Chapter 70

30 years ago…

“Three hours of adjustments and it is still too small,” Battering Ram groaned as he pulled his helmet off his head. “Why can’t they just let me handle this?”

“Because it still has to look presentable and not have any silly additions to it,” Strong Shield sighed as he looked at his notepad. “You would want to add stripes or some other nonsense,” The unicorn closed his book and dropped it on his bunk as he rubbed his eyes

Battering Ram reluctantly nodded before removing the rest of his armour and placing it on a mannequin at the end of the bunk room. Strong Shield looked around the stone room, his bunk was clean and his armour was finely polished

As the huge earth pony sat back down on his bunk, the door swung open and Flux stomped in, throwing her helmet at the mannequin before dropping onto her bed. Battering Ram and Strong Shield shrugged before Flux sat up to glare at them

“Aren’t you going to ask what’s wrong?” The lavender mare growled

Battering Ram shook his head, “We learnt that if we talk to you when you are angry then we get yelled at”

“Yeah, no offense but we don’t like being a target for your minor issues,” Strong Shield sighed in defeat as Flux glared at him. “Ok, what happened?”

Flux angrily pulled the hairband out of her mane before shaking her head and letting her mane fall back into its normal place. “That stupid pea-brained colt of a guard thought he had the right to touch my flank as I was handing in my patrol report card”

“Which idiot are we talking about?” Battering Ram raised an eyebrow. “Are we on about Steel Wings or Swift?”

“Steel Wings is a moron but at least he has the decency to be afraid of me,” Flux groaned. “Swift had his hoof on my flank and whispered into my ear, ‘I have been planning a drill, you should try it’, and I was almost sick”

Strong Shield glared briefly at the floor before turning his head back to Flux, “Have you told Captain Sharp Eye?”

“No,” Flux shook her head at the idea. “He has enough on his plate trying to find us info about Puppetmaster without having to worry about our personal issues”

“If he has the nerve to recruit us and keep us as recruits for a year then he can damn well make sure the guards don’t harass us,” Battering Ram sneered before smirking. “Well nopony bothers me after that one fight and nopony bothers Strong Shield because he could do their job if he wanted”

Flux groaned as she fell back onto her bed, “When I agreed to being recruited I thought that I would show what mares could do, but so far I am being treated like some kind of stress relief for the stallions!”

“Well it took a lot of courage for you to be the first mare guard,” Strong Shield smiled. “But you really shouldn’t throw your helmet as it ruins the polish”

“Oh no, watch out Flux, the armour guard is on patrol,” Battering Ram joked as he made ghost noises. “Watch out he’s gonna make you polish and add some wax!”

The door opened and a guard stepped in, his formal composure made all three recruits quickly stand to attention. “Personally I think the wax makes an odd smell,” The purple armour the belonged to the captain of the guard was worn by a tidy white unicorn, his golden mane was combed and his piecing blue eyes matched the eagle eye cutie mark that sat on his flank. “How is everything going with my recruits?”

“Good sir!” The ponies all echoed each other as they remained saluting. The door closed as Sharp Eye gently used his magic to remove a small scroll

“I have found out that we may be able to gain some information on Puppetmaster’s plans,” The captain of the guard passed over the scroll as he waited for the recruits to read the information. “I am unsure as to the identity of the courier but it won’t hang around if it detects trouble”

Strong Shield hummed as he continued to read the vague information, “So anypony who is running may be the courier, but it is summer in Canterlot and we are going to a busy street”

“Nopony said it would be easy,” Battering Ram chuckled. “So are we going in without our armour?”

“Yes, it will buy you more time and hopefully the courier won’t scarper,” Sharp Eye nodded as he moved back to the door. “Your orders are to get that information, if it means force then use it”

As the captain of the guard left the room the recruits began to organise themselves, Flux removing the rest of her armour with haste before placing it on her mannequin. As the mare finished, the group all left together, walking through the busy barracks before hurrying through the castle corridors

The group emerged onto the castle courtyard, making their way straight for the gates before finally stepping out onto Canterlot’s cobbled streets. Flux nodded to her teammates before taking to the air and flying high above the ground

Strong Shield waved his hoof to the small shape in the sky and it did a loop to signal its acknowledgement. “Alright, Flux will keep over-watch whilst we go in,” Strong Shield nodded to Battering Ram before they both walked into the crowd that was walking alone the main street

“So how are you and Flux getting on?” Battering Ram scanned the crowd using his height whilst Strong Shield gave him a curious stare

“Fine, why?” The black unicorn glimpsed at a passing Pegasus before looking back into the dense crowd

Battering Ram chuckled, “I saw the look you made when you heard that Flux was being hit on,” the huge earth pony smirked. “You were pretty angry from what I saw,” Battering Ram ignored Strong Shield’s snort

“Just looking out for a work colleague,” the unicorn replied. “It isn’t like I have a crush on her or anything”

“I never said that,” Battering Ram smirked as Strong Shield blushed slightly. “You love that sleek mare don’t ya?”

“Shut up,” Strong Shield chuckled as he looked amongst the crowd. The various colours and races made identifying anything unusual almost impossible as a red unicorn walked past with a green Pegasus.

Strong Shield looked up at the sky as he pretended to stretch his neck, his eyes moving to see Flux continuing with her flight. He spotted a pony wearing a large cape that covered most of the body and only allowed its gold hooves and glowing blue eyes to be visible. “I would class that as odd”

Battering Ram nodded as he saw the same pony, “Yeah, you had me at the glowing eyes”

Strong Shield sent a signal to Flux by pretending to stretch his neck, pointing his horn at the suspect in the process. Both the stallions walked towards the cloaked pony, avoiding ponies as they crossed the busy street

The suspect walked at a constant pace, its head turned smoothly to look at the pair as they had to change course to try and intercept the suspect. The glowing eyes flickered before a small beep made the suspect face forward again

“Have we been spotted?” Battering Ram whispered, his curious expression turned to an annoyed one as the cloaked pony suddenly bolted forward and began running at full pace down the street, effortlessly weaving through the crowd

Strong Shield pushed a stallion aside as he chased the suspect, Battering Ram running behind as Flux dived out of the air to help the pursuit. The cloaked pony didn’t look back as it moved for one of the quieter side streets and ran towards a high wall, jumping without preparation and cleared the jump with ease

“Like I’m going to be beaten by some crook,” Strong Shield snarled as he put all his effort into jumping and managed to get his front hooves onto the top of the wall. He watched the cloaked pony stop as it was met by a locked gate, the top was spiked and was taller than the wall it had jumped over

Flux dove down and landed in the small garden that the suspect had cornered itself into. Battering Ram watched as Strong Shield pulled himself over the wall and left the earth pony behind

“Don’t worry about me,” Battering Ram smirked as he charged at the brick wall. “I’ll make my own way”

The suspect turned as Battering Ram burst through the wall, bricks and rubble sent everywhere as he continued his charge at the pony. The suspect made another beep before rolling to the side, leaving its brown cloak behind as Battering Ram ran into the cheap cloth

Strong Shield and Flux stared at the golden pony, its eyes were two circular lights held by a few wires inside a golden skull. The body was a golden ribcage with a cluster of wires and bits of metal held into the chest. Its limbs were almost a cluster of pipes with tubes running along to the cluttered hooves that were made of various gold plates. Where the mane should be was replaced with an oval hatch and its tail was another coil of wires that ended in a silver plug

“What the hay?” Flux muttered before the robot spun the top half of its body to lash out with its front hooves. Strong Shield darted forward but was stopped as the robot quickly changed course and began to swipe at him

Battering Ram pulled the cloak off his head and turned to deliver a powerful punch with his front hoof. The robot beeped again before using its rotating body to grab the hoof and spin its hind legs into Ram’s face

As the earth pony recoiled, Flux and Strong Shield darted forward to help. The robot’s head rotated to look at Flux before extending a hoof, the flat end opened and a long golden spike shot out towards the advancing Pegasus

“No!” Strong Shield yelled as he threw his hoof into the path of the spike, grunting as the point easily went into his leg. The unicorn roared in anger as he spun in the air, using the momentum from the spike to help him turn and strike the robot across the face, slashing out one of its eyes and knocking the hatch from the robot’s head to reveal the sliced and wired brain inside

The robot bleeped loudly as it hopped away from the ponies, the sound of gears turning stopped as the robot quickly turned and ran away, leaving Flux and Battering Ram to aid Strong Shield

“Did I get it?” Strong Shield groaned as he held his bleeding hoof. “I think that spike may have broken a bone… I think”

Battering Ram picked up the broken eye and the hatch, a small engraving was cut into the inside of the metal. “Mark Two?”

“Should we go after it?” Flux looked up at her teammate. “If there are more then I think we should find out”

“No,” Strong Shield grunted as he stood on his good legs. “It almost got us and there are three of us and one of… whatever it was, I think we should report this immediately”

Flux took the hatch and eye from Battering Ram before looking back at Strong Shield. “Thanks for protecting me… I’ll make it up to you someday”

“No need,” Strong Shield smiled confidently as his leg continued to bleed. “What are friends for?”

Present day…

“Strong Shield has always been protecting others but he hasn’t always been… emotionless,” Battering Ram rubbed his face and tapped his faint crow’s feet beside his eyes. “Admittedly we were all better looking when we were younger”

Celestia narrowed her eyes at Battering Ram, “Strong Shield has never been that kind and there were never any robot ponies”

“Because we… Strong Shield stopped them,” Battering Ram looked down at himself in guilt before glaring back at Celestia. “And you are beginning to choose what to remember”

“Are you accusing me of lying?” The princess rose a judgemental eyebrow

“Strong Shield was in the hospital for a few months because he jumped in front of a spike when he was protecting Dave,” Battering Ram sneered as Celestia glanced away. “If you spent more time worrying about what Dave wants rather than what you think he needs then maybe he wouldn’t have to do things to protect others”

Celestia sighed as she looked at her golden regalia on her hooves, “I don’t want Dave being used, I want him to be happy”

“Then why don’t you let Strong Shield go?” Battering Ram almost pleaded. “He doesn’t deserve to be punished”

The princess shook her head before returning to her stern glare, “You probably made that story up, I’ve never heard it and Strong Shield wouldn’t lie or withhold information”

“Strong Shield wouldn’t send anypony in Tartarus by force?” Battering Ram folded his hooves

“No he…” Celestia stammered before glaring at the earth pony. “Go back to your cell!”

Meanwhile…

Dave stepped out of the library, Nurse Redheart sent him a glare as she stepped out alongside him. “If either princess found out that you left the medical ward without an examination then they will hold me responsible”

“They won’t bother punishing you,” Dave looked down the corridors. “If you don’t mind, I have some important business”

“What happened to you?” Nurse Redheart shook her head sadly as she walked away. “You used to be so happy”

Dave walked the opposite direction as he headed for the kitchen, his face remained neutral as he entered the busy kitchen. The head chef ran over and bowed deeply, “Ah Prince Dave, would you like something to eat?”

“No, have you got a large potato sack?” Dave stood still as the chef hurried to the store cupboard before returning with a sack large enough for Dave to fit in. “This will be fine,” Dave responded as he folded up the sack and left the kitchen

The human carried the sack under his arm as he walked out onto the castle gardens, a gardener was sweeping up leaves and broken twigs as Dave walked out into a clear patch. “Morning Prince Dave!” the gardener called happily

“Leave the garden,” Dave responded as he looked up at the sky, narrowing his eyes occasionally

“B-but I still have a few more things I need to do,” the gardener shivered as Dave slowly rotated his head to look at him

“I said leave, if you find that command too tasking then I can have the guards haul you out,” Dave responded calmly as he looked back up at the sky, eventually extending his arm and twitching his fingers. He waited for the gardener to leave before he allowed the burning pain from his arm to effect his expression

Dave rubbed his arm before he dropped the potato sack, “Why did Dave have to be so modest, now nopony can listen to a command without having to hesitate first”

An eagle’s screech filled the air as a gryphon fell and crashed into the ground near Dave, one of its wings was mangled. Dave stepped over and pulled the flight goggles away from the high flyer, his stared at the gasping gryphon as fear began to fill its eyes

“The rest of the gryphon army will deny you existence,” Dave grabbed the gryphon by its neck as he dragged it over to the sack. “You may prove useful, so that can be your way of repaying Dave for spying on him”

“If you aren’t Dave,” The gryphon coughed before it was shoved into the sack. “Who are you?”

“Me?” Dave looked at his bandaged arm before closing the sack and punching the gryphon inside unconscious. “I’m the Id”