Relative Times

by kindheart

Rating: everyone
Tags: Random, Adventure, Derpy Hooves, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Doctor Whooves, Nightmare Moon, Princess Luna, Original Character
Length: 2190

The quest of an old war hero to save his friend from the past.

Three young colts enter a blacksmithers shop searching for a stallion thought to have been glued in the Gryphon wars. Now the shopkeepers' war memories are relived as he quests to the past to save his friend.

Published 2013-01-22 05:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2013-01-22 05:30:01 UTC

Three Young Colts

It was high noon when the little bell on the shop door rang, signifying someponys arrival. As I walked out of the back room I could see the wide-eyed faces of three young colts. "Can I help you gentlecolts?" I asked, putting my flank down behind the shop table. "Maybe, We were sent by prince..." The young earth colt of the group had began, before getting a hoof shoved in his mouth. This earth colt had the brightest red mane i had ever seen, and his coat was a dirty brown. He looked as if he was the youngest of the three. As I peered over them I noticed something strange about the unicorn colt who's mane was as purple as a dragons backscales. He had an even more ravishing sea blue coat, but that's not why i noticed him. I noticed, by his facial expressions he had seen some combat, which was weird to me concidering there hasn't been combat in Equestria since the end of the Gryphon wars. He also looked tired, like he was sick of his companions who he dragged to the side for a private conversation. As they conversed I went to my thoughts. Not an entirely good idea in my opinion, but i did remember something. About a year ago a similar group of colts came into my shop. They were asking for a pony I had thought to have been glued in the war. Silverwing, was the name they used. Hearing that name made me freeze up for a moment before telling them of his demise.

"Excuse me? Sir?" the unicorn colt chirped, snapping me back to reality. "ahem, Yes. What is it?" I asked, clearing my throat. "We were looking for information on somepony you may know. A pony from the Gryphon wars. He goes by the name Silverwing." the unicorn colt curiously asked.

Hearing that name again made me remember the war.

It was late in the evening when my friend Silverwing and I returned to camp from our scouting mission. Silverwing was a pegasus like myself, but unlike me he had been a blacksmith since, before the war. After flight school we went our seperate ways, I joined the gaurd and he, well he made weapons. It wasn't long before the call to war ensnared us both, reuniting old friends. Silverwings' coat was a shimmering silver, and his mane a roaring fire atop his head, while I had a dark brown coat and a glistening sky blue mane. In my old age I only managed to keep two streaks of that gorgeous sky blue hair on either side of my now grey mane. Before we could settle into our bunks for the night our commanding officer approached us. "Thank the princess you two are still alive. We've had reports of gryphon ambushes coming in from all over Equestria. What do you have to report?" he asked looking relieved to see us. "Sir, gryphon stronghold up the road a ways, delta squad is being held captive and gaurded by a hundred plus sir. A rescue plan has been made if you would like to hear it." My friend said. Then everything went dark.

"Sir? Are you alright?" the pegasus colt with a dark green coat and black mane had said once again freeing me from the confines of my own mind. "Huh? Oh it's nothing. I'm sorry boys I can't help you. the one you seek, Silverwing was glued long ago." I replied, now fiddling with loose papers on the table.

the journies begin

Instead of leaving my shop then, like the group before, they stayed and conversed. I could tell something of great importace were to be at hand. Then the group had approached me again. "Have you heard of a stallion named swordslinger? He is said to have been driven mad by the war and then dissapeared, never to be seen again." their unicorn leader said prying open deep wounds. "Of course i've heard of him. He was Silverwings bestfriend and gaurdian in the war. He didn't dissapear, more or less just went into hiding. Crazy you say? I heard his friend's death still lingers in his mind, but he's not crazy." i replied, holding back my emotions. "Do you know where he is now?" the unicorn curiously asked. "Yes, he is here standing before you now. For you see, I am the one you seek." i replied giving a fake smile. "You can't be him you're just a simple old shop keep." the unicorn snapped. "careful boy you know not the emotions of war, so mind your manners. Tell me your names and i shall forget that remark." i said lashing back at the unicorns comment. I may be old but i still know my way around a sword, stupid unicorn. "Our names are not important. You must come with us imediatly!" the unicorn exclaimed, anger rising in his voice. "Watch it." The pegasus colt said, noticing his companions anger. "Yeah, I don't think he's the one who..." the earth colt began, once again interrupted by his elder. "Enough. Are you going to come quietly or are we doing this the hard way!?" the unicorn exclaimed, trying to be tough. "Well since i don't feel like beating up a kid I'll come quietly." I said, egging the young unicorn on. Then the unicorn colt pulled out a hidden dagger and rushed towards me with rage. To my surprise, his blade was stopped short by the pegasus colt who had pulled out a blade of his own. "Save it Syno. He's not the one." said the pagasus giving away the unicorns' name. "Get out of my way!" syno the unicorn had exclaimed pushing harder. on his blade. "Face it, you could never beat me. Ditch bring the shop keep to the princess we'll be along shortly." the pegasus instructed, pushing his struggleing companion out the door. "Damn you TreeBlood!" the unicorn exclaimed as they exited the building. "Don't mind them. They do this all the time, but yeah we should get going." the earth pony Ditch had said. "I agree we can't keep the princess waiting." i said going into the back room for my old gear. My gear was specially made for those given the title Gaurdian. the shimmering red cheastpeice complimented the black helmet nicely. The blade had a silver handgaurd, and was made of crystals transmogrified with dragon scales. It wasn't much but it definatly saved a life or two on the battlefield. Ounce young Ditch saw me in my old gear he began asking questions. One after the other they kept spewing from his mouth. finally we arrived at canterlot castle and the questions stopped. We were now standing on the castle grounds, a bunch of stallions and mares stood conversing by the fountain in the center of it all. pushing our way through the crowd Ditch told me all about the princess. "Yeah, princess Luna is the best. her nights are so beutiful, and so is she." he said lovestruck over the princess. Then the castle doors swung open to reveil a beautiful alicorn mare with a dark blue coat, and a mane that resembled space. "Could this really be the one sent to the moon one thousand years ago?" I asked myself remembering the war again.

The battlefield, which used to be a beautiful patch of forest now lay charred and disfigured due to dragon and unicorn miss-fires. The young princess sisters who were in charge of raising the sun and the moon, also took part in the many battles of the war. As princess Celestia, the eldest raised the sun, princess Luna arrived by charriot. "For we are the princess of the night, Nightmaremoon and we shall aid thee against the scurge gryphon empire, though not by choice accursed sister." A younger, more evil Luna exclaimed to our troop. Most of the troop had gone a little crazy, seeing their friends torn apart by Gryphon talons. Or worse, burned alive by dragon breathe. That kind of thing can leave somepony scarred for life and it certainly didn't do any good for Silverwing, who had seen a troop of pegasi eaten by dragons just the night before. He was usually outgoing but now he has started to distance himself from the rest of the troop. I tried bringing him some food but he threw it away in disgust. deep down i knew he blamed us for the pegasi being eaten. Never could bring myself to ask him why.

Haunting Memories

"Sir? Are you alright?" asked the pegasus colt as I snapped out of my flashback. "Yes of course, just some war memories catching up to me." I replied griefly. looking up I noticed Syno and TreeBlood all cut up due to their recent battle. I also noticed a strange stallion that i had never met before. Or have i? I couldn't tell at the time. He was a brown coated fellow with an even darker brown mane. He stood next to a mare with a grey colored coat and a stunning blonde mane. When the two noticed I was awake they approached me. "Swordslinger good to see you again, oh wait that's right we haven't met yet. I'm known as The Doctor, and this ravishing mare next to me is miss Derpy Whooves." said the strange brown pony with a chuckle. "My name's not Derpy it's Ditzy!" the pegasus said angrily crossing her eyes at the doctor. "What's..." "Going on here? I'll tell you. During the war there was a pony named Silverwing. It is said in history books he had been glued. I have brought you here today to save him from his horrid fate." the doctor explained interrupting me. "How are we going to do that?" I asked confused by the Doctors logic. "We are standing in a device known only as the tardis. Its my faithful time machine alowing me to be any when i wish. Now tell me, what do you know about Silverwing?" the Doctor asked. "He was one of the bravest in the war. He was a good friend, and an even better weaponsmith. He could smith weapons for all sorts of occasions, even for something as simple as gardening. His life was cut short when he was devoured whole by a dragon." I answered, trying not to think about the war. "He wasn't supposed to be eaten by that dragon. It says on my heads up display he was supposed to survive and take on the Gryphon king to prevent acts of rebellion in the future." He said flipping switches and turning the many dials of his machine.

There was a a whooshing sound, followed by a flash of light. Then everything went dark. "Oh dear this is not good. Derpy go and fetch me my tools over there!" the Doctor said pointing at darkness. "Sure thing Doctor." the pegasus said bumping into things as she maneuvered through the dark. As the darkness went on I couldn't help think of the war.

We were stationed out by the Everfree forest one time. Near a small newly formed town called Ponyville. As Silverwing and I stood gaurd our commanding officer approached us with a frantic look. "We've got dragons!" He screamed as a fireball fell from the sky, nearly hitting us. Unsheathing my blade I took to the sky following after Silverwing and the other pegasi. As we reached the red scaled dragon we realised that he wasn't the only dragon in the air that day. Fireballs seemed to come out of nowhere making us all break rank. Silverwing and I then fell back with the backup pegasi. The ones that got special military training and were able to link whooves to form a lightnig circle, able to completly desitagrate enemies of Equestria. Lightning Link we did, although it only took out a few dragons. That's the thing about the Lightning Link, it takes a lot of energy to use, leaving most of the pegasi exhausted. So we began to fight hoof to claw. Focusing on an elder dragon I had forgotten to pay attention to my friend. When I heard his bloodcurddling scream I turned in time to see him eaten whole by a black scaled dragon. Seeing that smug look on the dragons face afterwards is what made me loose it. I dropped my sword and flew toward the dragon in rage. I latched both my hooves apon the dragons snout and neck area and pulled with all my strength. You could hear the terrible sound of muscle tissue tearing from place and the horrid sound of bones snapping as the dragons head tore away from his body. The smell of dragons blood filled the air as the now headless dragon fell from the sky, spewing his rancid blood on everything. The other dragons, frightned by a pony who wasnt afraid to go near their mouth, went into full retreat. "The war is over. But at what cost?" I thought to myself spitting out a mouthful of dragon blood.