Today was the day of the Grand Galloping Gala. I packed all my supplies into my satchel and removed any evidence of my staying in the alley. I walked out from the damp alley I had come to know as my home during my stay in Cantorlot. The day was just coming to a close as the sun slowly set under the mountain. I began my march to the castle, I saw many very well dressed ponies. Monocles, tuxedos, dresses and all sorts of pony fashion statements. The street lights flickered on as I walked by. The houses casting their shadows on the streets gave everything a air of mystery and wonder. I was almost at the entrance of the castle and one step closer to my goal. I shuffled through the void in the bottom of my bag searching for my ticket. Should have put it in my pocket before I left the alley. I found the ticket and pulled it out just in time to show it to the guard.

"Sir, guests are not allowed to carry weapons." The guard pointed at my holster and my arm.

I pull out my crossbow and show it to the guard."No strings friend, it's more of a decoration."

"And the armor on you limb?"

"That is my limb, I lost it in accident involving a careless cart driver and alcohol. Any more questions, comments or concerns?"

"No, I am sorry for this inconvience sir, please enjoy the party." The guard moved to the side allowing me passage.

There were guards all over the entrance to the castle. I guess I have to find a way to the archieve from the inside. I entered the main entrance attracting alot of unwanted attention as ponies turned their head toward me. I made my way up the steps into the ballroom where I would look for a way to the archieve. As I rose the steps, I saw a large white unicorn with a extremely light brown mane. It had to be Blueblood didn't it? I reached the top of the stairs to see Blueblood finish greeting one of the guests. He looked at me disgusted that I was even here.

"Why did they let a filthy beast such as this one into the castle? Guards dispose of him."

"How dare you call me a beast! I am Lord Fester of the Bugbear Empire!" I shouted in a snobbish voice.

"Bugbear Empire? I have never heard of this  so called empire."

"Of course you wouldn't you twat! Our empires have just met a month ago! If you payed attention a little more you would have known that." A few snickers could be heard from all around us.

"I-i-i-i-i-i mean of course I've heard of the Bugbear Empire! It's so nice to finaly meet you Lord Fester have a wonderful time at the Gala." His voice and face betrayed him and showed how worried he was.

I begin to walk away, "I plan to have some fun Blueblood, I plan to."

My arm buzzed from all the power it was receiving. Apparently the bigger a lie the lerger amount of energy is collected. I made my way into the ballroom carefully side stepping ponies in hopes they would not notice me. The guests were the usual snobby uptight ponies I have encountered on the streets over the past week. I managed to sneak my way over to one of the side doors. I slipped out of the party unnoticed and made my way down the hall. I began to wonder around, going down each hallway until I finaly found a exit to the gardens.  I saw the statue of Discord still frozen in the ridiculous face he had when the elements had defeated him.

"Heh, stoned again Discord?"

Ok bad joke aside, I made my way around the garden. If I didn't know better I'd say that the castle warps space time... I let my thoughts wander as I walked around the garden searching for the archieve.I countined to roam the garden until I saw a building, it was quite large with big windows that unlike the rest of the castle I have seen so far did not have stained glass in them. I began to approach the building slowly recognizing the surrounding area from the one episode Twilight had broken into the archieve in a attempt to stop time. I was almost at the door when I heard a familiar surfer boy voice call out from behind me.

"What do you think your doing here? If your a guest go back to the ballroom and if your not a guest then we have a problem."

I turn around to see Shining Armor, he wasn't a small dinky little unicorn that needed his wife to really do anything big. No he was a tall and fit unicorn that seemed like he was a marine. Why couldn't he be the silly unicorn that was on the show? He was the opposite of silly he was a prime example of pure badassery in the flesh and blood. He made a sharp whistle and about six other unicorn guard walked over to us.

"Oi! Answer the question are you a guest or something else?"

"Well you see good sir I...."

"Don't bullshit me with your proper speak! Now answer the damn question or I'll kick your bipedal ass!" He interrupted.

"I am a guest."

"What's your name?"

"Celt, and I am simply here to sign out a book."

"I am Shining Armor the Unbreakable Shield," He glared daggers at me, "and this isn't a public library."

"I noticed it wasn't but you see I still have a book I want to sign out here and I will be taking it today gentlecolts."

"You against 6 guards and the Captain of the Royal Guard? HAH!" Laughed one of the six unicorns.

I pulled out my crossbow and leveled it with the laughing stallion.

"Obtusum vis!" A black bolt appeared on the crossbow.

"Ob-ta-sam viz?" The stallion asked before I fired.

The bolt flew through the air creating a small cone around it. It the stallion right in the chest and sent him flying back into a wall, creating a small crater where he was once standing. I cracked my neck and smiled at Shining who had a look of anger on his face.

"Break him!"

A bubble appeared around Shining and he began to charge at me. I held both my arms out ready to stop the stallion from impacting me. The unicorns horns glowed as their spears that they were carrying started to dance around me. A spear shot out at me but I caught it with my robotic arm before it could touch me. I heard the sound of wind being cut as another two shot out at me. I extended my blade and brought it down on the spears crushing them. I used the spear I currently had in my hand to break the heads off the other spears before they could cuase serious damage. I swear I'm forgetting something. I thought right before Shining slammed into me full force. I went flying into the wall causing a imprint of my body to left in it.

I got slowly got up from the rumble of the wall. Some of the rubble was jagged and managed to peirce the back of my jacket and into my skin. Shining had backed away as the guards brought their spears toward me. Shit I can't be defensive. I have to rush them. I regained my composure and began to run toward the unicorns. A spear crumbled as it hit my arm, along with a few other spears had in the unicorns attempt to stop me. The unicorns picked up the spear head of the broken shafts and used them as projectitles. Lucky their aim sucked enough they missed me quite a bit or hit my robotic arm. A few lucky shots managed to cut my arm and one even got lucky enough to cut into me. I countinued on my run hoping once I got over there I'd could smash their skulls together. Three spears began to chase after me. I finaly reached the unicorns and jumped over them. They watched as I dived over them almost forgetting about the spears they were still controling heading right for their heads. A wall shield appeared infront of them making the spears shatter into splinters.

I grabbed one of the unicorns by the horn and lifted him up. I began to swing him side to side like a mace in a attempt to bash both his friends. My mace stallion slammed into both of the unicorns sending them flying toward their other unconscious friend. Shining Armor came up behind me once more slamming me but this time I use his friend as a cushion. I got up from the rumble leaving the stallion firmly planted in the ground. Four down, Three more to go.

Three more spears were being aimed at me. Damn it where the hell do all these spears come from?!?! The spear shot toward me.I rolled out of the way of the other two spears, I look back to see them turning around for another attack. I look for the unicorns controling the spears. I pulled my crossbow out and aimed. I gotta hit both of them...

"Ignum Vis!"

A bright red bolt appeared on the crossbow. It radiated heat and force, always pulsing with energy. I fired at the two unicorns. The bolt exploded on the first one sending him into his unconscious friends by the wall and the other flying back into a tree and making a large crack sound. I turned back toward Shining wearing a  smug smile with a hint of "Im going to fuck you up for throwing me into a wall."

"I forgot to mention before we started but I cheat."

He formed another shield around himself. I guess old dogs can't learn new tricks. A ball made of his sheild shot out toward me at break neck speeds. I just barely dodged it in time to see the second one heading right toward me. The ball impacted my stomach. It was as hard as a cannon ball but felt as if a train hit me. I looked up to see another heading toward my face. Oh shit this is going to hurt. The ball impacted me sending me backwards. I heard Shining call out.

"So do I."

I got up and faced the smug bastard. Just imagine he is Loki and your being given the chance to kick his ass! I got up and started to rush him, more and more shield blasts were being fired at me. I dodged to left nearly being hit. I unholster my crossbow and shouted.

"Vis!"

A black bolt appeared on the crossbow. I fired the bolt at the wave of magic cannonballs heading at me. The bolt collided with one of them and stopped it in mid air. Both the bolt and the ball disappeared. There is no way in hell I'm going to be able to fire enough bolts to stop all the balls before I run out of power.  I countinued to dodge the balls slowly closing the distance. He stopped firing and began to charge at me. He leaped up into the air and claws formed on his hooves as he came down on me. A large clang sound resonated off the shield claws Shining used to strike at me as he hit my metalic arm. At least Loki wasn't lying about the industructable part. I jumped back a few feet, not far enough for him to be able to use the shield blast but just far enough he couldn't his shield claws.

He charged at me and instead of the shield charge or his shield claws he created a giant shield sledge hammer. Oh that's just not fair! He swung down at me and I jumped out of the way in time before I was crushed under the hammer. He brought up his hammer in order to swing again and I took this as my chance. I charged at him in order to break his focus from the hammer. Unforunatly of him breaking focus on the hammer he swung it sideway sending me into a bush. Oh bush how  I love you for saving my ass.  He fell back to the ground breathing heavily.

"Looks like your stronger then I thought," he panted. "I suppose I should finish this now."

His horn began to glow bright. A shield slowly envolpes him in a bright aura. The shield grows and raises him off the ground as two shining pairs of legs touch the ground with a thump. A tail of a scorpion sprouts from the giant glowin form. Wings come into existance on top of it. Holy shit. He made a fucking shield manticore! The beast charged at me and swung down with it's claw. There is no way in hell I'm going to lose a manticore made of shield spells! The paw swung down and I dodged. The second claw caught me as I was in the air. I slammed into the wall hard. The stone nearly gave way to the massive pressure but stood strong. I'm not going to win by going head to head with him. So I guess I'll beat him the way a trickster would. I slumped down and pretended to be knocked out from the impact. Shining made his way slowly over to me, being careful to see if it was a trick or not.

"I guess your not as tought as I thought," He turned around," I'll let the normal guards lock you up."

I open my eyes to see him walking away. Cocky bastard. I pull out my crossbow and whispered "Obtusum vis" under my breath. A familiar bolt appeared on my crossbow. I slowly got up, still in pain from the rubble in my back and the peice of spear in my arm. I leveled the crossbow to his head. Bastard deserves this.

"My title isn't unbreakable shild for nothing. There is no way you could possibly hit me with your pathetic crossbow."

"Hey dumbass," He turns around just in time to see me fire the bolt, "I forgot to tell you I lie aswell."

He attempted to create a shield to stop the bolt but he was a second to late. The bolt slipped by just as the shield closed. It hit him and sent him flying into his own shield. He bounced off it into the other side and countinued to bounce over and over until finaly the shield disapated. He fell on to the ground, still conscious I walk over to him and grab him by his horn. I look him straight in the face and say.

"This is the time I shove your head through that wall for hitting me."

I began to drag him over to the wall. I lifted him slightly and thrusted his head into the wall. Shining was knocked out instantly from the impact. I let go of his head to see his horn firmly planted in the wall making him just hang there. As much as I'd hate to leave him hanging, I have a book to find." I pulled out the shard of the spear in my arm to see my blood trickle down the sleeve alittle. I searched through my bag and grabbed the bit of cloth I bought and wrapped it around my arm. Thank god for all those survival shows and medical programs. I walked over to the door of the archieve. The archieve's inside wasn't amazing, the walls were a dull gray that matched the marble floor. Each section was labelled. There were sections for cooking spells, fire spells, wards and the list goes on and on. I reached a door labelled potion, the door was locked behind a iron gate which. I extended my blade and cut the door open. As I stepped in I heard the voice of Celestia come from nowhere.

"You want these books? Well you can have them! ON THE MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONA!"

Just as she finishs that sentance runes all over the room start to glow. Each has the number 10 and begins to countdown. I rush grabbing all the books I can from everywhere in hopes that one of them is the book I need. I shoved the books into my bag. I quickly look at the countdown. 3 There is no way I'll make it to the door in time! 2.. I walk over to the window. 1... 0

"So long and we thank you for all your.."

The message was interrupted by a explosion coming from all the runes. Celestia you troll. Was the last thought in my head before I felt the pressure of the explosion hit me full force. I flew back out the window, soaring through the sky with my jacket on fire. The flames of the explosion chased after me then drew back as all the other windows of the archieve were being blown out by more of the flame running through the building. I guess they should have accounted for the dust build up before installing a self destruct mode in a freaking archieve! I hit the ground hard. I got up, I had no time to lolligag around while the rest of the guard are most likely on their way here to find out why the hell the archieve is on fire. I stood and patted out the flame on my shoulders. Hope the fancy nobles enjoy burnt bugbear smell..

A/N Others that are in the GGG are Griffin the Griffin by Blackwing, From nobody to knightmare by JJ, Blue Stranger,Red Curtain by Io, In a Pinch by Akailo and Dancing Flames,Coling Ember by Tamara Bloodhoof. Next Chapter: Party Hard! (11) GGG Estimated time remaining: 4 Hours, 33 Minutes