Chapter 14
"Miss Sparkle, are you okay?" asked a concerned Crystal Rose as she waved her hand in front of Princess Celestia's prized student.
Twilight was too busy thinking: under what universe was Hawk Eye Shield's adopted sister? They looked very alike. She might have believed that they were biological brothers, but saying that they are adopted really made her believe that they were playing some sort of prank on her. Serpent King's theory that she was actually her bastard child seemed far more plausible than what they said.
"She's not buying it. She got a pretty good look at her and won't accept it." said Fire Storm as he snapped his fingers in front of Twilight. "Am I right?"
The purple-haired librarian snapped from her thinking and thought of an appropriate answer. "Uh, of course I did. What made you think otherwise?" she said nervously as she tried to back away from the potentially dangerous Commissioner. Sure she knew they worked for Equestria, but she still didn't trust Shield and his randomness. Why should this man be any different?
"Because you are ridiculously bad at lying, that's why. Don't think I'll murder you to keep some dark secret hidden. We're not the Brotherhood of Night." he said in a calming voice. "Have you heard another theory that makes more sense than what we just said?"
"Uh..." she mumbled as she tried to think of something. "no, I haven't."
"I did hear about that gang's arrest you know. So if the leader told you some sort of rumor let me tell you right now: it's a lie. No one has been able to prove it."
"What?" asked Twilight nervously. "What made you think that?"
He rolled his eyes. "Look, I know it's hard for you to accept that you thought that unreliable information was plausible. Trust me if I didn't know the truth I would have believed you. But everything Count Pearl Lance has spread about Shield are lies."
"Honey, stop being so defensive!" intervened his girlfriend. "Sorry about that, he tends to get really worked up whenever someone says anything potentially insulting about himself or his friends." she said before chuckling. "You can say he gets fired up."
"That would have been funny if I hadn't heard it ten times just this month." he said drily.
Twilight found herself smiling at the bad pun. "There's no shame in admitting you believed him. I did too myself when Pearl tried to persuade me to join him." said the green-winged woman.
"How about this, we go in that direction and drop this subject entirely? We already know what you wanted to hide in the first place so why bother having you admit it." said Fire as he began walking toward the Apple farm. "So, what's over there?"
"It's the Apple Farm. My friend Applejack and her family pretty much run the place."
"Wait, are these people related to commissioner Braeburn?"
"Yes, they're his cousins. As a matter of fact Braeburn was at the farm when I dropped Shield off."
The commissioner stopped on his steps. "You sent him to work in the farm? Did you trick him into a mission or something like that?"
"Yep. He just told me that I would have to sign up for training."
"Oh Celestia, he's already dragged an innocent victim into his schemes." sighed the woman. "Fire, you have to tell him to stop it! We can't let him create another Yard Bird, or worse: another Hawk Eye!"
"Sweetie, I think Shield knows better than to try to convert Celestia's own student into a psychotic murderer. And anyways, Yard Bird isn't evil. She's just... misunderstood."
"Okay, so she's had a rough childhood. That doesn't give her permission to become a vigilante! And it was all thanks to him!" exclaimed Crystal.
"True, but Shield didn't intend to turn her psychotic. He just wanted to help." he pointed out.
"Sorry to interrupt, but what are you talking about? Is this something I should know?" interrupted the librarian, thinking that maybe it would have been better if she had shut up.
"Oh, maybe. Yard Bird is this girl Shield saved during the unofficially named Triad Wars. Her parents were caught in a cross fire and she managed to survive by hiding in the sewers. Shield found her and immediately took her in. He trained her in martial arts and she got the idea of fighting what he calls The Good Fight. So yeah, he did create a monster of sorts. But it's not like he'll convince you to train so you can carry out your own vendetta. Contrary to what most nobles think, he isn't stupid. Insane, yes. But dangerously intelligent when you dare challenge him." he chuckled. "Think it helps?"
Twilight realized she should have listened to her instincts. "Thanks for the update. At least it's something interesting to add to my notes. And here I thought that Free Will had told me everything."
Fire turned to look at her. "You know Mr. Will?"
"Of course I do. He lives here in Ponyville, and he's been helping me with my assignment."
"So it was true. I thought Celestia had given up on reforming Shield after her previous plan backfired horribly." said the commissioner.
"And what plan was that?" asked Twilight intrigued. If there was something worse than making a plan is making a plan that has already failed.
"Letting Hawk Eye live with him. She thought that the responsibility of caring for a child would slow him down. It worked to some degree, Shield became a little less suicidal than before. What she didn't expect was that he unintentionally created another Shield."
"Why does he train young, innocent girls in fighting?" asked Twilight, her face somewhat concerned at the fact that she could fit in that particular bill.
"Fatherly instinct. He wants to protect his two girls, mostly Hawk Eye because he's already realized that Yard is old enough to take care of herself."
"So he trains his sister to make sure she can fend for herself in case he dies?" realized Twilight as he finished his statement. "And because he's a soldier and a commissioner he knows he can die at any moment."
"Well well, she is smart. And here I thought Shining Armor was just embellishing her." he responded. "That's it. I find it odd he didn't tell you about her. He always makes sure to show her off to every single friend he meets." it then dawned on him. "He doesn't consider you his friend yet."
"Really? You say he doesn't consider me my friend because he hasn't told me about his adopted sister?" asked the librarian in disbelief. "He's saved me from a manticore, he's taught me about guns and he's even done what I suggested him to do. What would you call that?"
"That would be him being him. He probably considers you to be his superior, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't consider you his friend. Not by a long shot."
"But we will help you in any way we can, right honey?" declared Crystal as she gave her fiance a stern look.
"Of course we will! You don't need to threaten me. Damn, you're even worse than my mother!"
"And yet you still gave me a ring." said Crystal as she hugged his arm.
"Maybe that's because I'm a masochist." he said as he kissed her. "That or I'm crazy."
"Maybe Shield has finally started rubbing off on you." she replied as she kissed back.
"Sorry to interrupt, but I have two questions." intervened Twilight as she stopped.
"Oh of course, ask away I guess." replied the blue-haired commissioner as he corrected his posture.
"First of all. Why are you here?" her eyes were showing distrust, but at the same time they showed curiosity.
"That?" he paused for a second. "That is actually a good question. We came here for two reasons. One, to take care of Hawk Eye as she changes homes. And secondly, to be here for Shield's birthday."
"Shield's birthday? When's that?"
"It's next week. June ninth to be exact. Didn't he tell you?"
"No, I guess he must have missed that teensy little detail." Replied Twilight. Off in the distance she saw a thin hand wave at her from a shop. It was Rarity wearing white denim pants a black shirt and a white jacket. Her other hand was holding some shopping bags, probably from the sewing store behind her. Twilight motioned the commissioner and the woman to stop.
"What is it? Oh! I see, you want us to meet your friend?" said the soldier as he turned to see the seamstress approach them.
"Why hello Twilight! Fancy seeing you here." said the sapphire-eyed woman as she turned to see the visitors. "And who might your new acquaintances be?"
Fire stepped forward. "Allow me to introduce us. I am Count Fire Storm, Commissioner of Vanhoover." he said with a bow. "And this lovely woman is my fiancee Crystal Heart."
Rarity looked surprised when the word Vanhoover came after Commissioner. "Oh, so you must be friends with Shield Heart."
"Very good deduction ma'am."
"Yes, well, your face is familiar." she said. This response garnered a mean look from Crystal toward her soon-to-be husband.
"What?" retorted the commissioner as he tried to stop staring at the eyes. "I've never seen this woman before!" but it was to no avail. "I thought we had gotten over this two years ago! I am not like my brother! He's the womanizer not me! It's just bad luck that we look alike!" he shot out defensively.
"Oh dear Celestia, no I meant that I recognized you from a picture Shield has in his study. Shield told me it was from your first Spring Cleaning operation." she intervened quickly.
Crystal appeared to have calmed down as she stopped frowning. "Sorry, but you can never trust men. Last time I let him go alone his face was plastered all across the magazines, surrounded by scantily clad women and with the headlines: Forest Fire goes wild. And you seriously want me to trust you?"
"Yes!" he replied as he shoved her hand away. "That's why I gave you that ring you're wearing. It symbolizes that I am giving my life for you! I don't have eyes for other women!" he replied angrily."You very well know that
Crystal chuckled. "Isn't he just adorable when he gets fired up?"
With that sentence Fire Storm burst into flames. Not metaphorically, he really caught fire. Every strand of hair was replaced by blue flames, his face turning red with rage. "ENOUGH WITH THE FIRE PUNS!" he roared as his hair blasted upwards. "THEY'VE BEEN STALE FOR THE LAST FIFTEEN YEARS!"
"Honey, calm down! You're scaring everyone!" quickly said Crystal as she tried to approach him. But he refused.
"I WILL NOT FUCKING CALM DOWN! I'M SICK AND TIRED OF YOU CONSTANTLY MOCKING ME FOR YOUR AMUSEMENT!" He yelled. "WHY CAN'T YOU TAKE IT EASY ON ME FOR ONE..." he never got to finish because the Seraph had rushed to kiss him, shutting him up for good and extinguishing the fire in his hair.
"Because I love the way you defend our love every time I question it." she replied as she unglued her lips. "That's how I can tell people that you really love me."
"And is that a good reason to make me explode in anger every time we meet someone new?" he asked with an irritated look.
"Yes." she replied happily, earning her a grunt from the soldier.
"So, where were you headed? Ponyville Inn?" asked the seamstress as she tried to change the subject.
"Uh, no. We were actually headed in that direction." said Fire as he pointed toward the Apple Farm.
"You were going with Applejack? And is there a specific reason why you chose to go there? It doesn't seem like a particularly romantic option." said Rarity as she groomed her wavey hair.
"Shield Heart is in that direction, and soon so will his little sister." he replied as he straightened his fatigues. "And we need to be there when they meet, otherwise..." he shiverd "I don't want to think about it."
"Oh, I do recall him mentioning having a sister. Do you mind if I join you your highness?" asked the seamstress as she reintegrated herself.
"Your highness?" asked Twilight, her face sporting a very confused look.
"Of course darling, he is Count Fire Storm. You know, the royal family of Seraphs? Like The Bloods and The Precious? Surely you remember." retorted Rarity.
"Wait, you are from the Storm Family? Why don't you have wings?"
"Twilight, you can't just go asking counts why they don't have wings! It's not polite." said Rarity defensively.
"Nah, it's all right." he said with a wave of his hand. "Most people have made that question so many times that it's odd when they don't ask. I'm a Mage in case my angry explosion didn't hint at it. It comes from my mother's side."
"Well then, how about we go and meet our mutual friend before we miss all the excitement." Rarity said as she increased her pace, her face saturated with glee as she imagined a reunion between a mad soldier and an innocent little girl.