Acrylic stood outside the Still Room, glaring at the door handle and trying to make up an excuse as to avoid going in. It was early in the morning and the train was departing in only a half an hour, his goal was clear but he wanted to take the painting to his old friend in Canterlot.
"But I don't want to go in..." He said like a whining foal.
Acrylic trotted in place in frustration before closing his eyes and using a bit of magic to unlock the door; kicking it open all the way and trying to keep his eyes on the ground until he...
"Found thee!"
The heavy canvas levitated in the air and followed the stallion out, wrapped safely in green magic. Acrylic took a deep breath and let the door close behind him, locking with a heavy click once again, he placed the canvas on the ground carefully and took a step back before opening his eyes once again...
"Oh..my..."
The colors were breathtaking to say the least...the night sky rolled with streaks of dark grey and every shadow cast on the moon was caught in a moment of perfection. Lightening bugs dotted the sky and seemed to jump off the canvas with virbrant yellows and golds that glittered with their reflecting light bouncing off the stars glittering in the night sky...the mare in the center was still hooded to no surprise..
"Well come on then, no sense in stalling." He said to the painting more than himself.
Acrylic took the heavy case leaning against the wall next to his Still Room and slid the painting in with a small exertion of magic, tying the knot on the flap to secure it. Acrylic stood on two legs and threw the strap over his shoulder and tightened it to his chest, falling back on four legs and wincing at the new weight on his back.
"...Come on, lad...tis only a moments walk..."
The door swung open with a clumsy use of magic, Acrylic walked out slowly into the bright morning; a bird flew past his head and into the bright sky. Acrylic found the morning as peaceful as night at times but he was thankful that he didn't wait until the sweltering afternoon. The struggling stallion pushed forward on his new adventure, bearing the weight with more pride than fatigue. The train station was in sight when he cleared the forest and within the hour Acrylic Evenfall would be back where it all started...
_ _
"Now your majesty, thou must see this from our eyes, the city must expand higher into the mountain if tensions with the gryphons keep rising. The sky will be a battlefield and we need to be ready to defend from the air as much as on the ground."
Princess Celestia was growing tired of her captain of the guard...his rantings on war were stale to everypony in the castle, but to visiting diplomats; it just spread unnecessary rumors. True, the relations with the gryphons over the water was unsteady at best but she felt no need to feel threatened by such simple creatures...
"Captain, I understand thy concern but the world has just recovered from a long war-"
The guardpony slammed his hoof down to cut Celestia off...
"That was a war of the gods! This be a war for mortals and if ye show no consideration to the lives lost should this feud escalate, then allow me to take full command of the army; I will have a plan standing by should diplomacy fail."
Celestia glared down at the guard...his stance did not waver and her patience was wearing thin. The audacity it took to speak out of turn in her court and not even flinch at her gaze made Celestia feel a small pang of guilt; the guard was right, Celestia had no place lowering the value of an individual life. Even if the war never happened there would be nothing the princess could do to prevent a first and devastating strike after being already stretched so thin by politics and her duty to Equestria.
"Fine.."
Celestia spread her wings and the room was filled with pure light, her eyes glowed with power and the guard stood at attention while his armor thickened and color changing from gold to a dark silver as a sign of his status.
"I hereby promote Captain Immits Sun to Commander of the Royal Army, in this status I will only act as a consultant and succeed all command over the royal army...but should ye make a decision that the Sisters Of Harmony find heinous, you will be tried as a war criminal and sentenced to death."
It was all for looks, Celestia didn't care that the guard wanted more power; she didn't care that he would soon go boasting though the barracks of his status. All she cared about was keeping the peace, if that meant adding a new player to the game for gods, then so be it. The light faded from the room slowly and Celesita's eyes returned to normal; mane flowing quietly in the air and gaze holding nothing but judgment for the ambitious guard...and yet it was nice to just hand the responsibility over. For now it was no longer her problem what the royal guard did, as long as peace was held in Equestria, her promise would be upheld...
Immits bowed before exiting the Great Hall, shrugging the heavy new armor around until it felt more natural. The guards outside the doors snapped to attention when he walked out, one of them relaxed seconds after and saluted the Commander, a warm smile on his face.
"I knew you'd get through to her, sir. What are your orders?"
Immits waited for the door to shut before signaling for his friend to follow closely and he made sure the guard in gold wrote down his plans; Equestria would stand tall soon.
No feather brained freak will stop that...
_ _
Celestia let out a deep sigh...the problems of the world are stacking more heavily lately and there was only a few things the Princess of the sun could do to ease her mind, thankfully one of them walked to her side and put a dense and dark blue wing around her.
"I worry for thou sometimes, Tia..."
Luna was standing between the two massive thrones to be close and comfort her stressed kin, more and more the two were growing apart in their duties but it was times like these they could take comfort in each others company. Celestia felt the guilt creeping into her mind again but Luna moved from her side and stood in front of her to fill her vision; the windows darkened and the room was dimmed to ease the strain from the light reflecting off the white marble and into Celestia's eyes.
"Thou can not take on more than just Equrestia's problems by thyself, I trust he will do well so feel no guilt in thy decision."
"It is not just the guard...I feel like I might need a day off, just all these ponies and politicians, most of them have putrid breath thanks to good hygiene and-"
Luna laughed and put a hoof up to stop her sister's ranting.
"Please, Tia, thou are alliterating again..."
Celestia scoffed like a stubborn filly, Luna knew it was just a jest that began when they were both just fillies. It reassured Luna to know her sister wasn't above making a childish joke yet. Luna heard a knock on the large doors, Celestia sighed heavily and looked up once again.
"If you want to get some rest early tonight, we could have tea tomorrow so that we can catch up properly."
Luna let her power lift from the room, windows letting in the sunlight once again and the seals on the door releasing to allow the group that had built up in such a short time to enter. All of them hesitating when they noticed the grim figure of the Princess of the night...
"That sounds wonderful, enjoy the assembly of altruist-"
Celestia laughed quietly and pushed her sister to her side of the throne before she finished the insulting alliteration, the group looking confused and timid to speak first. Luna just nodded in greeting to the group and they all bowed, cueing the princess to return to her quarters so the diplomats could find their courage once again...
_ _
Acrylic Evenfall woke up with a shock when the trains horn blasted him back to reality; the short nap was well earned after the long haul down the hill and over a creek. The conductor offered to help get the case inside but Acrylic needed to keep a close eye on his work and nopony was going to take the accomplishment of carrying a fifty pound case and painting on his back for a quarter mile...though he ripped the tag off as soon as he set the case down on the bench, the ticket booth dare say his case was too small to be considered 'special' luggage; the scale was way off at only twenty twenty two pounds...
"Hmph...amateurs.."
He picked the case back up and walked off the platform and into the bustling city of Canterlot. only a few tall towers meet the skyline but it was much bigger than when he left it all those years ago, there was even signs of plans for more towers on the cliff side like lumber and builders talking over coffee about expansion. Acrylic scanned the crowed and spotted a black mane and metallic colored horn peaking over the heads of others.
"Evenfall!"
Acrylic smiled brightly and pushed past the thick crowd, pushing his friend into the alley between a coffee shop and mannequin filled store to give them room. Wintered Tail, the metal pony from far north that visited the grand city when it was first being re-built, his dense coat and thick frame made his kind gold in the construction business and when his family heard about the bits rolling in for Metal ponies...
One night though he stumbled upon a sickly looking teenager roaming the streets of the dangerously fragile city, after a long talk and a later argument between his father, they welcomed Acrylic Evenfall like family...
"Tail...it has been far too long, brother."
Wintered Tail rolled his eyes and grabbed the frail stallion in a crushing hug, thankfully under the canvas on his back, now choking him while Tail crushes him in the air.
"I missed ye, Acrylic..."
Between what he was sure was bones snapping, Acrylic managed to get out something along the lines of...
"Miss....thee.....too..."
Tail put him down and helped the poor stallion stay upright until he regained his footing; laughing quietly and dusting off the case for Acrylic. All the memories came flooding back, the warm food, friends and adventures though a shell of what is now the center of Equestria. Tail talked about the good old days all the way back to his home, the sun was setting by the time they made it back and soon the moon would take its place high in the sky. Tonight though Acrylic wouldn't stay up to star gaze, the traveling took too much a toll on his body and if he had any hope of finding that song, he would need all the rest he could get.Yet there was that bitter memory that resurfaced the moment Wintered Tail called out to him, it made the reunion more of a guilt trip for Acrylic seeing as they parted on such bad terms...yet Wintered was kind, sweet and a brother again; perhaps he had really forgiven and buried the past. All Acrylic could do was hope.