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Rise of the Elements Part I: The Lost Element

by Radiant Dawn

Chapter 23: The Threshold of Hell

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Chapter 23: The Threshold of Hell

I was having a wonderful dream about walking around the world's largest mint candy store. Pinkie Pie was there and everything was going great, until...

"Steel, wake up!"

I nearly jumped out of my skin, and proceeded to fall backwards off of the bed. Luckily the back of my head broke my fall with a resounding *thunk* against the granite floor. I heard what could only be Celestia giggling at me, and I just groaned in annoyance and a little pain. I opened my eyes to see said princess standing in front of me with a massive grin on her face, obviously holding in torrents of laughter.

"Well dear, glad I could wake up in an entertaining way." I said with no small amount of annoyance.

She just rolled her eyes before walking over and nuzzling me. 'Dammit...I can't stay mad when she does that.' She saw my expression of frustration drop, and she giggled again.

"Alright fine Celly, you win." I mumbled softly before giving her a kiss on the cheek. "So what do you need me for?"

Her demeanor suddenly turned serious. "Steel, my scouts have reported that the gryphons look as if they're preparing to attack. There has been a lot of movement along the northern border with the Gryphon Kingdoms, and I fear for my ponies. I have already dispatched Captain Armor as well as a few more of your guards to the front line. I need you to join them in case this takes a turn for the worse."

I did not question her any further and immediately headed to the smithy to meet my brother.


"Hey Mace, what's up man?" I said as I approached the working dragon.

He smiled and wiped some sweat from his brow and turned to me. "Not much, dude. What's going on?"

"Well, the princess is sending me off to the northern border. Apparently those gryphons might be attacking any time now. You got those weapons and armor ready for me?" I said in a serious tone.

He nodded and walked back to the storage room, returning a moment later with a suit of gleaming armor. "Alright dude, so here's what I've done: I figured that you'd like to be able to fly while wearing this, so I used blue fire to temper the titanium. It's lighter and thinner than any armor I've made before, but don't let that fool ya...this stuff isn't going to be breaking anytime soon. All the same, I've tried to limit the armor to your vital areas of your body as well as your wings." He pointed to the wing armor. "This stuff is gonna slow you down a bit, but if one of those gryphons takes a swipe at your wings, you'll be glad you have it. You'll notice I added razor wing tips so that you can use it for offense as well as defense. Lastly, I added a magesteel horn cap for you, courtesy of the princess. I've heard stories of how much it hurts to get your horn broken off or even just fractured. This cap will still let you cast spells while protecting your horn." He then turned around and grabbed my swords and placed them in the scabbards on my back. "Alright dude, looks like you're set."

I shook my head. "Nah, I got to add some enchantments to this stuff first."

He showed an expression of mock offense. "What, is my work not good enough?"

"Nah dude it's fine, I just have some things I want to tweak." I said with a chuckle.

He raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Okay, what did you have in mind?"

"Well I was thinking an armor enchantment that will make the armor lighter as well as one that gives the illusion of a large frosty aura around me. Then, enchants on the swords to make them inflict a very large amount of pain." I said with a smirk.

He still looked confused. "Explain please..."

I rolled my eyes. "Alright, the armor enchants are pretty self-explanatory. The lighter armor will let me be faster, and the aura illusion will make me look more intimidating. As far as the swords, I don't want to use them unless I absolutely have to...and when I do, I want them to inflict more pain than damage. Hopefully the immense pain will make an enemy give up so that I don't actually have to do any major damage to them. War or not, I'd like to try and keep from killing anyone."

He sighed and shook his head. "I know you made a promise to that Lux chick, but do you really think you're going to be able to avoid that? Equestria or not, a war is still a war."

"Yeah I know, believe me. Soldiers always say that the first time you kill someone, a little part of yourself dies with the one you kill. I'm pretty sure I could handle that if it came to it. What I'm afraid of is how the ponies would react to having to watch another creature die, by my own hoof or theirs." I said glumly.

He nodded and started to suit up. "Well I'm coming with you. I know the captain is there, but I don't know if the rest of those ponies are gonna be ready for this, and both of us had martial arts training in the past. I don't know what good it's gonna do you now, but my body layout is still pretty much the same."

I simply nodded and finished getting ready while he left to the back room again. After about twenty minutes he returned, wearing a black suit of armor that made him look like a tank. The armor was the same style as mine though, so I assumed it was also lighter than it looked. He was wearing his Yamato and Force Edge replicas as his weapons, and he looked so badass. I was just glad I wouldn't be the one fighting him. After taking about an hour to place the enchantments on my gear, - as well as a lightening enchantment on his - we took to the skies.


We arrived about twenty minutes later to find a batallion of around four-hundred very nervous pegasus and unicorn soldiers. Shining Armor was walking around his soldiers trying to reassure them as best he could, but I could tell it wasn't really working. None of these ponies had ever fought in a war before, and I could tell they were scared. When the group caught sight of us, their morale improved greatly. Many of them relaxed, and a few even sported smiles.

"Commander it's good to see you, although I wish it were under better circumstances." said Captain Armor with a smile.

I nodded and smiled back. "Well met, captain. What news have you received from the scouts?"

He gestured to the mountain range in the distance. "The gryphons are gathering in the mountains. In all likelihood, they're watching us right now. We have no idea why they haven't attacked yet."

I gazed at the mountain range and frowned. "Captain, no smart enemy is going to attack without gathering intel first. That's why they're watching us. They want to see what they're up against before they make a move. More than likely they're going to attack when we appear the most vulnerable...when we make camp and rest. So instead, we'll do that now and sleep in shifts. From what I've read, gryphons have much better sight in the dark than we do, so they'll likely attack then. We're going to wait until nightfall and act as if we're going to bed, and I'm betting that's when they'll attack. But of course since we know they're going to attack, we can be ready for them." I pointed to the hills surrounding us. "We’re going to send most of the troops away to hide in the hills and wait for my signal, which will be a silver flare. The rest of us are going to be the bait." I pointed to Shining Armor. "Captain, you're taking field command of the unicorn elite." I then pointed to Ditzy. "Private Ditzy, I'm issuing a field promotion to corporal. You'll take command of the aerial troops."

Ditzy gasped and sputtered. "B-but Commander, I'm not ready for this! I have no idea what I'm doing!"

I smiled and patted her shoulder. "Corporal Ditzy, you know the battle formations as well as fighting tactics like you do your own hooves. I personally trained you with everything you need to know. I don't place my trust in a pony if I don't know if she's capable of doing the job. You can do this, Ditzy."

At my praise and belief in her, a look of fierce determination washed over her and she nodded and saluted. "Yes sir." She then flared her wings and turned to the pegusi around her. "Troops, you heard the commander. Move out!"

A large number of the pegusi flew off with Ditzy towards Ponyville before banking west towards Froggy Bottom Bog. I then turned to the captain and nodded. "Shining Armor, I'll need your help in this and that of your unicorn soldiers. The gryphons are a lot smarter than I thought, and so might have found a way to avoid or get around magic. Do not underestimate them, captain. Rely on your weapons if you find your magic is ineffective and remember to hit the flight muscles on their backs if you have a clear shot. Pinion is going to be is going to be very effective, since if you do it right it'll prevent them from flying." I then closed my eyes and sighed. "I'm not going to lie to you, captain, this is going to be more dangerous than the changeling attack on Canterlot. Gryphons are stronger and faster than us, so we'll have to outsmart them." I turned to the rest of the unicorns watching me. "Rely on technique, not power and you'll be fine. Don't fight alone, look for your comrades and fight together to overcome. One more thing..." I said before sighing again. "Keep your distance from me. The spells I might have to use could cause harm to all of you as well as the enemy...so no matter what, stay with the main group."

The group was a little unnerved, but nodded and took off, leaving just a few soldiers plus myself and my brother.

"What about me, dude?" said the black dragon.

I patted him on the shoulder. "There's no one else I'd trust to stay by my side...I need you here. Things are gonna get hairy if the plan doesn't work, and I'll need you to cover me. You got my back?"

He nodded. "I got you, man."

"Alright Mace. Get some sleep, you're gonna need it." I said with a smile.

He nodded and headed over to a tent to rest. The rest of the remaining soldiers followed suit, which left me to keep watch.


Perspective change - Ditzy Doo

I took my group back towards Ponyville before banking to the West towards Froggy Bottom Bog. From here there was no view of the mountains, which also meant we couldn't be seen either. Our mission had now become one of stealth, so we landed on the outskirts of the bog and walked through the trees the rest of the way to the hills surrounding the camp.

"Corporal!" said a voice from behind me.

I turned to see a young white pegasus colt with a nervous look on his face. "Yes private, what is it?" It still felt kind of weird being a superior officer all of the sudden, but if Steelbreaker had faith in me that was good enough.

The colt shifted nervously and spoke with an equally nervous voice of inquiry, "Are you sure this is the best thing to do? I mean, it just seems that we're out in the open here. Vulnerable even."

I nodded. "Yes private that's true, but I trust the commander's judgment. We're outnumbered by a superior force, so we can't take them head-on. We have to be sneaky and cunning. There's a risk with any battle, but if we all do our job we'll make it through this." I then addressed the rest of the group. "All of you, remember your training. Follow the techniques and don't lose focus and we'll all make it out of this alive, I promise you. Now come on, we're almost there."


In a few more minutes we had reached the hilly area that Steelbreaker had gestured towards, and I was happy to see that it gave us a clear view of the entire camp as well as the air. It was the perfect vantage point to see exactly what's happening. I turned to a petite mare by the name of Silvershine. "Silver, you're going to be our scout. You're the fastest of us, so if anything should happen and we need to get info to the princess, that job goes to you." She nodded and I looked to the black stallion next to her. "Nightwing we all know how well you can see in the dark, so I'm going to need those eyes of yours when the light starts to fail. We have perfect placement here...the only thing that could mess this up is if they were to sneak up from behind us. That's where you come in. We have another four or so hours before nightfall, so get some sleep. You've got watch tonight." He nodded and started setting up a small tent.

It was safe to assume that Steelbreaker was right - these gryphons weren't going to attack during broad daylight, so other than two scouts keeping watch, the rest of us rested and relaxed for the inevitable battle to come. I tried to keep a clear head, but my mind kept wandering to thoughts of the commander. I had tried to avoid it for awhile now, but there was no denying I had a bit of a crush on my commanding officer. I pushed the thoughts aside again however - now was not the time for that. Maybe after the war is over and peace has returned, but right now losing focus could cost myself and my troops their lives. That was something Steelbreaker taught me. Even though at first I questioned his training style, he proved himself knowledgeable and caring. He was stern and sometimes - harsh even - when he trained me, but I realized I had become stronger because of it. He wanted me to survive...he wanted all of us to survive, and he trusted me to make sure I did my part to make sure that happened.

I wasn't going to let him down.


Perspective change - Steelbreaker

It had been an hour or two since our arrival, and I was sitting alone near the rear of the camp, keeping watch for any movement with a smile. Shortly after my brother had gone to get some sleep, I had noticed a small gryphon - who I assumed was one of their scouts - flying out in the open towards the mountains quickly. No doubt to advise his superiors of the change that's taken place in our camp. I couldn't help but grin.

"So, it seems everything's going according to plan." said a voice beside me.

I nodded. "Yeah, so far." I looked over to see a young female gryphon sitting beside me with a smirk on her face. I immediately jumped to my feet and cast a levitate spell on her, rendering her helpless in my grasp. "It was very foolish coming here alone. Do you have a death wish?" I growled.

I felt a twinge of regret when I saw fear in her eyes. "Whoa there, I don't want to fight! Please don't kill me!"

I probed her immediate thoughts and discovered she was telling the truth...at least about this. I released her, but still stood alert. "Explain yourself, gryphon...now. What's your name and what are you doing here?"

She gulped in nervousness, but nodded. "My name's Gilda, and I don't want any part in this war. Please believe me, I don't have anything against any of you ponies. I'm not part of the gryphon army and I don't want to hurt anyone!"

'Wait a minute...' "Gilda? Like Rainbow Dash's ex Gilda?" I asked, now thoroughly confused.

She suddenly looked sad, but nodded. "Yeah, that's me. How do you know Dash?"

I couldn't help but smirk now. "Well, she's my marefriend."

"Oh...so she told you about me, huh?" she said, visibly worried now.

I shook my head. "Not really. She only said that you two used to be really close a long time ago, nothing more."

She seemed a bit relieved, but her nervousness was now replaced by guilt. "Yeah...that was kinda my fault. I acted like such a..." she trailed off, seeming to be searching for the word.

"If you're trying not to curse, don't worry about it. Cursing doesn't offend me." I stated dryly.

She nodded. "Well, I was such a bitch to her and all her friends. I was just so hurt that after a year of not seeing each other she seemed to just have moved on with new friends, a new life...new everything. I felt like old news, and I guess I kinda flipped a little." she finished, now looking at the ground. I couldn't help but notice a few tears dropping to the ground.

Sincere tears were a weakness of mine...I couldn't stand to see her cry. No matter what she'd done in the past, I was prepared to help her if she was willing to change. I sat down next to her and placed a hoof on her shoulder. She looked at me incredulously and I smiled. "Gilda if you're really as sorry as you seem to be, you should be telling that to Dash and her friends. I'm not the one of the ones you hurt, they are." She seemed to accept that and I continued. "Tell you what...if you're really serious about making amends to Dashie and her friends, I'll vouch for you." She smiled but I got close in her face and she stepped back. "But know this: if you return to your old ways, I'll be the one that personally kicks your sorry ass out of here...you get me?"

She calmed down and nodded. "Yeah...I got ya. I know I kinda lost Dash for myself, but I miss her so much as a friend. I want to...no, I need to make this right."

I removed my hoof and nudged her with a smile. "Well, I'll help you out if you're serious about this." I then withdrew to a stern look. "However, we're in the middle of what might be a battle soon. I'm not sure how you got to me without any of the other soldiers seeing you, but you should get out of here until we're done. Hmm...I have an idea. Wait one moment."

I then made contact with Celestia. “Celly, it's me. Things are pretty quiet around here right now, but I'm worried about the rest of Ponyville. Send a few scouts to keep an eye on the wilds and mountains to the east. I'm just worried this might not be the entire force for the initial attack.”

I am glad that everything is okay, Steel...and it is good to hear from you. Very well, I will send a few of my best pegusi scouts to patrol that area.”

Thanks Celly. One more thing - a young gryphon by the name of Gilda has found me. Do you know of her?”

I recognize the name, yes. If I remember correctly she was the young gryphon that Twilight wrote to me about in one of her past friendship reports. From the way I understand it, she acted rather ill-tempered towards the ponies of Ponyville, specifically Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy.”

That's her. She has come to me as a broken soul, Celly. She wishes to make amends with those she's wronged, but I fear at the moment my soldiers may mistake her for an enemy, and there is no safe haven nearby. Would you mind coming to collect her quickly so we can address this when the battle is done?”

Very well, Steel. I trust you've explained to her that there will be no tolerance for her previous behavior, yes?”

To a degree, yes I have. Thanks Celly, I owe you.”

Yes Steel, you do owe me. I'll figure out your payment later.' I could almost feel the smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth, and with that she closed contact.

I turned to Gilda and smiled. "Alright Gilda, Princess Celestia is coming to get you. She'll keep you safe until we can handle this."

She gasped in shock. "The P-Princess? Are you s-sure that's a good idea?"

I nodded and smiled. "Yes Gilda. I've explained the situation to her and she's going to help you out at my request. You'll stay in the palace until I return, and then we'll take care of this all, okay? Now then I'm sure I don't have to tell you that you need to compose yourself with the utmost respect for the rulers of Ponyville. That means bow unless told otherwise, don't speak unless spoken to, and for the love of Celestia, don't purposefully insult anyone there."

"I think I'll be too afraid to do anything like that. I'll be good, I promise. By the way I never caught your name." she said with a small smile.

I grinned responded, "My name's Steelbreaker."

She gasped and said, “Prince Steelbreaker!”

She started to bow but I stopped her. "It's just a title, Gilda. No bowing to me please." She nodded and stood back up. It was at that moment that a flash of light blinded me, and I saw Celestia standing before me with a smile on her face.

She walked over and nuzzled me affectionately, and I returned the gesture. "Hello Steel. This must be Gilda, right?" she said while pointing at the young gryphon by my side. I nodded and Gilda proceeded to bow.

Celestia giggled. "Arise young Gilda. You will come with me to the palace. I have already prepared a room in the royal quarters for you." She then grimaced a bit. "I also know that your kind are carnivores. While it turns my stomach a bit, I understand that you cannot change what you are. There is a lake in the mountains to the northeast of Canterlot with plentiful amounts of fish for you to hunt."

The young gryphon nodded and smiled. "Thank you so much your highness. I'll make it a point to make up for my past here. I promise."

Celestia then smiled and placed her hoof on Gilda's shoulder. "I sense the sincerity in your heart. You are welcome here since you intend to repent and make amends for your past misdeeds." The white alicorn then turned to me and smiled. "Alright Steel, I will take care of her until you return." She then looked worried and kissed me on the cheek. "Come back to us, Steel."

I nodded and smiled. "I Pinkie promise, Celly. Take care of yourself. Gods willing we'll be back soon...all of us."

My beautiful princess then stood beside the gryphon and smiled one last time before disappearing in another flash of light. I looked upon the horizon as my vision cleared to find that the sun was just barely kissing the horizon.

Oh, this was going to be fun...

Next Chapter: Into the Maw of Oblivion Estimated time remaining: 30 Minutes
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