Chapter 13: Torrent
Power is the ultimate paradox. It’s the one thing everyone wants in times of peace and prosperity, yet it’s the last thing anyone desires when your nation is crumbling around you. And when you find yourself in a position of power during such times, it can be tempting to give up and pass responsibility down to someone else. But leaders like I cannot do this; no one will accept the mantle. And so we do the best we can until our inevitable failure consumes us.
---Excerpt from Commander Hurricane’s Journal
22nd of First Seed, 401 AE
Chapter 13: Torrent
The city was robed in black. Shadows scaled the walls of Stratopolis’ mighty buildings, taunting the east with their solidity. The rainbow canals had been stopped, the flags were lowered, and everywhere ponies walked with their heads down. Pegasus lore claims that the sun never rose on the second of Long Night, and with good reason.
Main street was lined with figures in black mourning robes, their dreary attire matched perfectly by the impossibly thick stratus clouds that blocked the sky. Even though the canals that deposited so much water and rainbow into the lake below had been stopped, the same amount still fell in tears. The stores were closed and would be for the rest of the week, all because of this one, single event.
It started with two cohorts from the Cirran First Legion that marched down the street and swept away any stragglers who didn’t remain on the sidewalks. The legionaries’ helmets were hung off of the hook on their saddlebags, and the blades along their right wings were removed. At the sight of the head of the procession, the city fell deathly quiet.
Next came the cohort of the Praetorian Guard, their eyes and muzzle streaked in black Cirran tribal paint to artificially convey sorrow on their permanently stoic faces. They too marched without one bladed wing, though their onyx helmets were fixated in their usual position. Four of the Praetorians, the highest ranking members of the Guard, each shouldered their share of an immaculate casket topped with the Cirran flag.
Following the Emperor’s body were two pegasi that the crowds had already seen before but didn’t recognize. Hurricane and Silver Sword strode side by side in the wake of the casket, heads lowered respectfully. Two additional squads of Praetorians flanked the pair in the center, eyes locked forward but acutely aware of their surroundings.
It was the longest walk of Hurricane’s life. Thousands of faces watched him from every street corner, whispering amongst themselves in skeptical undertones. No amount of onyx and gold armor, even swathed in a flowing red robe, could shelter Hurricane from their piercing scrutinies. The new Emperor and Imperator could only follow the body of Hurricane’s predecessor and try to appear resilient.
A distant rumble of chilly thunder darkened the mood even further, and within minutes the rain began to fall. Many of the bystanders threw their hoods up and ran off with the onslaught of the storm, and Hurricane wished he could do the same. The wintry rains were slicing deep to his bones, and the porous cotton cloak covering his left shoulder was quickly saturated with icy water. It would be a long time before he could retreat into the safety of the palace.
After what seemed like hours of an agonizingly slow walk, the casket finally was laid down in front of the statue of Roamulus in the Plaza of the Emperor. Hurricane and Silver Sword ascended a rough wooden platform in front of the procession and turned to face the crowd. Already half of the bystanders had disappeared, and Hurricane could see many of the regular legionaries shivering in the cold. The Praetorian Guard managed to hide their discomfort under a decade of training and service.
Hurricane coughed nervously as another flash of lightning lit the area. Public speaking was never his thing, and yet he desperately needed to come off as strong and confident if he was going to win over the support of the people – his people. Focusing on the expressionless eyes of Roamulus, Hurricane inhaled and shifted his wings.
“The war has cost us more than we ever bargained for – land, possessions, ponies – but nothing so great a price as the body of our beloved Emperor Augustus Haysar.” So far so good. “Today, we are assembled in his memory, more than his memory, in memory of all those who have died in this wretched, wretched war.” Hurricane paused, then began to pace across the scaffold. He let the energy of his words resonate with the crowds, and in turn he fed off of that energy to fuel his speech. “Our Emperor was struck down by ponies whose souls lusted for power, willing to throw away the future of our nation, of your lives just to satisfy their thirst. Through the heroics of the Guard we were able to stop them, but the Emperor gave his life fighting for you. With his dying breaths he appointed me the next emperor of Cirra, and I swear to you that I will do everything within my power to uphold his name, and the name of everything he stood for; Cirra, the mighty empire that spans a continent, the one nation that shall never fall. With your help, I will ensure our survival, and with the blessings of the Gods I will do my best to deliver victory to you. And so we find ourselves at the end of one road and the beginning of another. Before the Legion there was nothing, and after the Legion there will be nothing. I have surrendered my future to you, Cirrans, and all I ask in return is for your loyalty and devotion to defend this nation we love so much.”
There was no applause, but neither did Hurricane expect there to be one. All he had to do was look into the faces of his soaked followers to know that his message had come across. There was a steely determination in their flinty eyes, and for a second the young emperor had hope that he would be successful. Maybe he could reverse Cirra’s fortunes. Only time would tell, but even that was a precious commodity that he was quickly running out of. He just hoped there was enough left for him to work with before the Empire collapsed.
Silver Sword saluted to the Praetorians, and the Emperor’s body began to move again. The legionaries passed the leaders by, followed by the casket, and then there was nothing. The body of the Emperor was marched out of the southern gate and flown down to the earth, where Haysar would be buried with the rest of Cirra’s many rulers. Lingering for a moment longer while the crowd dispersed, Hurricane slowly descended from the scaffold and began to walk back to his palace. Power had exchanged hooves, and now it was his responsibility to save millions of lives.
If they could have, Hurricane and Silver Sword would have flown quickly back to the palace. As it was, their wings were still recovering from the eruption in the east, and their flight was erratic and crooked – hardly the dignified and powerful air they needed to convey as leaders of the nation. And so they trudged up the steps in the blistering wind and rain until they reached the marble ceiling and the protection it granted.
A swarm of servants met the two as soon as they entered, carrying away Hurricane’s soaked cape and polishing his armor before escorting him to the throne. The black stallion approached the mighty seat warily, feeling as though it wasn’t his place to rest upon it. Luckily, a timely delay in the form of Swift Spear arrived to stop and chat.
“How’d it go?” A fine eyebrow was raised ever so slightly under Swift’s black and gold-trimmed helm. Onyx armor coated the rest of her body, carrying with it gold trim and a golden lightning bolt across the breastplate that signified the armor of a Praetorian Commander. Hurricane had saw fit to promote her to the Praetorian, even if it was just to keep her by his side and away from the fighting.
“Better than I would have thought. I didn’t break down on stage or anything, so that’s a plus.” Hurricane sighed and fiddled with the golden feathers wrapping across his head. The headpiece was surprisingly sharp, and the feathers kept his ears irritated. He wasn’t ready for this.
“That’s good to hear. The servants tell me you’ve got half an hour before your first meeting with the Senate.” She paused and bit her lip nervously, trying to dance around the topic as best she could. “I guess now would be a great time to get better acquainted with your new… erm, role.”
Hurricane nodded gratefully. At least Swift and Silver didn’t treat him any differently than before. Sure, they may all have new jobs and new interactions with each other, but at heart they were still the same three young pegasi who trained together and fought together so much in the past eight months.
“Yes, thanks, Swift.” Hurricane nuzzled her gently and stepped back. “I’m sorry, I don’t want to keep you from anything. I’m sure you’ve got much to do and catch up on, this being your first day on the job and whatnot.”
Swift Spear smiled and touched Hurricane’s wing. “Unfortunately. I’ll be able to help you through your first meeting with the senators, but then I’ll be busy. I should be able to get a break later, though, and we can talk.” Her blue eyes flitted to Silver Sword and she slightly revealed her teeth. “That is, if my superior lets me.”
The steel pegasus chuckled and ran a hoof across his black and white-trimmed armor. “Of course, Commander, as long as you aren’t slacking or anything.” Winking at Hurricane, the manila mare smiled and flicked Silver lightly on the nose with her tail before walking off. The two stallions smiled as they watched her go, and then confronted the momentous task of ascending the stairs towards the throne.
“This is it, isn't it, Silver,” ventured Hurricane as he stared at the seat. It was an impressively crafted wood and marble throne, covered in red velvet and flanked on either side by mighty torches. Over the throne was an immense collage of stained glass, depicting the dawn of the Empire under Roamulus’ rule. There was no seat as mighty or as grand in the entire world as the emperor’s throne in Stratopolis.
One hoof was placed on the first step. Then another on the second. Then another, and another. Fate was inexorably drawing Hurricane forward, and there was little he could do other than place one leaden hoof in front of the other. Each step brought the pegasus closer to something he awed yet feared.
There were no more steps to climb. Hurricane’s hooves all aligned on the same plane, and the throne was less than a tail length away. In a few shaky steps, Hurricane touched the throne for the first time. From there it was a matter of willpower and determination to force his weary body to sit upon the most powerful seat ever crafted by pegasus hooves. The symbolic transfer of power had taken place twenty minutes earlier in the misty streets of Stratopolis; now the final transformation was complete upon the mighty Cirran throne.
Silver Sword quickly took his place by the side of the throne as Hurricane allowed himself to get comfortable. The Imperator flashed the Emperor a hearty smile, which Hurricane readily returned. This was his place, and long before he was even born he was destined to sit in this seat. The world looked different from the perch of a ruler, and now it was Hurricane’s duty to struggle with the titanic forces that molded it and impart his own mark on history. It was a monumental task, but Hurricane finally felt ready.
“Bring it on.”
-----
The Senate answered Hurricane’s challenge. Swift Spear had returned to the throne room and taken a place by Hurricane’s side, bringing with her no fewer than fifty senators and their envoys. Swift had warned the new emperor that the Senate would try to test Hurricane’s authority, and if it weren’t for her counsel he would have failed right out of the gate.
To start with, the senators insisted their inaugural meeting be held in the Senate chambers. Hurricane flatly declined and kept the meeting in the throne room, arraying the senators out on his home turf. A few senators tried to leave at various points in the meeting, but curt words from the Emperor were enough to turn them around. Seeing that the new emperor was no pushover, they began to test his political mettle instead.
This part, which lasted for two hours, strained every shred of Hurricane’s patience and twisted his mind into such a puzzle that it was all he could do to retain his calm and imperial air. Every manner of domestic policy and economic proceedings were brought up, scrutinized, shuffled back into the pile, then brought up again and cross-examined. Tax figures were thrown at Hurricane, which he managed to scrape past by agreeing to a five percent tax hike for the next year. City limits, boundary disputes, intercity commerce, and other confusing matters were deferred to Swift Spear, who understood such political intricacies and ultimately developed most of the policies for Hurricane to agree or disagree on. At least foreign policy was relatively simple. There were few foreign matters outside of ‘raze Gryphus’ to keep track of.
Finally, the markup session drew to a close. Hurricane quickly sifted through the myriad scrolls, adding his signature to the passed bills and separating the bills that needed to be further revised. He lazily pushed aside the foreign policy bills into the passed section, but stopped when he noticed the title of one. Pulling it out of the stack, he opened the scroll and read the text.
“Approval to explore lands in the west.” Hurricane cocked his head to the side and raised an eyebrow at the committee of senators. One coughed lightly and stepped forward, nearly tripping on his purple robes.
“It’s just a minor issue, your highness. A group of sailors uncovered the remains of a ship that drifted towards our western shores. The markings on the mast and sails were neither pegasus nor griffon in origin.” He hesitated slightly, before continuing decidedly. “There may be other kingdoms to the west that we have never met before.”
Slowly and deliberately, the scroll was set down and furled. “I see.” The Emperor’s eyes drilled the senator and his committee. “A minor issue. Do you understand what this could mean for the Empire?”
The senators shifted uncomfortably under Hurricane’s scathing glare. Rising from his throne, the emperor began to pace on his elevated platform. “Entire nations that we could trade with. They may know new technologies or knowledge we’ve never even heard about. Hell, they might even be able to help us out in this war! And this is a minor issue?!” Getting no response from the senators, Hurricane sighed and collapsed back onto his throne. “How long has the Empire known about this?”
The same senator spoke up again. “About seven months, sir. The Senate decided there were more… pressing matters to attend to.” The pegasus quickly sat down on the floor again, spreading his purple robe out from underneath him.
Hurricane released an exasperated sigh. “Fine. What’s done is done, and there’s nothing I can do about that, but I want a century sent on a scouting mission. Send them across the ocean, and when they reach land they must report back to me. Chances are we’ll need this knowledge in the future.”
The resolution was swiftly passed and the senators began to file out. Hurricane thanked them for their time as they left, hoping to find a balance between reconciliatory and unyielding. When the eldest of the senators vacated the throne room and the Guard finally shut the doors, Hurricane collapsed into his seat and placed his head between his hooves.
“I hate politics…” he moaned as he massaged his temples. Swift Spear stirred from her spot by Hurricane’s side and rubbed the back of his neck gently. Silver Sword excused himself and went to the throne doors, claiming he heard an altercation outside. The Emperor and the commander were left to themselves with his departure.
“You didn’t do too bad,” Swift offered. “You weren’t overwhelmed or anything, and you definitely showed them who was in charge.”
“I had no idea what they were talking about half the time.” Hurricane sat up and closed his eyes, stretching his tired wings out to either side. “I thought I was ready for this, but now I’m not so sure. You would have made a much better emperor, Swift. You understand how the nation works and what we have to do to run it. I’m just some pony who knows how to fight and little else.”
“No, Hurricane, you’re more than that. Sure, fighting may be your expertise, but that’s what the Empire needs right now. You can look at a threat and deconstruct it, then hit the enemy where it hurts. With our armies in shambles right now, we need that more than anything.” The weariness hadn’t left Hurricane’s eyes, but he nodded in acknowledgement.
“Maybe. But I haven’t been deserving of my promotions – any of them. I was simply in the right place at the right time. I only became a centurion because Red Tail needed a replacement for Dusk Strike. And I only became emperor because Haysar owed my family an apology.” Hurricane’s confidence continued to be squashed under his own blows. “What value does anypony see in me, that they would make me a leader?”
The mare carefully calculated her response before speaking. “Because you have charisma, Hurricane. Ponies are drawn to you by your personality and morals, not just your skill. It was your charisma that drew Red Tail’s attention to you when he made you a centurion, and it was your charisma that guided Haysar’s hoof when he chose you to be his successor. He saw something in you, Hurricane. It wasn't just because he took pity on your family. He knew you had what it takes to be a leader, and he damn well knew you’d do a fine job of leading this Empire!” Swift lowered her head down to Hurricane’s eye level and placed a hoof under his chin. “So enough of this moping around, Hurricane. If you weren’t the right pony for the job, Haysar wouldn’t have chosen you. You, out of all the Praetorian and the Senate, out of all the ponies he knew. And me?” She leaned back, straightening her spine in a show of respect. “I would have done the same thing.”
Hurricane relented and released a long exhalation. After fighting with the inner machinations of his mind for a brief moment, the black pegasus straightened himself within his armor and focused his magenta-bladed irises ahead of him. His wings were tightly coiled at his sides and his breathing was slow and even. At that moment, the imperial armor suited him more than ever before.
Swift smiled to herself at her success, and stood up next to the throne. She patted Hurricane lightly on the shoulder, then turned as the throne room doors opened. An excited Silver Sword stuck his head into the room.
“Hurricane! You’ve got some visitors for you, all the way from Zephyrus!” The stallion then pushed the doors open wider, revealing three familiar pegasi standing next to him.
Hurricane’s first reaction was one of disbelief. His head jolted back and his eyes widened in surprise, but the expression was quickly discarded with a vibrant display of joy and affection. In a manner completely unbecoming of an imperial leader, Hurricane flung himself out of his throne and across the short distance that separated himself from his family.
“Twist! Mom, Dad! It’s been so long!” Hurricane exclaimed as he threw himself into their embrace. The four pegasi joined together in a tearful knot, and Silver Sword respectfully shut the throne room doors for their privacy. Hurricane was truly laughing for the first time in months, and he was sure his family felt the same.
“Hurricane! How in the Gods’ names did you manage to become emperor of the entire nation?” Twister giggled between outbursts of elation. Letting himself draw away from his parents, Hurricane wrapped his forelegs as tightly around his little sister as he could.
“I survived, Twist. I survived.” The stallion tousled his sister’s mane before turning to his parents. His smile only broadened when his eyes looked over his father. Thunder Gale was still hobbled with the signs of age, but his eyes were bright and his breathing was strong. The old stallion was even standing by himself, his strong limbs fidgeting in excitement.
“Son! It’s good to finally see you.” Thunder Gale’s voice was lively, and the usual rasping tone had been all but banished. “Your mother was worried when we didn’t get any mail, but I told her that the Legion’s better at distributing bodies than parchment. How’ve you been, Hurricane?”
Hurricane embraced his father warmly and stepped back. “Pretty good for the most part.” The stallion pointed to a few scars along his face and sides. “A little beat up, but alive. You will not believe what I’ve been through in the past eight months.”
Rain Cloud stepped in between the two stallions and wrapped her wings around her son. “I’m sure you’ve got plenty of stories to tell, Cane. It’s a good thing we’ve got time to hear them all. We’ll be staying in Stratopolis for the weekend. Your father wanted to see the city again after all these years, and with your becoming emperor and all, now seemed like the perfect time.”
Hurricane smiled and spun back to his father. “That’s great! If you need a place to stay, you’re more than welcome to take some of the guest rooms in the palace. The servants will be more than happy to guide you to them – when you’re ready, that is.” Hurricane smiled sheepishly as though he felt he had offended his parents, but Thunder Gale shook it off and stepped proudly up to his son.
“That’s very nice of you, Hurricane. It sure beats staying at an inn down in the city.” The elder stallion placed his hooves on Hurricane’s armor, running a foreleg through the red robe that covered his left shoulder. “I always knew you’d be a commander one day, but I never expected you to go all the way. Then again, I should have suspected as much. You’re a brilliant pegasus, my boy, and you’ve grown up to be a fine stallion.”
The Emperor ducked his head in embarrassment. “I got lucky, what can I say. It’s just been one hell of a ride so far.” He extended a foreleg to his side and wrapped it around Twister, who had walked over to lean against her big brother. “So what’s been new with you guys while I’ve been gone? Dad looks better than ever.”
Thunder Gale chuckled easily. “That’s because I feel better, son. This is the best I’ve been able to breathe in years. Granted, it’ll never be as good as it used to, but I feel like a new stallion. I even flew a week ago.”
“It was only for a hoofful of seconds, Dad,” Twister interjected. Thunder shook it off with ease, shooting Twister a playful look. Hurricane, for the most part, was simply happy for his father.
“Let the old man dream, dear. You take so much for granted these days you don’t understand what it’s like to be grounded.” Thunder Gale rose his head and identified the two pegasi standing in the background, observing the affair. “Ho, Silver! Why don’t you two come and join us? Don’t be strangers.”
Silver Sword and Swift Spear exchanged glances and began to advance, wide smiles painting their faces. Silver quickly stepped into the circle, pounding hooves with Thunder Gale and saluting to Rain Cloud. Swift stood outside the circle awkwardly until Hurricane pulled her closer.
Turning to his family, Hurricane placed a hoof across Swift’s back. “Guys, this is Swift Spear. Swift Spear, this is Thunder Gale, Rain Cloud, and Twister. They’re my family back in Zephyrus.” Swift smiled as she shook hooves with each of Hurricane’s family members in turn, then withdrew back to Hurricane’s side.
“Pleasure to meet you. Hurricane’s told me so much about you all.” The mare slightly flared her restless wings as she bashfully stood against Hurricane. The black pegasus, for the most part, seemed not to notice Swift’s shyness.
“The pleasure’s all mine,” Thunder Gale returned. Twister cocked her head to the side as she observed Hurricane and Swift, and then a dawning realization manifested on her face in the form of a mischievous smile.
“So, she’s your fillyfriend, right?” Hurricane felt his cheeks grow red under his sister’s accusation. A quick glance at Swift revealed her thoughts on the topic.
“You could say that, yes,” Hurricane replied cautiously. Rain Cloud advanced to the pair and wrapped them both in her embrace.
“Oh, that’s great! I’m so happy for the both of you.” Upon receiving that note of acceptance from Hurricane’s mother, Swift Spear allowed herself to loosen up ever so slightly. Rain Cloud squeezed the two lovers together in her powerful hug and then released. Brushing her mane back into alignment, Swift tittered lightly.
“We won’t be getting any younger standing around here. What do you all say to some food?”
A gray blur moved past the group and pried open the doors. “I thought nopony was going to ask!” Silver Sword exclaimed. Barely waiting just long enough to allow the family to go ahead of him and take up his Imperator duties by Hurricane’s side, the steel pegasus followed the group out and began to trot to the dining hall. A pair of guards began to shadow Hurricane, but he waved them back with his tail. He was finally reunited with his family, and he wanted to enjoy it without extra party members.
Walking past the open forum at the very entrance to the palace, Hurricane inhaled the fresh air deeply. The rainy skies and damp air imparted a cleansing and refreshing smell as opposed to the dark and gloomy feel of a few hours earlier. The skies had even marginally brightned.
The Emperor smiled to himself as he resumed his trot. The world was finally kind to him for the first time in a long time.
-----
The rain pattered softly against the window of Hurricane’s study. The sun had long since sunken into the western horizon, leaving only the lustrous moon to watch over the serene night. The Emperor found himself distracted from the scrolls arranged on the massive table before him by the sky more than once.
Every facet of the Empire’s military strength and numbers were spread before him. Deployment orders, Legion listings, and casualty reports were stacked in a jumbled mess to one side of the table, while intelligence and dossiers on Gryphon generals and army strengths dominated the other. Spread across the middle were crumpled scrolls carrying discarded or revised orders in Hurricane’s mouthwriting.
The stallion sighed as he looked over the numbers again. The shadows from the furled edge of the paper danced over the fine text on the casualty reports as the candle flickered. Cross-referencing those numbers with the list of active duty legions, Hurricane calculated for the tenth time the strength of Cirra’s remaining armies.
According to the documents drafted three months into the war, the Cirran Legion had peaked at about one hundred and fifty thousand legionaries and auxiliaries, immediately prior to the attack on Hengstead. Ten new legions had been drafted from then until now, bringing the number to well over a quarter of a million pegasi drafted into the war so far. Pushing that scroll aside, Hurricane pulled up the casualty reports again.
Twenty thousand lost at Hengstead. Forty-thousand lost in the griffon counter attack. Twenty-five thousand lost at Nimbus. An additional hundred-thousand lost in the Waldren. Skirmishes, disease, and desertion brought in an additional ten thousand casualties. Altogether, the Legion had lost almost two hundred-thousand soldiers of its two hundred and fifty-thousand enlisted legionaries. The draft was hammering away at the deficit, but Hurricane only had fifty thousand soldiers to work with, most of them fresh and in support or auxiliary roles. It was enough to fill out and supply five legions, but not nearly enough to stem the griffon hordes pressing down on Stratopolis.
Pounding on the table in frustration, Hurricane pushed the scroll away from him and placed his head into his hooves. How was he going to defend an empire with five bare-bone legions? He could only guess at the strength of Gryphus’ armies, but he knew they hadn’t lost anywhere near as many soldiers as Cirra. It was only a matter of time before they smashed what was left of Cirra to pieces or slowly bled its generations dry of soldiers. Either way, the future was frighteningly bleak for the pegasus empire.
How he wished he could sink back into the day’s bliss. He had enjoyed a nice lunch with his family, sharing his stories in as honest a way as he could while dancing around the more sensitive parts. He was able to talk about Hengstead, Nimbus, and Waldren in a way his father easily understood and was able to relate to, which made Hurricane feel much better. Then he showed his family around the palace before letting them wander the city on their own. He wished he could have gone with them, but he had too much work to spend time sightseeing.
There was a knock at the door, and Hurricane straightened up. He quickly realigned his wing feathers and took a deep breath. “Come in.”
The door opened slowly, and a manila face peeked around the corner. “May I?” Hurricane waved his hoof at Swift Spear and turned back to his desk. The mare pushed open the door and closed it behind her, looking over the room. The armor of long-dead emperors gazed back at her, and the blades of those legendary figures caught the flickering candlelight.
“I’ve never seen the emperor’s room before,” Swift thought aloud. “My father kept me out, said it wasn't my place and it wouldn't be proper. Looks like a nice place.”
Hurricane sighed and crumpled up yet another scroll. “Yeah. Haysar sure knew how to decorate.” The flame from the candle flickered and nearly died against the stub of wax remaining. Hurricane cursed to himself under his breath and pulled a new candle out of a drawer, lighting it with the flame of the old. He then blew out the old candle and left its husk next to the fresh wick, which was struggling to gain a foothold on the untested wax.
Swift looked about the room one last time and pulled a chair next to Hurricane. She gave the paperwork a shallow stare, tracing the curves and folds of the yellowed parchment as it tumbled over itself. Her hoof clicked nervously against the floor as she thought.
“It’s a big change,” Hurricane continued, signing his name to another document. “I always kind of marveled the emperor when I was younger, looked in awe at the Senate and how lucky they were to be able to lead the country. Now,” he exhaled slowly as he returned the quill to the inkwell, “Now I think we were the lucky ones. I didn’t have to worry about whether I was doing the right thing; I could just follow my moral compass in Zephyrus. From my perch in Stratopolis, though, what’s morally right isn’t always what’s best for my subjects.”
Swift Spear felt the urge to touch Hurricane, to reach out and embrace him and tell him he was doing alright, but she suppressed it. If Hurricane needed time to vent, she should give it to him, and if he desired companionship, then she would give that to him as well.
“Things were so simple then. No war, no responsibilities, just me and my work and my family. Silver was about my only friend, but that was okay with me. I didn’t need other ponies.” The shell around the stallion’s heart was slowly unfurling, but Swift was hesitant to reach out to it. The only thing she could do was wait and listen.
Hurricane paused to seal a letter and pushed it into the finished pile. “I guess things really only changed for me when Silver asked me to go to the Day of Empire celebrations with him. I was hesitant at first, but my father encouraged me to go. Little did I know it would be the start of something bigger. The attempt on Haysar’s life, the beginning of the war,” Hurricane’s eyes flickered briefly to Swift’s, “meeting you.” The chair creaked loudly as the stallion leaned back in it. “I can’t even begin to imagine what my life would be like if I hadn’t gone.”
Swift nodded her agreement. “Me neither. I’m glad you came, Hurricane.” The Emperor smiled softly and looked out the window to where the last of the clouds were fleeing, revealing the stars spread above the world like lonely sentinels. It didn’t take much imagination to believe that they were the only two pegasi in the world.
“I’m glad I came, too.” A falling star blazed across the sky, bringing a wistful smile to Hurricane’s lips. “It’s so peaceful up there. So quiet, so peaceful.”
The chair slid a little closer to Hurricane. “Very. Our worldly troubles mean nothing up there, nothing to the tranquility of the Gods.” Swift looked longingly at Hurricane before speaking again. “Imagine if we could go to them. It would be easy for a pair of pegasi to get lost up there, wouldn’t it?”
Hurricane felt Swift’s foreleg by his side, and he twined it with his own. “Yeah, it would.”
“To go someplace very far away, you know? To go someplace where you could spend the rest of your life… in peace.”
Hurricane leaned over and kissed Swift’s neck, wrapping her in the embrace of his wings. Her body melted into his, and he caressed her head softly. “Right now… there’s no place I’d rather be.”
The two pegasi looked into each other’s eyes, peering into the depths of their souls and the feelings contained within. Magenta and blue met, not in a collision, but in a spirited dance of color and emotion. They blinked, and then closed as they approached each other. Hurricane and Swift Spear exchanged a passionate kiss, the first they had truly shared with each other.
Swift pulled away first and pressed her forehead against Hurricane’s. Their eyes met again, and a small smile crept onto the mare’s lips.
“I love you.”
Hurricane smiled and nuzzled her gently. His wings still enveloped Swift’s body, and he pulled her even closer. Their two coats blended together, light with dark, in perfect harmony.
“I love you too, Swift.”
The two ponies kissed again, and Hurricane allowed his wings to retract slightly so that they could stand up. On their hooves, they embraced again. Swift rested her neck across Hurricane’s shoulder and smiled contentedly, bringing her muzzle to his ear.
“Then why don't you prove it to me?”
Hurricane smiled and caressed her lovingly. The two pegasi flitted towards the center of the room, resting upon the massive bed.
A gust of wind through a cracked window extinguished the light, leaving only the silent moon to bear witness.
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Holly shit, underrated
This deserves a lot more press. You've put a lot of work into it, that much is obvious, and the product is solid B quality.
1778637
Thanks, I have been working hard on it. It's consumed nearly all my free time for the past two months, but it's featured on EQD and has a pretty solid following, so I feel it's been a success.
If you like it, feel free to spread the news. The feature box is dominated with the Big Names' works and it's oft overlooked on EQD's story updates, so it doesn't get much exposure. And I'm loathe to advertise myself, because self-promotion tends to generate negative responses in people.
Anyways thanks for the fave and watch! I always feel warm and fuzzy inside whenever i get a new reader
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As do I. They're so precious to me.
On EqD, you say? You have my admiration, then. If you have enough patience with that ridiculous set of grammar requirements, than you are quite a patient person indeed. I'm that one guy who's always correcting everyone else's grammar, yet they always find ten to twenty errors I didn't know about. Ugh.
Also, self-advertisement is underrated. You just have to be sneaky about it. Personally, I add my fics to every applicable group on the face of FIMFiction. That, lurking, and proofreading other people's stuff to get my name out there.
But yeah, I've never hung out on EqD. There are things that irk me about both places, but FIMFiction has a lot more of a social element, while EqD doesn't.
1778637 That's what I've been thinking since I started reading this.
This has a very big "calm before the storm (no pun intended)" feel to it. Can't wait for the final battle.
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Just about. The chapter titles have been building up to it, and we've only got 3 chapters left. Look for the real calm before the storm in Chapter 15.
Well, that was a nice change.
Lovin' the Shakespearean writing style. I'm content. Now maybe I can finally sleep.
Firstly, everything that was done in this chapter was excellent and I enjoyed it. I'm glad to see that there haven't been commenters nitpicking on things, which often happens in eqd featured worldbuilding fics, so I'm only pointing this out because this was the first chapter I thought was really missing something. Given that the emperor was betrayed by a nontrivial amount of guardsponies and that we have seen officers not always caring about the ponies under them, I was surprised to see hurricane take up the throne no questions asked without any resistance from the military or senate, or at least not having to give some concessions to cement his authority. Hurricane felt the new burden of leadership from the senate fine, and it was really nice to see his family again, but I felt that it would have felt more immersive they felt the changes too, such as his sister being unsettled by how everyone treats her differently or maybe talking about how she's glad she won't have to do all the work on the farm anymore since she had to pick up the slack or wants to go to the imperial library instead now.
By the way, I felt there was a missed opportunity last chapter to explain and excuse the promotion of his friends. The military might not really like having three greenhorns suddenly take top positions, but if they recognize Hurricane, they might forgive him those appointments of ponies he trusts, considering the last emperor was betrayed.
Although we now have a clear picture in our head of the grim situation the empire is in and the numbers were very sobering, I felt like there should be some type of immediate pressure, like a general asking for orders, or some intelligence he only now sees, or some decision he needs to makes soon. As it is, he's just working on a bigger scale. But I forgive it all because you handled
very well at the end.
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Thank you for the support and suggestions. If I had good prereaders, I would have included stuff like that, but my so called "prereaders" are really just proofreaders
I'll need to enlist better aid for my future stories. I try to catch up on details and points like that as best I can, but sometimes I can't catch them all. This chapter was a little hard to write at times so I don't consider it as good as Chapter 12 or 14 (which I already have written and is sitting in limbo right now).
About how long do you plan on taking this story? Just to the end of the war, up to first contact with the other tribes? Or all the way up to the events of Hearths Warming? I personally would love to see that
This story is too good otherwise.
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This story itself will go to the end of the war, with the epilogue dabbling in contact with the other tribes. Never fear, future stories (story) are planned, with the sequel to Of Skies pertaining directly to the Hearth's Warming Eve story and the events surrounding it. According to my pre-write, which has been fairly accurate, Of Skies will be finished with 16 chapters, so about a week or two from now.
1778637
I think he will be second best pony eventually.
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Why do I have a habit of finding all the really good stories right before they finish?
But wait! A promised sequel? Awwww Yeah!
Okay, I am loving this story. I'm wondering at what point did Gryphus become allies with ponykind. I know in WLL, the Gryphons(the people of Gryphus, not necessarily Griffons) basically became the Holy Roman Empire to Cirra's Western Roman Empire.
1785979
excellent? you call this excellent? 
why do i even bother these days...
Oh dear. This is the point in everything ever when things go to absolute shit and the love interest dies...
I don't want Swift Spear to die! :(
It's been a long time since I read fanfiction as good as this. Sure, it has some issues here and there, most of which have been pointed out by others, but overall it's extremely enjoyable, and I absolutely love it. Onwards to the final chapters...
Thrust into such a position of power at an incredibly young age. Nearly 21 and he's the ruler of the most powerful nation on the planet. That was a nice speech at the procession. Hurray, a family reunion! What must it be like to be the younger sister of the Emperor? Heh, now which family has all the prestige. Way to go Twister, bringing to light the love of the young couple. I wish I had a little sister... Wooooo yes! Hurricane and Swift gettin' it on! That was a really nice way of doing it too. Ruirik, get to making art of these two already. Now onto the next chapter.
~SolidFire
And the only concern I had after last chapter is now brought up. Awesome.
Awwww. We got to see his family.
I hope our heroes all make it to the end...
Not what I was expecting... Tbh I was hoping for something like him say, "I am not your emperor, In a time of war I am your fellow soldier." blah blah blah stuff along the lines of, "Would you follow me into battle" blah blah the crowd yelling their agreement blah bla refusing to mourn their fallen until the war is over in order to refuse to show weakness blah blah blah.
Something like that to boost morale. Don't know why I was thinking of that but If I were there I would have done it if only to boost morale.
Why did I think of this?