.

"A late comer? You do know I'll only be taking in 20 stallions for this, that's the only room I have. Besides, I need them in the absolute peak of fitness. I need either currently serving guards or veterans," he stated as he scampered up the steps and sat cross legged beside her.

"Oh ho ho, you have no idea who I'm speaking about do you?"

"Garry Stu, a member of the five musketeers, whom in which had battled off intergalactic aliens with nothing but his charming good looks?"

"If only," she replied with a certain longing. At this point, the doors at the end of the hall burst open, and in the doorway stood a white unicorn stallion with a compass cutie mark.

"I have arrived auntie," he said in the most annoying "better than thou" tone.

Eclipse looked in complete shock at who he would be training for his task force, "BLUEBLOOD?! YOU WANT ME TO TAKE THAT FLAMIN' PRICK, AND PUT HIM INTO MY TASK FORCE?!"

Meanwhile Blueblood had sauntered over to the throne with his nose stuck in the air, while somehow staring poison coated, flame covered, spider infested daggers at Eclipse. "Auntie, what does this monstrous filth mean, "put him into my task force"? Why does he get one? In fact, he should be executed for just breathing."

Eclipses clenched fists took on his magical aura, and his eyes darkened once more, "Say it again, and I WILL put you in training with the others so I have an actual reason to kick you into next millennium..."

Blueblood sneered at him, "You wouldn't dare..."

Eclipse had already been up for the past three hours now, casually reading a book out on the balcony overlooking the valley bellow. With a sigh, he looked back into his room and took note of the grandfather clock on the far wall. Seven o'clock. Eclipse let out another sigh, marked the page in his book and calmly put it on the dresser as he pulled on a shirt, and willed his gauntlets on his arms. Then as he made his way over to the door, he picked up his new swords, and pulled one from its scabbard just to remind him that they were indeed his. Putting it back into its scabbard, and strapping them across his back, he made his way to the door and gave the door handle a twist. At least he would of.

The door was locked, and the only way to lock it was from the outside, "Ok, very funny. Open up whoever you are."

On the other side of the portal came a very snobby reply, "I shall not you cur, not until you promise to leave Canterlot and leave my aunties alone. They do not need some common filth such as yourself degrading them."

"Excuse me? Celestia is my oldest friend, I think I'm more than entitled to eat breakfast with her and her sister. So open the door or I will."

"How dare you talk to me like that?! I am prince Blueblood, and you WILL do as I say, and I say you are not welcome here!"

Eclipses face soured at the way this.. Prince Blueblood was treating him. So Eclipse pulled one of his swords, and held it to the lock, ready to be thrust through. 'Celestias gonna kill me', and with this thought he pushed on the pommel, sending the electric blue metal through the steel lock and out the other side, with the ease of a hot knife through butter. Then he twisted the handle of his sword, and the door swung outwards to reveal a, moderately, frightened pony back flat against the far wall. While trying to hold a poker face, Eclipse pulled his sword from the ruined lock and returned it to its home on his back. "Good morning," he calmly stated as he walked down the hall past all the snickering guards, leaving a rather terrified prince out the front of his room.

Eclipse calmed his moderately flaring temper and looked to Celestia, "May I?"

"He's all yours now, I certainly won't stop you," she declared with a impish grin.

"Good," and with this, Eclipse stood up and walked over to Blueblood, and grabbed him by the scruff. Dragging his sorry flank across the slick marble floor with ease, past all the gawking guards.

"Unhand me right this instant, I demand it!" Blueblood hollered.

"You'd best shut that little mouth of yours, because your pathetic existence is now mine for the next four years," and with this, Eclipse stopped and looked down to him. "And by the way, welcome to the Elemental Guard maggot, you're just gonna love it with us". This caused Blueblood to panic and thrash around in the humans vice like grip, calling for his mother among other things. This had all the guards in the room trembling with unsung laughter, but they dare not share it for the sake of professionalism.

Once the two were out the door, and said doors closed, Celestia saw them all itching to get it out of their systems. Lest they die from asphyxiation from trying to hold it in, "You have permission boys," as soon as she finished her sentence, the entire room was filled with a laughter that would make a comedy festival look like an orchestra in comparison. After a few moments, she had even joined in with the guards.

All the recruits stood at full attention, their forelegs shaking from overcoming their first grueling challenge. Some even wishing they could turn back time, and raise their hoof. And they all stood at full attention for half an hour, till their commander flew in from the barracks carrying something underneath. When he landed, they all discovered it was none other than prince Blueblood, covered in armor, a rucksack and several pieces of equipment. Standard, full combat uniform. Heavy as heck. As Eclipse landed, he bodily threw the prince into the group via his armor slings, "Get into formation recruit."

The newcomer didn't take too kindly to this treatment, as he magically grabbed his extendable spear from its catch on the side of his armor and brought it into play. "I will make you regret this you beast!" and swung it at Eclipses head. His reply stunned the other recruits as his gauntlets glowed and flashed, transforming themselves into a Bo. Eclipse spun around and blocked the attack from Blueblood with one arm, while his free hand went to grab a sword. Blueblood saw this and shifted the polearm of the spear to intercept the sword.

But it turned out that Eclipses attempt to grab his sword was a bluff, which the prince fell into. Eclipse shifted his hand just enough to grab the end of his Bo. When he did, he pulled the Bo up over his head causing the spear to travel with it. Then without giving Blueblood any time to recover, he spun around, gripping the end like it was a club which he smashed into the princes legs, causing him to topple onto his side. Eclipse then spun his staff over his head to dramatize his next move. He electrified it. When he was done, Eclipse held one end over Blueblood's face, the entire Dragonium rod crackling with energy, "Next time I will not hesitate. As I said, your life is mine for the next four years. Get into formation..."

Blueblood, too shocked to make a snide remark, floundered around till he was standing at attention among the group. The others too shocked to even think about the pain in their legs. Eclipse discharged his staff, and turned it back into his gauntlents, "Pucker up lads, grab your shit and fill your canteens. We're goin' for a little jog". At this, a younger member raised his shaking hoof.

"How far, sir?"

Eclipse smiled, "To the bottom of the mountain and back. Full gear, so go and fill your canteens. Meet back in ten, don't be late or it'll be push-ups till the rest get back," Eclipse replied as he picked up his own rucksack.

Blueblood just scowled at him, "You're going to regret this wretch."

"I hate you too," then Eclipse went and knelt down to his level, "And just to clarify the fact that you won't be going back a nice warm bed tonight, you will be sleeping in the barracks, and I don't care. So you will play nice". Eclipse then grabbed his chest piece and gave it a rough shake. Unsatisfied with the movement made from the armor, he went and tightened it, making Blueblood gasp as most of the air in his lungs was evacuated. "Keep your armor tight if you don't want chafe, and no I wasn't trying to be cruel. Just a friendly hint."

Author's Note

G'day guys.

I know I promised a big chapter with some action in it, but I've been as busy as an evil genius attempting to take over the world, so cut me a little slack.

I figured I've held out long enough.

Enjoy.

Steel Heart, out.

The return

October 21, 2021
12:52 PM, Everfree Forest

“RAAAGGGHHH . . . I hate this place, man!” complained the hunter at his campsite, along with a friend. “There’s nothing to eat, never mind hunt, for miles!" He threw down his quiver and bow in frustration. "I’m absolutely starving!"

"Oh, will you stop complaining!” shouted the second hunter, effectively quieting the first one. “We're ALL hungry, so shut up and quit whining! Besides, there’s something better than any rabbit or squirrel." The second hunter pointed up to the sky. "It’s what we originally came for anyway," he said, a twisted, impish grin on his face.

The first hunter looked along his companions arm and finger to an incredibly small dot in the sky. As he focused his eyes, he saw that is was indeed their target: an alicorn. This potential meal was deep blue like the night sky, and its light blue mane chased after its owner in the winds as it flew. The magnificent creature was wearing a neck piece a small crown and ornate slippers, and had a crescent moon on its flank. It was Luna. A princess; the Princess of the Moon. The hunters frown turned into an evil smile, this was indeed one of the reasons why their legion was sent here to the Everfree forest. And she was completely alone. No guards. No chariot. Nothing. Just her and the legion of Shadow Elves in the Everfree. "Sir, permission to shoot down the alicorn?"

The second hunter looked at him with the same evil smile and said in a level, but bloodthirsty tone, "By all means, do it. We shall feast tonight."

The hunter sprinted over to his bow and quiver, and readied his weapon. He drew the string on the bow and took aim, "For the father, our king. For the night, Nightmare moon," he said in a quiet voice before releasing the arrow on its deadly path.

12:54 PM, Everfree forest
Luna's wings surged up, and down, slow and steady. Her mane seemed frantic to catch up to her as she flew over the Everfree forest. She was alone, as she needed some time to herself, and she planed on visiting her old home of old Canterlot, were she was freed from nightmare moon by the Elements of Harmony. She cruised a few thousand feet over the trees, searching for her old home. After a few hours, she found what she was looking for. The ruins of the old castle. She gave a sigh of relief and decided to make her decent.

Just as she was about to execute her decision, she saw a glint of metal fly up from the trees. The glint then transformed into a deadly looking barb on a long thin twig with feathers on the rear to help stabilize it during flight. It then clicked in her mind in what it was, but it was too late. A hot sting followed by a searing hot pain lanced through her left wing right in her main flight muscle, and she began to plummet.

Luna tumbled end over end in a chaotic free fall, trying to glance over her shoulder to see the damage. The arrow had gone right through her wing and was poking out the other side with blood on the tip, as if it were mocking her. She thought about removing the arrow and healing herself before she hit the ground, but lets face it, she needed to concentrate, and that can be quite difficult when your falling at terminal velocity while trying not to throw up from the pain. But there was a simpler spell that didn't need as much concentration.

She twisted herself around so she faced the sky, and pointed her horn directly up and sent up a signal. The 'flare' shot out of her horn and traveled up high into the air and exploded in a sparkling purple orb that could be seen for miles, and she prayed and waited. 1 second. 2 seconds. 3 seconds. 4 seconds. 5 seconds.

A blinding flash appeared and with a loud pop, Celestia materialized a couple thousand feet above her stricken sister, she threw her fore legs out and shaped her wings so they faced rearwards to streamline herself as much as possible, and she dived after her. Celestia was incredibly fast when she was younger, and even though she seemed to have lost her 'knack' for a high speed dive, she was picking up speed pretty quickly. But not fast enough. And both sisters knew that Celestia wouldn't reach Luna in time, but she had to try.

Something caught Luna's attention and despite her peril, she was suddenly fascinated. And curious. Celestia saw Luna change in her facial expression, from one of sheer terror, to one of curiosity, and the fact she was looking PAST her into the open sky even piqued HER curiosity. Celestia attempted to look behind her to see what had caught her sister’s attention. As she did, an obsidian black and dull silver blur shot past her at supersonic speed, sending her reeling into her own tumble. Celestia quickly recovered and resumed her dive after her sister. As she saw the dark torpedo that shot past her with seemingly impossible speed, she realized who he was, a look of disbelief on her face. "No. It can't be . . . He’s . . . dead."

Meanwhile, Luna was in awe from just the pure speed this creature showed. It had come from an altitude far higher than any Pegasus could fly, screamed past her sister as of she were nothing but a leaf in the wind, and continued towards her. When the creature reached her, it spread its wings just enough to slow it down, but closed enough to fly, or rather fall, right beside her. The creature then used its five fingered hands that had been compressed to the sides of its body to maneuver her, much to her disgust, head down like itself with her back towards it, then completed this odd ritual by hugging her, with one hand over her barrel, and the other across her stomach. Then it leveled out a few hundred meters over the trees, then in the calmest manner, told her the two most simple words that terrified her to her core.

"Hang on!"

They both suddenly got jarred into a vertical position as the creature threw out a simply MASSIVE pair of dark colored wings that, with some quick mental measurements, looked like that just one of its wings was Celestia's own entire span. And she came to the quick conclusion that this things wings were almost 20 feet across, so without a doubt, these were the biggest pair of wings she has seen that weren’t on a dragon. Contrails had started to form on the tips of its wings which were starting to slowly curl forwards, then it finally clicked in her head what it was trying to do. Slow down as fast as possible.

Luna looked back to the creatures flat, round face, and she could see that it was in some pretty obvious pain, as its face was scrunched up and veins were starting to appear on its neck and head, and the fact it was giving off a low grunt of effort. This continued on for another 20 seconds, and they were starting to gradually slow down. But all that came to an end when Luna spied another arrow making its way from the trees to meet them, as if it were an over eager friend. The creature stopped its grunting and said in a snide tone, "Well, fuck."

The creature then let out an ear splitting roar of pain as it got hit in its right wing, just before the joint were the fingers start, right smack in the middle of its main muscle. They started their own tumble still just above the trees and still moving at a great rate of knots. Luna then decided what this creature had said only a second before very much suited their current predicament, but the creature had other ideas. Still clutching her, the creature spread out its legs into a V and molded its wings into as much surface area as possible without hurting itself further, and pitched itself slightly forwards at a rough 20 degree angle.

This creature really does know its stuff when it comes to flight, I’ll give it that much, Luna thought, as she was now in a sense hand gliding over the fields that would eventually make their way to the small town of Ponyville, then onto the Ponyville lake where she thought the creature could hopefully ditch. As Ponyville came up over the horizon, she sighed with relief as she could see the lake on the far side of the town. Again, the creature had other 'ideas'.

The creature pitched itself forwards further more, into a level decent, right for the buildings. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?! YOU’RE INSANE, WE'LL BE DONE FOR!!!" Luna screamed. The creature then rolled itself onto its back and wrapped her up in a feathery cocoon that felt to her, uncomfortably settling and strangely womb like, she all of a sudden felt safe and secure. The creature then said to her in as soft a tone as it could manage with its deep voice, "Trust me."

Then the world went blank.

12:59 PM, Sugarcube Corner

The mane 6 were enjoying a light lunch at Sugar Cube Corner, which Pinkie Pie had decided to host at no charge. After all, they were her friends.

"Hey Pinkie?” Rainbow asked. She was sitting right across from the pink party pony. “Could I get another slice of cake?"

Pinkie sprang up from her spot at the table. "Okie dokie lokie!" she replied with her usual happy tone as she bounced her way to the kitchen. She appeared a few moments latter with a slice of chocolate cake balanced on a plate on her head. Suddenly she stopped smiling and humming to herself and looked at her friends with an expression of rising panic on her face.

Her tail was a twichin'. But it never twitched like it was now. What started as a small tickle at the base of her spine, quickly escalated into a violent shaking of her poofy pink tail that became violent enough to knock the plate with the cake off her head. Then her knee started to pinch. But this was far different from anything else. She collapsed on the floor and began screaming in outright agony, her knee felt like it was being run over by a train, stepped on by a Hydra then being ripped right off at the joint. Her friends rushed over from their table to try and calm their friend, but they were never prepared for what happened next. Pinkie’s entire body began to doozy like never before.

Pinkie was screaming like nopony ever thought capable from their bouncy go happy friend, the pain to her was indescribable. As she writhed and shook on the hardwood floor, the Cakes rushed out from the kitchen to see what the commotion was, and stood and stared in outright horror. Pinkie spasm was out of control, knocking over furniture and started convulsing, still screaming.

"Rainbow! Get Nurse Redheart NOW!" Twilight bellowed. Rainbow didn't even reply as she was already halfway out the door. She looked into the sky with an expression of terror, before screaming at the top of her lungs, "LOOK OUT!!!" and diving to the floor.

There was an explosion, and the shop erupted into a maelstrom of splinters before another explosion shook the shop, followed by a loud thud. Pinkie then suddenly stopped her agonizing spasm, and she lay there crying from the pain, as well as the experience. She let out a shocked gasp as she looked around her workplace and home. The others then saw what Pinkie saw. Two massive holes had appeared in the sides of the shop, she got to her hooves with some effort still sniffling, and limped her way over to the hole that was closest to the ground. When she got there, she saw an obsidian black feather lodged in the timber and frowned in confusion, then she looked out of the hole and saw a long, deep furrow.

In the dust near the end of the furrow, she saw movement. She saw two large wings spread themselves away from whatever was lying there. As the dust settled, she saw two figures. One was an unconscious deep blue alicorn, she instantly recognized this as princess Luna. But lying behind Luna, up against another building, was something that made her cringe. Forgetting about the pain, she raced out of the shop and ran towards the impact zone with bewildered friends in tow.

When they finally reached the impact zone, Pinkie stopped and gasped, her already large eyes became even wider, and her mane deflated. For the second time since she learned what happiness was at the rock farm, she was petrified.

The others were showing the same expression. A number of gasps followed. "I-I-is th-that who ah th-think it is?" asked a horrified Applejack at the sight before her.

"No,” Rainbow Dash responded, fear and terror creeping into her voice. “No way. This cannot be real. He . . . he disappeared and died FIFTEEN years ago . . . This is just. . . . Just impossible!” Pinkie, Applejack, Rainbow, Rarity, even Fluttershy just stood there in horror at the figure lying unconscious in front of them. Twilight was still trying to understand what was going on. What was it about this . . . creature . . . that was shocking everyone?

Princess Celestia landed amongst the group, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. Without a word, she grabbed Luna and the creature with her telekinesis, and galloped in a bee line for the hospital.

October 21, 2021
4:21 PM, Ponyville Hospital

"SISTER!!!"

"I'm here Lulu, it’s alright. You had an accident, your in the Ponyville hospital", Celestia said soothingly as she rubbed a hoof on her stricken sister’s shoulder trying to comfort her. Twilight was on the opposite side of the bed levitating a glass of water to offer to Luna. The rest of the Mane 6 just watched on, pure worry in each of their eyes.

Luna groaned and started rubbing her temple. "I . . . I had this dream,” she explained, trying to call back the memory. “I was falling. I was going to die. Then I got rescued by . . . something." Luna took the glass of water and drained it quickly. She then gave a quizzical look to her big sister. "How long have I been out?"

"Three days," Celestia replied. Luna's eyes went wide at the new knowledge that hit her. “Three days? THREE DAYS!? What in the hay happened to me?”

As if reading her mind, Celestia pointed a hoof to Luna's left wing. It was a mess. It was in a blood soaked cast, preventing her wing from moving, and also had most of its feathers missing. The sight was enough to make her nauseous.

"You also suffered a minor concussion, hence you being out cold for three days," Twilight concluded in a quiet voice. Celestia nodded in agreement.

Luna thought for a moment, finally comprehending what had happened. "And that dream? It was real?" Luna looked at her older sister, her eyes even wider, putting the mental points together in her mind. Wow, she mumbled to herself. This must have been one helluva crash. Wait, what about the creature? She turned to Celestia and asked, "Did it . . . survive?"

Celestia gave a gesture to the door, indicating for her to follow. "Well, why don't you come and see for yourself?" she asked nonchalantly.

Luna practically sprang from her bed and trotted over and out the door, a slight limp in her stride. The Princesses and the Mane 6 filed out of the room, walking down the corridor towards the other room. "You know,” Celestia commented, looking over her shoulder. “Your savior has suffered worse injuries than you, and he’s still alive.”

Luna looked to her sister in pure shock. It takes a lot of force to knock out an alicorn, much less give a concussion. She was wondering how ANYTHING could survive those kinds of forces. They turned a corner and filed through a door into a high ceiling room with a large bed in the middle. The rescuer’s whole body was covered in blankets, except for his face. It was a little unusual, Twilight thought to herself; it was round and flat with a mouth that didn't end in a muzzle, his nose was just a triangular protrusion His cheek bones were high and looked hewn from granite, his jaw was square and muscular, and his comically small ears seemed to be glued to the sides of his head. What is this thing?

Celestia approached the bed and waved a hoof over the prone form that was half covered by the white sheets. "Your rescuer. He has suffered a concussion, whiplash, head trauma, a dislocated shoulder, three cracked ribs, minor internal bleeding, and a hairline fracture on his wing most likely from the arrow that was cut from him as you, a minor case of gravel rash . . . " Celestia continued to read off the injury report form that was next to 'his' bed. When she had finally finished, everypony in the room was taken aback by so many injuries.

"Ah knew he was a sturdy one, but. . . Ouch." Applejack said with an amazed and pained look on her face. All the other ponies that stood around the bed just nodded.

A few minutes passed after Celestia had read the report form on his bedside, Rainbow then suddenly had an epiphany, "Hey Pinkie, do you have a cupcake anywhere?” she asked, sounding genuinely intrigued. “I wanna try something."

Pinkie didn't respond as she walked over to her basket loaded to bursting with treats, and returned a few moments later with a pink frosted cupcake and returned to her post next to the bed without saying a word. "Rainbow, what are you going to do with that cupcake?", Twilight asked suspiciously to her polychromatic friend. If Dash is thinking of something, she thought, it was gonna end badly.

Dash looked down at the cupcake in between her front hooves as she now hovered over the creature, "Oh, he likes cupcakes.” She paused. “Well . . . at least he used to.”

"And another thing.” It was getting a little obvious that Twilight was starting to overreact. “How do you all know this . . . Uhh . . . thing? Princess Luna and I are the only ones left in the dark about this. Who is he and what is he, and most importantly how do you all know him?" Luna came over to comfort Twilight, giving her a look that said, ‘this isn’t the right time.’

Dash ignored her lavender friend and hovered a bit closer, the cupcake almost at his face now. "Ooooh, now ah get what your tryin' ta do", Applejack said with a slight smirk on her face. Dash just nodded and proceeded to wave the cupcake back and forth under the creature’s nose.

What happened next surprised everypony in the room: as Dash waved the cupcake, the nose on the creature started to follow. Left, then right, then back again. Fluttershy’s eyes widened as she noticed the face turn from looking lifeless to the exact opposite, a huge grin on his face. Dash then yelped in surprise as a five fingered hand shot up from its place at the creature’s side and grabbed the cupcake with lightning speed.

The top half of the creature then pivoted at his hip, and he sat up and opened his eyes. Luna and Twilight both found themselves strangely drawn to the way his small eyes gleamed yet absorbed the light; Twilight looked closer and saw that they were a dark crimson, like dried blood. And he also had three parallel scars that ran the length of his jaw on the right side of his face. He looked like a – pony, creature – that’s been through a lot.

The creature looked at the cupcake in his hand and stared for a few seconds, before practically throwing it down his throat. After he finished the pink frosted treat, he grabbed the glass of water that sat next to his bed and drained it. "Ok, Rarity, where’s me pants?" asked the creature in a knowing tone which made Twilight jump in surprise; she did not expect this creature to talk, never mind if it could in the first place. Rarity's horn glowed as a pair of old worn blue denim jeans floated their way over to the creature and came to a rest in his lap, "I see you've fixed em," the creature then looked over at a now blushing Rarity with a light smile on his face. "Thanks."

After the creature had put on his pants under the sheets away from prying eyes, he swung out his legs, rested his long wide feet on the floor, and stood up. This creature was tall, taller than everypony in the room, with the exception of Princess Celestia, and his mostly furless body was a light mocha. His small head sat upon a thick neck, which in turn sat on a set of large square shoulders and chest, which supported his large dark wings that crossed over one another and stuck out from his sides. Twilight and Luna looked at his wings with obvious fascination; they were obsidian black with dull silver highlighting on the primary and secondary feathers, giving the illusion of moonlight on water. The look also suited his short cropped mane, which was much the same except the silver was only in one long jagged streak across the left side.

His long and powerful arms hung lazily at his sides, coming to a stop just bellow his waist. And his long and muscular legs looked odd for a bipedal creature, with large knees that bent forwards and looked like they could take a lot of strain; both Twilight and Luna wondered how anything could stand so erect on such tall legs. Suddenly Fluttershy, much to everypony's surprise - even the creature was caught off guard - shot out and tackled the creature in a big teary hug. "Oh, Eclipse. You had us all so worried. Princess Celestia told us what happened, but, but-"

Fluttershy was cut short when the creature – apparently named Eclipse - wrapped his arms around Fluttershy in a big hug of his own. "I’m sorry", he whispered out before raising his voice for all to hear. "I’m sorry for what grief and heartache I caused you, all those years ago when I ran away." Twilight noted that he spoke in a thick rustic accent, like Applejack, yet different. All of the other Elements rushed forth and grabbed Eclipse in a big group hug, after a while of shared tears and apologies the hug broke up, and Eclipse stood up and walked over to Celestia.

"Well then, where’s your return hug, ol girl?” Eclipse teased with a slight smirk. Celestia gave him a cold stare and Luna and Twilight flinched slightly at what he just called her. Eclipse realized he said something wrong. An idea popped into his head, and he grinned. "Ok, then. I’ve got just the thing you need, Cel." Eclipse lifted one of his tanned, hairless arms out directly in front of him, balled his hand into a fist with one long finger pointing downwards, and he lowered it onto the middle of Celestia's back, in-between her wings and wiggled it back and forth in a light scratch. Celestia's eyes widened and her pupils shrank into pinpricks, her face drooped, and she let out a short dainty whine, her wings then dropped from her sides, and her legs began to shake and shudder. Then she fell into an unceremonious heap on the floor, with the offensive finger in tow, and began babbling.

After about a minute, Eclipse stopped his scratch and both of them began to laugh. "You know, I didn't exactly tell you to stop did I?" Celestia teased, still on the ground.

"Yeah, had I not, you'd start drooling on the floor,” Eclipse replied with a smug tone. “And I believe a princess isn't supposed to do that." He then bent down, folded Celestia's wings back to her sides, and slipped his hands under her and picked her up onto her hooves and gave her a hug which she returned.

Twilight could only stare at the screen with confusion. "Uhhh, excuse me? Eclipse was it? Yeah uhhh, how do you two know each other?" Twilight asked with a raised hoof.

"Huh?” Eclipse said, turning around to face her. “Oh, yeah, we're old mates." He looked back over her shoulder and gave a small wink to Celestia.

"Mates!?" Luna and Twilight cried with eyes the size of dinner plates. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
"Friends is what he means Twilight,” Celestia interrupted with a smile as she was fixing up her mane from her little ‘episode’ a few seconds earlier. “He got those speaking habits from his father. Sly and cheeky one he was."

"Heh heh,” Eclipse chucked. “Too bloody right there. And as you know that saying the old man used ta say, 'monkey see monkey do'.” Celestia gave a warm chuckle at that seemingly odd metaphor.

Twilight was still confused and skeptical. "Oh yeah, just out of curiosity,” she asked. “What was that you did to the princess, and how are you two old 'friends'?"

"Oh that? Well every type of pony has a . . . 'weak spot' if you will,” Eclipse replied. “Such as, an alicorns is in the centre of their back, in the middle of their wings, and each type have their own reaction to it." Eclipse he walked over to Dash, preparing a demonstration. "The weak spot on pegasi is on the left side of their body, next to a secondary flight muscle", he explained as he placed a finger on Rainbow's side and scratched it. Dash locked up and stood still as a statue; this was confirmed as Eclipse picked her up with one arm and gave her a pat on her head before he gently placed her on the ground. "Now don't be alarmed, give 'er about a minute."

Then Eclipse walked over to a very unsure-looking Rarity. "A unicorn’s spot is about 4 centimeters from the back of their horn, and their reaction is by far the funniest.” He gave Rarity a scratch at the back of her head. Then all of the ponies on the room, aside from Rarity and Dash, fell over in a fit of laughter as Rarity pulled the funniest face imaginable and did an almost complete back flip, during which Eclipse had caught her during her flight and returned her to the ground. Then he walked over to Pinkie Pie, who had just recovered from seeing Rarity's reaction.

"An earth pony's is straight forward and simple. Its right smack in the middle of their shoulder blades." Eclipse proceeded to give Pinkie a scratch. All of Pinkie's legs shot out from under her and she landed in a giggling heap on the floor. "And that concludes today’s lesson on weak spots, folks.” He concluded, glancing at Twilight. “As for how Cel and I are old mates, she’s a family friend." Eclipse walked over to Luna and Twilight. At this close, Twilight was stunned at how tall he was; her head only came up to his waist.

Twilight then studied the odd way in which he crouched. His left leg bent under and to the back of him and the other bent at a sharp angle, and he rested on the knee of the left leg to stabilize him. He then took Luna’s hoof in his hand and gave it a kiss like the gentlecolt. "Princess Luna, I presume? Cel has told me a lot about you.” He started to notice Luna blushing. “Don't worry, only the good things", he said with a wink. Then he turned to Twilight and did the same. "I don't think we've met. Names Jacob, but everypony else calls me Eclipse, as you can tell."

Twilight was at a loss for words, and her mouth just hung open and she wore a rather dumb look on her face. "Ah, yes. Jacob, this is my student Twilight Sparkle,” Celestia continued. “She’s also the librarian for Ponyville, and my protégé student."

Upon hearing the word librarian, Eclipse turned around to face Celestia. "What happened to ol Page Flip?" he asked, genuinely shocked. Rarity answered, "Cancer"; it was all she needed to say. "Oh. Well ill sure miss 'em. Heh, crazy ol dolt wasn't he?" he joked.

"So, Eclipse,” Dash intervened in the conversation. “Where in Equestria where ya'll these years?" Eclipse’s expression turned from joyful to nervousness, returning to his sitting position on the hospital bed. He eyed the ponies in the room.

"Self induced exile," he said flatly, as if there was nothing else to say. The jaws of all the ponies who knew him fell through the floor.

"What in tarnation for?" Applejack asked curiously.

Eclipse took a deep breath and sighed. "You all remember the night of my parents’ deaths?" The ponies in the room just nodded. "That’s why. When I got back from school . . . I . . . Found them dead in the kitchen. Their throats slit. And I found a note next to the puddle of their blood. It read 'you and your friends will be next'.” Eclipse hesitated, holding back tears from telling the story. “So I packed a few things and ran as far and as fast as I could. During my travels, I have flown father than anypony has ever dreamed, and I have seen things beyond imagination. Beyond Equestrian borders. Over seas and mountains. Over deserts and forest alike. I have flown the world over. To keep you all safe. From the danger that has plagued me since I lost my innocence. And to find them and make them pay for what they did." A single tear rolled down his face.

"So . . . Why did you come back after all these years?" Celestia asked softly, as she sat on the floor staring at Eclipses chest, at the scares that covered him from years spent in the wild.

Eclipse let out a sigh. "Everypony has to settle down at some point, am I right?” he stated, a weak smile on his face. “And before you ask Cel, I got into a bit of a spat with some griffon a few years back." His smile turned from weak to mischievous.

"Over what?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"A rabbit that I was cooking,” Eclipse said. “She thought she might just take it off the spit as I was having a nap. So she got a hiding for it". At the mention of a cooking rabbit on a spit, Twilight and Luna had backed themselves into the corner furthest from Eclipse. He looked over at the two ponies in the corner with a raised eyebrow. "What?" he turned to the others. “Was it something I said?”

"What do you mean WHAT!? You’re a meat eater! You could eat any one of us at a moments notice!" Twilight practically screamed, her face full of terror.

Eclipse’s face lit up in one of those ‘ah, now I get it!’ moments. "Hmm, so I take it you've never seen an omnivore before?"

The ones of the mane 6 that knew him showed confusion. "Omni-what?" Rainbow asked with a raised eyebrow.

"An omnivore,” Eclipse explained. “It means that I can eat both meat AND plants.” Eclipse turned to Applejack. “In fact, do you happen to have an apple under that hat of yours AJ?" Applejack took off her hat, and sure enough, there was a big shinny red apple sitting inside which she flicked over with her tail. Eclipse plucked the apple out of the air and brought it to his mouth. "Now this is just to prove that what I’m saying is true," and Eclipse took a bite out of the apple, chewed, and swallowed. "See, I told ya."

Twilight shook her head. "I’m still not convinced. You just took one bite out of a whole apple, so as far as I know, that one bite won't cause you any ill effects."

"Ahh, true,” Eclipse agreed. “But I DID have a cupcake earlier, and I’m not getting sick from it, am I? Then again, it’s Pinkie's baking, so the only way I’d be sick from them is if I had too much." Eclipse took another bite from his apple and continued talking while jabbing the apple in her direction, like a dismissive parent would jab a hoof/finger in the direction of an unruly child. "But again, you'd might say, 'yeah but a cupcake has sugar in it and you might eat that along with the occasional bit of fruit to supplement your diet'. Again you'd might be right, but I’m also capable of eating grains, dairy products, and fruits and vegetables. And if I’m REALLY hungry, I could walk outside and snack on the lawn, which mind you sounds like a plan to me at the moment."

"Why? How long ago was your last meal?", Rarity asked. "How long have I been out of it?" Eclipse responded. "Three days," came the reply.

Eclipse then looked up at the ceiling, where he was flicking out random fingers as if counting while muttering to himself. "Uhhh, ‘bout a week ago. I think, but I’m not sure." Eclipse then took one last bite from his apple and with a flick of his wrist, tossed the core in the bin. "But since its been three days, then that means I can take this flaming bandage off, 'cause its driving me bucking nuts." And so, with that statement, Eclipse tore the bloodied bandage off his wing, and flexed it out a bit to give it a stitch. "Damn that feels good."

"Well knowin your appetite,” Applejack interrupted, turning around towards the door. “I’d best be gettin home ta rustle up some good old Apple family treats for ya."

Eclipse gave a warm smile. "Thanks AJ, I appreciate that. How bout I give ya a lift home for your troubles. eh?"

As if on cue, Nurse Redheart burst through the door. "ECLIPSE, YOU WILL PUT THAT BANDAGE BACK ON YOUR WOUND, AND YOU WILL NOT BE GIVING ANYPONY JOYRIDES FOR THE NEXT WEEK. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!". The sudden entry had caught everypony by surprise, and had even startled the two princesses. They all looked over to the bed where Eclipse had poked the top of head over the top to eye off Redheart from the other side of the bed, he gave a slow nod and Redheart left the room in a huff.

"Jesus, she’s got some bite to 'er.” Eclipse commented. “Hell, I’d take me chances with marryin a bloody Dragons Tongue chilie."

"I heard that!" Redheart called from down the corner.

When the cost was clear, and the tension had died down, Eclipse came out of his hiding spot and once again, took his seat on the bed. "Something tells me that she’s forgotten that I can heal faster than most normal ponies."

"Err, sugarcube?” Applejack interrupted nervously. “Your not exactly a pony. Your a human, remember?"

Eclipse pointed to his large wings, "Yeah AJ, remember that I’m also a human/pegasus hybrid? You know, human father, pegasus mother? So technically I can half get away with it. Anyway, I’m as healthy as a horse. So to speak."

A/N
Thanks to RandomExpert781 for doing a superb edit for me... cheers mate =D

A/N

Hey guys, I just want to apologize that the next chapter will take longer than I anticipated. So here is the story.
My dad is getting married on the 29th and I'm his best man (yippie fucking doo (shes a brainless hippie)), I'm viciously hunting for a new job that's better than being my dads underpaid mechanic/chief machine operator, and my father had "inadvertently" wiped all my fic related data from my ipad (long story short, i was not very amused).

So have a merry Christmas and happy new year.

Steel Heart, out.