//------------------------------// // Prologue: A New Home // Story: Quest for Earth Pony Magic: the Disciple // by IMN //------------------------------// Princess Celestia shuffled through the Sultan letter. How cruel can one get?! She thought dejectedly. “General… Shalim was it?” The pony in front of her simply replied with a nod and a bow, “In your language, it means bringer of the evening star, my lady.” Celestia took a closer look at the pony in front of her. Scars littered almost every part of his body; most notably were his lost eye and front right hoof. Yet his stance showed no opening for a surprise attack; upright with shoulders straight and his head held high, yet so relaxed, it oozes flexibility and reflex. From her experience, such stance can only be achieved after years of practice. She couldn’t help but admire the warrior within, despite his groveling. Celestia took another look at the letter. Dear Princess Celestia, Bringer of the Sun and Moon. The letter started, Celestia didn’t need to read four useless pages of flattery again, so she skimmed through the vain pleasantries of Saddle Arabia's Sultan to reach the content of the letter. I have sent before you an asylum seeker, he stated, he is a general from a nearby land that has been exiled with his family from his homeland, the Phoenix Mountains, and has been seeking refuge ever since. Bile returned to the princess’s mouth as she read the other part. Don’t be fooled Princess, the General known as Shalim with his wife Hera are no friends to anyone. I was forced to throw them out of Saddle Arabia and into the wilds you call the Badlands. And I am appalled that they managed to find their way to your doorsteps. I would urge you to do the same and send him even further, perhaps the frozen north would suit criminals like him and his ilk. Celestia couldn’t handle that damned letter anymore. With a blast of her magic, she watched merrily as the ashes floated away. To condemn children to their death just for the sins of their parents, her thoughts darkened again, how far some places in this world have fallen. “I doubt that letter says anything good about me.” The General stated stoically. Celestia thought for a moment, “It mentioned you had a wife,” To the naked eye, the General remained emotionless. To Celestia however, he was holding back tears. “What happened to her?” “Died,” Only Celestia noticed the choking in his voice, “shortly after giving birth to this fellow.” With a swift motion of his right stump, the sack that was on his back parted ways revealing a sleeping baby foal. The foal whose coat was darker than that of his father gave a hearty yawn, then squinted his beautiful golden eyes before rolling in to continue his nap. The shock of seeing a foal so young left an even bitterer taste in Celestia, It wasn’t enough for a filly to have to suffer like that, now this. Celestia’s eyes traced to the filly standing next to her father. Considering her age, the filly’s stance is even more impressive than that of her parent; it resembled that of her father in terms of straightness and flexibility, but hers was showing what her father's lacked, an alertness to every soldier around her. Not only that, she was covering every corner of his blind side like a hawk, ready for evasion or attack at a moment’s notice. A lump was stuck in Celestia's throat. That child was trailing every one of her motion. The more she looked at her the more she appeared like a predator than a filly. “How did he survive the Badlands?” asked one of the attendants. The father’s voice became suddenly cheerful, “He wouldn’t have made it if it wasn’t for her help.” He pointed his head toward his daughter who beamed with pride in return. That doesn't explain how she got her cutiemark though. Celestia noticed the crescent moon covering the head of a growling saber tooth tiger. I definitely don't want want to get on her bad side. “It must have been tough, fleeing Saddle Arabia and crossing the Badlands.” “It was harder than fleeing the Phoenix Mountains I admit,” The cheerfulness in the general’s voice was gone again, replaced by an emotionless monotone, “With Hera being pregnant.” “If I might ask, why were you exiled in the first place?” Celestia finally asked the golden question that rested on every pony's mind since the appearance of the general a few days ago. The general took a deep breath. “As stated in the letter, I was a commander in the army of my homeland. However, I had different views on the wars my leadership was waging. Some said they were disconcerting? I guess that is the proper word for it.” He thought back for a moment, trying to make sure the correctness of his vocabulary. “It all started when I forged a peace agreement with a neighboring kingdom, then my constant objections over the role my leadership assigned to me.” “Why did you stay in your position if you did not like what you were doing?” Celestia asked curiously. “I did so because some pony needed to speak up and voice the concern of those who wanted peace. I couldn’t do that under any other position; I am of common birth, after all, so no one would listen to me if I have been anything else.” “It’s rare to find a warrior who is against war,” Celestia commented, “But if you had such unfavorable views, why did they leave you in your post?” “Because I win wars, my lady.” The general straightened his pose, “I am so good at it that some battles I won while relying simply on my reputation if nothing else.” That explain the language the Sultan used. Celestia mused, “Then what happened?” The general sighed heavily. “I was tasked to free the city of Tyr from rebel forces. However, when I reached the city, I discovered that the rebels have taken its citizen hostages. Stallions, Mares, Foals, Everyone. So I devised a plan that prioritized the extraction of the citizens above all else. The plan, however, did not go well at all; half the city was massacred along with a full regiment of my soldiers. I lost my eye, and the leader of the rebellion escaped. Even though it was a victory, it was a costly one. I was put on trial soon after, stripped of my position, my reputation, tarnished. I was then forced to flee my hometown toward neighboring Saddle Arabia.” “And Saddle Arabia?” The general grunted, “The moment I stepped there I was greeted by the rebel leader. It turns out he had important connections there so he thought refuge. He offered me a chance to lead the rebellion to victory. I declined; I wanted to retire, to raise my family in peace. I told him so and we parted ways. At first, he left us alone, and we started to build new lives for ourselves. That peace did not last. When his rebellion failed a second time, he blamed it on me for not joining him. The following night my house was attacked by the Sultan’s assassins. I fended them off but I lost a hoof, then we took flight the same night toward Equestria.” Celestia sat there for a moment, trying to process what she has been told. “Your equish is good.” She finally commented. “Thank you,” the general gave a bow, “Hera thought it is a good idea to learn, she was better at it than I, however.” Celestia shifted uncomfortably on her throne knowingly what was coming next. Then asked the question that was on everypony's mind, “So what exactly do you want from me?” The general shifted uncomfortably, then gave an obeisance, “I wish that you’d keep my children safe.” He finally pleaded. “[Father, don't!].” The filly begged, only to have her father shush her with a stern look. “My children bear no sins. Why should they be punished for mine,” He then glanced at Celestia with pleading eyes, “I beg of you. I don’t care what you do to me. Please let my foals live in peace.” A moment of suffocating silence passed in the court, but was immediately broken when the foal shifted uncomfortably in his sack and started whining. The general simply shifted his bearing and tried to cradle him back to sleep, but to no avail. Celestia sat back on her throne, watching the exchange between father and children. So that's how it is. Her secretary cleared her throat, “Have you decided what to do with them?” She whispered in her ear. Celestia looked back at her secretary, “I have. Though I'd like to hear your council first.” “I think you should give him what he wants and send him away,” Celestia scolded at her assistant who felt her disappointment in him. “I mean look at him, he looks dangerous even when he grovels.” "Noted," with a chuckle Celestia stood up. “Kibitz, take a letter.” With that, her secretary stood attention, paper and quill levitated and ready. Celestia nodded then spoke. “Dear Sultan Ibrahim. I am grateful for your warning and your concerns over my nation's security, however, the general you call Shalim have died earlier today due to internal injuries he sustained from his trip.” Hearing this, the general motioned to his daughter to hide further under his shadow, both stallion and filly raised their guard as their posture shifted to defensive, the foal started to cry. “I will be burying him next to his already deceased wife, daughter, and unborn son, all of whom died while traversing the Badlands, in unmarked graves where they lay to rest for eternity... Did you finish it?” Kibitz gave her a nod. “Then send it to the Sultan.” “Princess, what is the meaning of this?” The general was clearly panicking as he readied himself for a fight or flight situation. “Relax, no need for alarm. This is our decoy," Celestia explained, "It will be less likely for assassins to come after you if they think you are dead,” she affirmed with a warm smile. She then walked toward the general, and she gestured with a small motion toward the foal in the general’s hold. “May I?” she asked. The general gave a hesitant nod. Upon sensing the hold of Celestia's magic surrounding him, the foal stopped crying then regarded his new situation with intrigue. He screamed with glee upon seeing Celestia’s face up close. Celestia cooed as the foal stretched his hooves jovially toward her, uttering absolute gibberish in his happiness of being out of a sack and into her warm telepathic embrace. “You never told me his name.” she then stated. “His mother wished to call him Helios, which means bringer of the sun.” Celestia raised an eyebrow. “Does that mean, I am Helios in your language?” “No, no, Helios means the act of bringing the sun, not the pony behind it.” He quickly corrected, hoping he didn't offend her by it. “I can see why she would name him that,” Celestia remarked as she looked deeply into the foal’s eyes; yellow golden pupil shining through a black coated foal, like the sun that rise to end the night. “If I kept your original name, the big bad ponies will know I lied to them and would probably want to hurt you.” She told the foal who simply shrugged and returned to booping her nose. “Sun Light,” she then concluded, “I think it’s a perfect new name. Wouldn’t you agree?” The general only nodded, a new name for a new life, he thought. Celestia then returned the foal back to his father’s embrace, and turned her attention to the young filly who's standing in her father’s shadow, “And you, young one, what is your name?” The filly regarded the alicorn with incredulity, then turned to her father for guidance. “[go on,]” Her father encouraged her. “Artemis.” The young filly finally spoke, “moon chase, means.” Celestia looked at the general, “I’m sorry, her equish is a lot worse than mine, she will understand what you’re saying, however.” “It’s alright then,” Celestia assured, before regarding the young filly, unlike her father and brother dark coats, her coat is of soft silver, must be her mother’s color, coupled with deep blue eyes like her father’s, like Luna’s eyes. “From now on, you are Moon Chaser.” Artemis pointed at herself and repeated, “Moon Chaser.” Celestia gave her an encouraging nod. “There is someone I want you to meet, Moon Chaser.” Celestia gestured to one of her guards, “Her name is Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, but she’ll insist you call her Cadence. And like you, she is new around here, not a month ago she became an alicorn. I think you two can become great friends. Do you understand what I am saying?” Artemis nodded, “Me, friends, Cadenza?” “That is very good, have fun.” Now known as Moon Chaser, Artemis looked up to her father who gave her a small nudge. Reluctantly, she followed the guard outside of the courtroom, all the while peering back at her father who smiled at her in return. “Thank you, Princess, this means a lot to me,” The General bowed. “There is still the issue of what to do with you, General Shalim,” Celestia affirmed as she retook her position on the throne. “Or whoever you are since General Shalim is dead,” She replied teasingly. “What do you mean, Princess?” “I have always believed that the best way to judge a stallion is to see how he treats his kids. And from what I saw from you today, you are willing to put everything on the line to offer them a peaceful life. But you were too willing to give them away just so you can keep running.” The general jumped at the accusation. “I have no choice but to keep running. If I remain here, they will come and they will harm them, and I will not stand for that to happen again.” Celestia remained as passive as possible, “What if you were given a choice? What if you were allowed to stay with them without endangering their safety, would you take it?” The general regarded the Princess, then looked down at the foal in his hoof who smiled upon seeing his father, “I wouldn’t trade my time with them for the world.” He replied as he gave his child a playful nuzzle. “Evening Star.” The general broke his cuddle and regarded the smiling princess, “You told me the meaning of your name is the bringer of the evening star, correct?” He gave her a nod, “then like your kids, you will change your name to that of its meaning. You are now Evening Star.” “I accept the name you gave me.” “Well then, Evening Star. Would you like to be my security counselor? I think your history as a previous general will serve you well in protecting Equestria and its citizen from harm.” “I’ll serve you until the day I die.” The general, now known as Evening Star, gave a final bow as Celestia walked in front of him. “And Evening, if you ever think of betraying me, or mistreat your kids or…” “Shall I be cursed to Tartaros and beyond!” Evening Star interrupted. His gaze filled with determination and renewed hope. “Good. Then come with me, I’ll explain your new duties while we prepare for your accommodations.” Satisfied with his answer, Celestia took the lead while Evening Star followed toward his life.