Same Old Fight

Chapter 4

Sanctuary

Dano moved slowly through the pine forest he had spent most of his time in since his arrival in this new world. He kept his tired eyes open to watch out for low branches in order to dodge them for the pink mare on his shoulder’s sake. The human, his cargo and the five mares in tow had continued to walk through the previous night for fear of Pinkie’s ebbing health. Despite some grumbling from the group, Rainbow Dash and Rarity especially, they had pushed themselves through the fatigue, and had reached the edge of the massive forest that surrounded Sanctuary at dawn.

Believing they were safe Dano allowed the group to rest for a few minutes to eat. The survivor realized that he had not consumed anything in a couple days, and was happy to chew on some apples Applejack brought in her saddlebag. The fruits were small and looked like they were pulled from the bottom of the proverbial barrel. Dano wondered how well off those in Sanctuary really were if this was their food supply, and it worried him deeply. The survivor also fed Pinkie small bits of apple and some water that Twilight collected from a nearby stream as the pink mare rested off of his shoulders. Pinkie wanted to eat and drink as much as she could in one sitting, but Dano refused to give her anything larger than a half of an apple split into even smaller chunks. He knew that in Pinkie’s state she would need every bit of energy to simply digest the fruit. If she overwhelmed herself now the whole rescue mission would have been for nothing.

Once their meager breakfast was complete Dano lead the group into the pine forest after putting Pinkie back on his shoulders.

“I think we should have taken a left at that river.” Twilight said as she looked around the forest nervously.

“I know where I’m going.” Dano responded flatly. A mountain was hard to lose, and he had sighted the formation he believed to be Sanctuary before the group even reached the forest.

“Maybe I could fly ahead and find the entrance?”

Rainbow Dash had been looking for a reason to fly for that past few hours now, and it was grating on Dano’s nerves.

“We stay together.”

Dano made his tone somewhat hard to force his point.

“Aw. Come on Daniel.”

Dano ignored Rainbow Dash as he ducked under a particularly low branch.

“It’s alright Dashie, we are almost there.” Pinkie said through a massive smile.

Pinkie Pie’s energy had spiked to the extreme when she had eaten something, and Dano had continuously fed her as they walked. Despite this increase in bounciness the pink mare continued to cough whenever she moved around too much or laughed too hard. The survivor guessed she had bronchitis or an infection in her lungs from her exposure. Either way she needed help sooner rather than later.

“So Mr. Daniel” Pinkie said as she chewed on a small piece of apple Dano had just given her “how long have you been in Equestria?”

Dano looked over his shoulder a bit.

“This planet is called Equestria?”

Pinkie chuckled.

“No silly. This is the country of Equestria. This world is… well the world! You didn’t answer my question though.”

Dano sighed as the prospect of politics entered his mind.

“A few days.”

Pinkie Pie bounced a bit on Dano’s shoulders.

“Great! We can throw you a ‘welcome to Equestria’ party!”

Pinkie began to cough from her exertion just as Dano pushed through the last of the forest to find the small clearing around the entrance of Sanctuary. Luna stood in the cave entrance flanked by Shining Armor and another light brown coated stallion wearing a white lab coat and stethoscope around his neck. His short brown mane and blue eyes seemed familiar to the survivor, but he pushed it aside as he noticed that he was a doctor.

Shining appeared to be particularly happy to see his sister and Luna also had a small smile covering her face.

“I see you have completed your objective Daniel. Well done.”

Dano kept a flat expression as he stopped in front of the welcoming party.

“We need to take care of Pinkie first then we can start handing out congratulations.”

Luna’s smile shifted a bit to resemble a sly grin as she sensed something Dano did not.

“Very well Daniel. We will take Pinkie Pie to the hospital then we can de-brief you.”

With that Luna turned to leave with the lab coated pony in tow. Dano followed them as Shining Armor and the five mares lagged behind. They were too busy chatting to keep up with the group, and fell behind quite a bit.

Dano followed Luna through the large main cave for a while, and he realized they were moving down a different path than before. Despite the many paths that branched off of the main one Luna did not deviate as the group moved down the straight road sized formation. Lighting their way were plenty of yellow magical lanterns with golden clad guards below them. Luna, Dano the doctor and Pinkie Pie walked for what felt like a quarter mile until the route they were on suddenly ended in a dual gate system that was made up of a thick iron portcullis in front of a wooden gate. The two blockades were built in such a way that the mechanisms they controlled them were hidden behind rock, and there were a pair of guards on each side of the dual gates.

As the group approached the gate house the guard in charge called for the gates to open. The sound of gears and chains responded, and the portcullis rose into the mountain while the gate were split down the middle and pulled apart. Dano was impressed with the ingenuity of the ponies, but his mind was sent into a tail spin as he moved through the gate house into the massive expanse that was Sanctuary.

Dano was in awe as he looked around, and his mind had trouble processing exactly what he was seeing. He stood on a bridge no wider than the cave he came out of that spanned a large trench that dropped into a black abyss. In front of him stood another gate house, but this one resembled a more traditional one. It stood a good fifty feet tall by thirty feet wide, and was flanked by two towers that were twenty feet taller. Thirty foot tall walls ran off in both directions as they followed the curve of the trench, and dozens of grey clad unicorn guards patrolled the barriers with bows and quivers resting on their back. Many more golden clad guards stood in front of the gate house, and it peaked Dano’s interest that both guard types were a single color and race.

This thought was a blip on the survivor’s radar however as his eyes finally moved upward. Instead of a ceiling Dano saw slanting walls that mimicked the external appearance of the mountain, and they were covered in stone housing carved into the walls. Thousands of magical lanterns dotted the walls or stood on stone posts, and with their combined strength the massive room was lit as if it was daytime. The sky was full of flying pegasi and other airborne animals as they went about their day. The survivor finally realized that the entire mountain had been hollowed out and held a large walled city inside that had been carved from the very mountain.

Both Dano and Pinkie Pie’s expressions were the same, for neither of them had ever laid eyes on the massive city before. Luna turned and watched the two as they took in their surroundings while the doctor waited at her side.

“Impressive isn’t it?”

Luna’s words brought Dano back to the real world.

“How long did this take?”

Luna seemed to calculate the answer in her head as she brought a hoof to her chin.

“With the assistance of almost every sentient species known to us we managed to carve the majority of the city including the walls and trench in a little over six months.”

Dano’s jaw dropped.

“Six months?”

Luna nodded as she returned he front hoof to the ground.

“The Dragons and Diamond Dogs came in handy, but every race worked in concert. This is our last safe haven after all.”

Dano moved to ask more questions, but Pinkie Pie began to bounce on his shoulders in excitement.

“This is amazing! Is that a dragon?! Oh! I wonder if the Cakes rebuilt Sugar Cube Corner?!”

Dano soon tuned out the pink mare as she continued on, but was brought back to his mission as she began a particularly heavy hacking fit.

“We better get moving.” Dano said as he listened to Pinkie wheeze.

Luna gave a curt nod before turning back to Sanctuary and moving toward the gatehouse.

The four beings crossed the fifty yard long bridge quickly to receive the same treatment from the guards as before. The gate was ordered to open, and the portcullis and wooden doors opened in concert to revel a bustling city scape. Dano, Pinkie Pie, the doctor and Luna all passed under the gate house and entered into the fray that was metropolitan life. Luna cut a path through the crowd with her rank, and ponies of every race stopped whatever they were doing to bow deeply at their princess’s feet. Other beings Dano would classify as livestock or familiar animals also bowed when Luna passed by. Donkeys, Cows, Rams, Zebras and Mules all paid their respects. Others Dano would call mythical beasts did not bow, but dipped their head more out of respect than the princess’s rank. Griffons, Minotaurs and small Dragons all moved to let the princess pass. Dano received the exact opposite from those around him. Glares and fearful glances fell on his person, but the survivor ignored them as best he could despite the slow souring of his mood. He was not here to make friends. He was here to win their war.

The group moved through what Dano guessed was multi-level residential housing after coming out of the gate. The cobblestone roads they traveled were slightly crowded with those moving to and from work. The occasional cart moved with the foot traffic, but this soon changed as the four moved out of the residential area into the center of the city. Apparently the market, shops and other businesses inhabited the middle of Sanctuary, and the streets were packed with ponies and their comrades. Stall vendors shouted their wares over the din of thousands of living beings, and the thunder of hundreds upon hundreds of hooves colliding on stone made the ground quiver. Luna, Dano, the doctor and Pinkie Pie pushed through this mess slowly until they came out the other side to find the relative calm of more residential housing. A few minutes passed before the group arrived at what was the hospital for Sanctuary.

Carved out of the same grey stone as every other building the hospital sported a large red cross over its main wooden double doors, large windows and small gardens in stone troughs lining the cobblestone walkway. The three story medical center was shaped like a large, rectangular C, and the two wings flanked the entrance imposingly. The hospital staff was obviously waiting for the group as a pair of mares with what looked like nursing hats adorned with a red cross on their heads stood flanking a gurney. Both of their tattoos had a red cross incorporated in them, and it only reinforced their position as medical staff.

Once Dano reached the two nurses, who were giving him very unwelcome looks, he laid Pinkie Pie onto the clean white sheets of the gurney. With his burden removed the survivor stepped back just as the two nurses pushed the wheeled bed up the entrance ramp and into the hospital.

“See you later Mr. Daniel!”

Dano couldn’t help but smile as he watched Pinkie Pie wave frantically before she disappeared into the hospital.

“See you later Pinkie.” Dano responded under his breath before turning to see Luna and the doctor having a straight faced conversation.

“Please make sure she recovers Doctor Whooves. She is crucial to the war effort.”

The doctor nodded.

“I didn’t see too much wrong with her. I believe with some magical therapy we can get her back on her feet quickly.”

It was Luna’s turn to nod.

“Very well Doctor. Also, please allow her friends to visit at any time. I do not want to argue with Twilight over visiting hours.”

The doctor gave the princess a curt nod before a quick bow.

“As you wish Princess.”

The doctor pulled out of his bow only to turn and trot into the hospital leaving Dano and Luna alone in the small courtyard.

“Now what?” Dano asked calmly.

“We go to the Keep and debrief.” Luna responded just as coolly.

Dano nodded and motioned for Luna to lead, and she did so without wasting any time.

The pair silently decided to not go through the city center again, but instead to skirt the city all together. Dano learned there was a continual path around the inner circumference of the walls, and that the cobblestone street was all but abandoned. With the distant sounds of the city but a mere echo the two beings found themselves walking in relative quiet. The survivor was content to keep things that way, but the princess seemed hell bent to draw out a conversation.

“Tell me about your home Daniel. It has been a long time since I have had a friendly correspondence with my avatar, and I wish to know more of your world.

Dano let out a sigh as his gaze fell to the cobblestone beneath his feet.

“Well there is a lot to discuss about my ‘world’.”

Dano’s tone was flat and soft. He did not want to speak yet something compelled him to.

“Every place has its patterns. Your Ponyville is no exception.”

Dano chuckled at Luna’s words.

“Maybe, but I doubt it is anything you want to hear.”

Luna shrugged.

“I have lived a long life Daniel yet I still find those small intricacies of life fascinating.”

Dano gave Luna an imploring look.

“You never struck me as the philosophical type.”

Luna smiled.

“There is little to do during the night other than think.”

Dano nodded as he recalled many a night alone and wondering.

“Well, I guess my story starts with my first death after an accident…”

Luna and Dano walked slowly as the survivor told his story. He went over his life after waking from the metal coffin that had kept his body safe as the world around it died away, he talked of his meeting with Echo and living in his cabin and he talked about the struggles he faced when Discord made his move. Luna listened intently as Dano talked, but there was one thing the survivor did not speak of in depth. His friendships. Although he could keep his cool when the thought of his long gone friends passed through his mind delving into the intricacies of those relationships, especially Fluttershy’s, was still too much for him. Luna either did not notice or chose not to press for the topic of friends never came up in depth.

After a long walk and talk Luna and Dano reached the rear of Sanctuary. Like the front of the city there was a gate house flanked with two towers and several golden clad guards. Again Luna and Dano moved passed the portcullis and doors after they had been raised to see yet another bridge the same size as the one on the opposite side of the city. This bridge lead to what appeared to be the keep of Sanctuary, and the building itself was made up of three large half cylinders carved from out of mountain rock with the center being much taller and larger. The “roofs” of each cylinder reminded Dano of the Kremlin due to their shape. Once passed the gate the survivor noticed the sudden lack of guards, and he guessed that they were all in the city proper.

The pair moved across the bridge to pass through a pair of heavy wooden doors and into a large foyer. The inside of, what Dano guessed was, the Keep was starkly different than the exterior and Sanctuary itself. Instead of grey stone there were white marble floors, marble pillars and an arching ceiling covered in works of art. Purple carpet with a red fringe served as a guideline for those moving around the Keep, and Dano watched as servants wearing suits and maid outfits moved around the large room carrying silver platters, books or other forms of entertainment.

Luna led Dano down the main carpet that ran through the center of the foyer. Ponies and the occasional griffon or zebra all bowed at the princess’s feet, but the bows were curt. Many of them were either high ranking officials judging by their garb or were actually working. Dano received the same glares as before. The foyer eventually opened up into a round room flanked on both sides by staircases, and a large gold clad door rested where the stairways met. Luna proceeded to move passed the stairs and into the room behind the gilded doors with Dano in tow.

The area Dano moved into resembled the first room he had seen in Sanctuary. The marble walls were covered in maps and notes along with a bank of copper tubes. Rudimentary wood filing cabinets lined the left wall while the right was occupied with desks where several unicorn mares sat and wrote messages with quills in their magical grasp. In the center of the room was a massive table with a three dimensional map of what Dano guessed was Equestria. Around the table dressed in their uniform armor were Charger, Sky Lance and Monty Blade. Along with them was a grey feathered Griffon much larger than the survivor had seen in his brief stint in Sanctuary wearing a just as massive bear skin coat, a male Zebra who wore gold bracelets and necklaces over most of his neck and arms, a human male sized Dragon with red scales, gold spikes and pale yellow wings and underbelly and a large, brown dog like being with massive forearms and a jeweled collar.  

“There you are Daniel.” Monty said with chipper present in his voice. “I would like to apologize for our previous meeting place. We needed to trust you before we let you through our defenses.”

Dano nodded as he approached the table with Luna.

“Apology accepted.” Dano said with a flat tone.

“Good!” Monty said as he sorted through some papers which were held in his grey magical hold. “Now I must introduce you to the rest of our commanders.”

Monty indicated the Griffon with a hoof.

“This is King Frenzy. He is the monarch of the Griffon Kingdom and commands the Griffon component to our forces.

Frenzy nodded to Dano, and the survivor returned the gesture as Monty moved on to the Zebra.

“This is Chief Mombasa. He is the leader of the surviving Zebra that migrated to Equestria recently.

Again Dano returned a nod from the commander.

“This is Oliver.“ Monty said as he pointed to the dog. “He is the alpha of the local Diamond Dogs.”

The Diamond Dog regarded Dano like he was a threat to his position.

“And this is Garble. He serves as envoy for the Dragons as their leaders are far too big to fit in this room.”

Dano received a glare from the adolescent dragon which the survivor decided to not return.

“Now that the introductions are complete we can move on to your de-briefing.”

Monty shuffled through more of his papers sending some of them off to the mares at their desks.

“I take it that Pinkie Pie is in the city?”

Dano nodded.

“She is in the hospital recovering.”

Dano could feel the non-pony beings in the room size him up with their eyes.

“Did you encounter any resistance?”

Monty began looking through papers that floated back towards him form the mares at the desks.

“I killed two corrupted ponies and wounded a human.”

The group all looked at him with a bit of confusion.

“Did you say ‘corrupted’?” Asked the dragon with an obviously teenage voice.

Dano nodded again.

“I have seen it before in my own kind. The lack of color tipped me off, but their ferocity solidified my suspicions.”

The group looked at each other, Luna included, before Monty set his papers down to focus on Dano.

“If what you say is true how can we change them back?”

Dano frowned a bit.

“You cannot. The only way to ‘save’ them is to kill them.”

The large Griffon slammed a yellow claw on the table in front of him.

“That cannot be true! I will not eradicate my kinsmen!”

Dano remained calm as he looked at the infuriated Griffon.

“I murdered the love of my life’s father in cold blood.”

The room instantly quieted. Even the mares writing at the desks looked up from their papers to listen to Dano.

“No matter what you do, no matter what you say you cannot change them back. They will kill their family and like it, and you must stop them.”

The group mulled over what had been said as Dano remained quiet.

“We will continue this conversation… later.” Monty said awkwardly. “For now we need to get you settled and ready. With the Elements of Harmony back in play we can finally make our first moves in this war.”

Dano looked at Monty with confusion on his face.

“What do you mean ‘first moves’? I was told you were invaded three years ago.”

Monty nodded.

“We did, but we have not made any actions other than to relocate. Without the Elements of Harmony any move we made would have been futile.”

Dano pinched the bridge of his nose.

“The enemy has a finite number of soldiers. If you moved against them earlier you could have at least put a dent in their forces.”

The group looked at each other while Dano sighed.

“I know this is a peaceful place, but you cannot tell me you have never fought any wars.”

Monty seemed offended by Dano’s statements.

“If you are insinuating that we are blathering idiots or cowards then I will have you know that my grandfather served in the Diamond Wars.”

Dano gave Monty a bemused look.

“How many wars have you fought in Monty?”

Monty opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off with Sky Lance’s hoof.

“None of us have any actual fighting experience.”

Sky pulled her hoof back from her commander’s mouth after giving him a glare.

“We have however received years of training on the subject.”

Dano sighed.

“Fine.”

Monty, still fuming, let out a sigh of his own.

“I do realize that you have been in combat before Daniel, and I look forward to your advice on the subject. However I implore you to remember your place. You hold no rank or sway over any one here, so please keep the tone… professional.”

Dano got the hint.

“If that’s what I need to do then so be it.”

Monty forced a smile.

“Good. Now if you would please excuse me. I have plans to make.”

With that Monty bowed towards Luna before turning all of his focus to his papers. The other ponies in the room followed the supreme commander’s lead while the others nodded in respect.

Sensing the finality of the meeting Dano turned and quickly walked out of the situation room after throwing the doors open. Despite the calm on his face the survivor was fuming at Monty’s words. Dano was no expert in politics, and he could see the supreme commander was a veteran of that study. The only thing the survivor knew for sure was that Monty needed to either listen and put his pride away or watch what his pride would do to his forces.

Dano was brought out of his fuming by the sound of Luna approaching.

“I am sorry for Monty. He is from a very traditional military family.”

Dano turned and looked at Luna.

“He is going to get people killed Luna.”

Luna seemed conflicted by Dano’s words.

“I have never personally seen combat nor have I had the interest to read about it in depth. I must trust my subordinates Daniel, you understand this.”

Dano sighed as he turned and looked down the large foyer.

“I hate politics.”

Luna placed a reassuring hoof onto Dano’s shoulder.

“As do I.”

Luna brought her hoof back down to the ground before walking toward one of the curved stair cases. Dano followed behind the princess as she began to climb the stairs, and the two began a quick trek through the Keep. Like the foyer the rest of the stronghold was marble on marble with a purple rug serving as a path. Luna led Dano through the many halls of the Keep until she reached a single wooden door. She pushed it open with a hoof to reveal a round room that Dano guessed was his residence.

Dano moved into the somewhat large room to take in its features. To his right was a large bed covered in a regal purple and white checkered comforter with a matching pair of purple pillows. The bed frame itself supported a large awning which reminded the survivor of something a little girl would want. To the right of the bed with its back to the rounded wall was a large darkly stained wardrobe, and to the left of the bed stood a wash basin atop a darkly stained wooden cupboard. A mirror stood above the basin to allow the user to see themselves during their morning routine. Across from the entrance itself was another portal covered with two thin stain glassed doors. The image of what appeared to be Celestia with a sun backed by a rolling green field was displayed on the left door, and the right held the same image with Luna, the moon and a starry night taking the place of the previous scene. The rest of the room was bare save for a small magical lamp over a desk on the far left of the room.

Dano looked around his new home for a few moments before turning to see Luna standing in the door.

“This is quite extravagant for a country at war.”

Luna sighed as Dano’s tone forced his meaning home.

“Many of the nobles were adamant about their living quarters.”

Dano crossed his arms and gave Luna a bemused look.

“I do not see why that matters.”

Luna sighed again.

“Without the noble family’s support we could not hope to afford to pay for this war.”

Dano frowned as he let his arms fall apart.

“Luna this is not a simple war. This is the survival of your species. The sooner you learn that then the sooner you can win.”

Luna digested Dano’s words, and after a long moment she spoke in a hushed tone.

“Was it hard Daniel?”

Dano looked at Luna questioningly.

“Was it hard to kill?”

Dano sighed.

“In the moment, no, but it is something you live with for a very long time.”

Dano watched as Luna continued to mull over everything the survivor had told her.

“Listen Luna,” Dano said as walked across his room to place himself in front of the princess and look her in the eye. “When the time comes I have no doubt you won’t hesitate. When the consequences come then you will cope like the millions that have faced this problem before.”

Luna and Dano’s eyes locked as a silent understanding passed between them.

“Thank you Daniel.”

Luna gave Dano a small smile before turning and wishing him a good night. Dano reciprocated quietly, and the soft sound of his door closing resounded in his quiet room like thunder.

Dano sighed heavily as his own mind began to drift the coping of his own wars. He knew that, despite being much older than him, Luna and her sister Celestia were inherently peaceful in nature. The survivor did not know how the princess would respond to killing her own kind in the brutal combat Dano was expecting, but he hoped he could keep her all together until his job was done.

Dano wandered around his room intent on exploring in order to waste time. He discovered that his wardrobe, the cupboard below the wash basin and his desk were empty, and without anything to occupy his mind the survivor decided to see what lay behind the two stain glass doors. A small balcony spread out in front of Dano as he opened the portal. He moved out of his room onto the veranda to find that his residence was on the lower third of the right cylinder of the Keep.

Dano moved across the small balcony slowly as he enjoyed the site of the last airborne beings heading to their houses connected to the cavernous walls of Sanctuary. As he reached the edge he laid his hands upon the short marble railing as his eyes drifted from the sky to the city. Like above him the ground based residents of Sanctuary appeared to be winding their day to an end. How they knew what time it was Dano wasn’t certain until he saw a couple of the magical lamps that dotted the arching walls around him flicker and die. More joined in with their comrades, and soon Sanctuary was plunged into darkness save for some post resting lanterns in the city center. With the dark came the quiet, and with only the guards moving on the walls the world was completely silent.

With a sigh Dano decided that the day was over and that sleep was the only thing left to do. Slowly he pushed himself upright before turning and walking back into his room. After closing the two doors to the balcony the survivor moved over to his bed to sit down heavily. The soft mattress offered limited support, and Dano found himself sinking into the bed slowly. He relished the soft mattress a little as his body was suddenly wracked with fatigue. With a stifled yawn the survivor rose from his bed to begin removing his dirty clothing.

First came Dano’s tactical vest followed by his bullet proof vest. They were thrown on the floor haphazardly, and the sound of the metal clips in the tactical vest clattering against the floor echoed in the quiet. The survivor’s belt was loosened, and he pulled his camouflaged jacket and grey t-shirt off together before tossing them on top of the rest of his clothing. In the dark Dano could not make out much, but as his ran his hand over his chest he felt the new scar from Nightmare Moon’s blade join the ones he had gained from the wolf attack. The small dent in his skin occupied the survivor for a bit as his mind sifted through the images of his last fight on earth. Only after the image of his death did Dano pull himself out of his head to continue his disrobing. Dano’s boots, socks and pants came off next, and found a home on the pile of clothes next to the bed. Now naked save for his underwear the survivor crawled into his new bed before pulling the soft comforter over him.

Dano stared at the awning above his head for what felt like hours as he simply thought. Never before in his life had he ever found himself in the position he was in now. He was alone, the last of his kind, with no one to lean on. Dano could not ignore the feeling of loneliness that had made a home in the back of his head since his arrival, and it was compounded from the still lingering rage and sadness of Soarin’s appearance. With a soft bed underneath him and a warm blanked over him the survivor found it hard not to sleep. Slumber came swiftly to Dano’s tired mind, and with it came dreams of a home long lost and friends long gone.

well, i must say this story is quite depressing.

yeah! where is the action?

im working on it. you have to set the scene and all that jazz.

daring do never had to set the scene...

daring do isnt a real book

*very wolf like growl*

*very feminine squeak*

darling... what was that noise?  

*cough before speaking in exaggerated deep voice* nothing!

you are a moron

dont help them Logic!

there is chapter 4 for you all to enjoy.

please rate and comment.

that is all

kthanxbai