//------------------------------// // Chapter Five - A Cunning Solution // Story: Adventures of the Moon Son: Chapter 1 - The Raising // by TheAuthorsApprentice //------------------------------// If, in the interest of cosmic coincidences, a pin where to have been dropped within that room and within that moment. The echo it would have made would have sounded like the tolling of a grand bell. There was silence, not the kind that comes within a lull in a conversation or during a time where quiet is required. This was a complete absence of sound, a void in which the only ones present dared not utter a sound for fear of what was coming. An Alicorn princess of the Sun stood at one side of the training area, a human superhero stood at the other, both as still and intense as statues. Panicked concerns from a purple unicorn had already been addressed, worried questions had already been answered and an excited hero had readily agreed, finding a challenge from the ruler herself so much more appealing than a forced conflict with one of her subjects. And so, in the moment, the two combatants did nothing but stare at each other, the motherly, kind and caring side of Celestia and the laid back, wisecracking side of the Switch both replaced with stony features as they did nothing but gaze at their opponents. Twilight, swallowing the nervous lump that had formed in her throat at the thought of her beloved teacher fighting like a drunken stallion, turned to one of the other professors, a unicorn with a dark red coat and white mane. "High honour, your PhD specialised in combat and martial arts, why are they just staring at each other?" she whispered, almost silently for fear of breaking the tension in the room. High honour smirked, finding her ignorance most entertaining. "They may be still and silent..." he replied, just as quietly as Twilight "... but do not mistake them for doing nothing, the case could not be more different. This is a standoff, plain and simple... it is clear that Switch has extensive training, and his abilities make him extremely powerful. And the Princess, as we know, has honed her already amazing skills over thousands of years... they are both skilled and experienced enough to know this and this stillness you see is them analysing each other, meticulously examining for both strengths and potential weaknesses." Twilight nodded, taking in High honour's words, she turned her view back to the two combatants "What comes next?" she murmured. causing the professor to smirk again... "A show of strength" As if taking some invisible queue, Celestia suddenly whipped her head back, rearing back onto her hind legs and pawing the air with her front ones. A deep, resonating whinny rumbled from her throat and her face became a snarl, making the princess look feral, almost bestial. At the same time, Switch squared his shoulders, narrowing his glowing eyes menacingly as he bared his teeth, flashing the canines amongst them, his throat seemed to glow a pale yellow as he suddenly growled, a loud and chilling sound, a rumbling hiss that sounded scarily reptilian in composition. In response the Princess slammed her hooves back down onto the floor, cracking and splintering the marble as if it was glass. However, the true spectacle came when her body was enveloped by a shimmering golden light, one that swirled around her entire frame. It vanished as soon as it appeared, and her audience visibly gasped at what was left behind. The Princesses looks where the same as before but now she was clad in a suit of glimmering golden armour, glistening plate metal that seemed to give off its own light. Embossed with elaborate swirls and patterns of the sun and boasting a large purple gem on the breastplate, its quality showed its obvious master crafted origins. Plates of gold where tied around her four legs, and sections of overlapping metal surrounding her body and flank, an ornate centurion style helmet was placed on her head, sloping down the sides of her face whilst her mane protruded through a golden crest, blending seamlessly into a large plait that hung behind her shoulders. It was elegant, awe inspiring, and at the same time, terrifying. If this affected Switch in any way, he did not show it, in response he shifted the position of his arms and legs, bringing his arms upwards and clenching his fists as he squared his feet, his entire frame suddenly tensed at once, every muscle locking with power as a brilliant display of yellow lightening burst from his body. Arcing in the nearby walls and floors with unnatural rectangular shapes for a few seconds until it suddenly died down, being replaced with nothing but a dull glow that surrounded his frame. Twilight couldn't take her eyes off of her mentor, finding the comparison between her usual kind and caring mentor who she loved like a mother, and the armour clad warrior staring down the Switch almost nauseating. She wanted to protest against this fight yet again, but silence had once again fallen upon the room and she found she wouldn't dare break it. Unknown to the ponies within the room, a small family of Doves had flown into the stone eves at the top of this large room. Furthermore, upon feeling the raw energy that was saturating the air. Each suddenly felt a very large urge that simply screamed "get out of the way!". Therefore, it was unsurprising that each of the Doves took off for the nearest window... the largest in such a hurry that one of its primaries was shaken loose. The single, gossamer white pinion drifted downwards in slow circles in the air directly above the two fighters, neither one so much as glancing at it at it floated down towards them. Fifteen metres... Silence. Ten metres... Silence. Five metres... It brushed across the floor with barely a sound. The change in the room within a fraction of a second, was nothing short of amazing... As if taking some universal cue from a simple feather. Both combatants leapt at each other, bending their legs and rocketing forward from the spot with enough speed that they distorted into two blurs. Both of them shooting straight for each other. They collided with a force that shook the foundations of the room. Switch was lent forward with his head slightly bowed, his arm fully extended in front of him and his closed fist connecting with Celestia's gold plated hoof. she too had placed all her weight behind her strike and now the struggle was evident as both combatants strained against each other. They suddenly leapt backwards, both with graceful flips to gain space, only to rush inwards as soon as they touched the ground, this repeating several times as the princess and the hero continually lunged at each other, smashing together with a blast of force that rivalled a thunderclap and each time straining against the other's strength. During the fourth charge, the tactics seemed to change as both Switch and Celestia threw themselves into a round of close quarters melee, their forms blurred and indistinguishable to their audience as they attacked and defended with the strength and precision of legendary class warriors. A visible maelstrom of air and raw energy was beginning to whip and circulate around the room, aggressive currents that pulled and tore at the manes of the spectators present and more than once Twilight had to pull the hair out of her eyes or blink away the aggravated tears. “Why are they both fighting so hard!?” She yelled over the commotion “Surely winning doesn’t mean that much to them!?” "It isn’t about winning…” she heard highest honour saying beside her, she turned to look at him with a befuddled expression, but he remained focused on the fight. Not taking his eyes off of it for a second. “... It isn’t about winning…” he said again, as if sensing her confusion “This is about pride, about proving their strength to each other… look at them both, the strongest of their respective species locked in combat… right now, it isn’t Celestia against Switch. It’s a human against a Pony. They will both seek to show the strength of their race to the other and if they don’t give it everything they have. They’ve doomed their people to look weak, inferior to the other. And knowing them both, neither Switch nor Celestia is prepared to let that happen…” Their skirmish suddenly took to the air, both combatants held aloft by their own power. Switch using solid energy constructs as stepping stones, which appeared and vanished within seconds and with complete synchronisation with his movements. Celestia had spread her magnificent wings outwards and wasn't needing to flap them to keep airborne, in fact using their manoeuvrability to aid her momentum when evading or attacking. They clashed again with another explosion of dissipating power, Celestia using her wings to fend off attacks whilst using her golden horseshoes to jab and strike with deadly efficiency. She threw another, one that Switch had apparently predicted as his articulated hand darted upwards to catch it. The fingers closing around her hoof, he flashed a cheeky grin as he brought his other hand back to strike the Princess. But that quickly disappeared when Celestia suddenly whipped around, using her wings to pirouette through the air. She became a blur, an indistinguishable form of white that pulled the surprised Switch with it, turning him momentarily upside down. With her amazing control of speed, Celestia stopped instantly and in a position that allowed her to lash out with her front hoof. The strength of the princess painfully transparent as her hoof suddenly lashed out, and fuelled by magic it moved faster than the observing ponies could see. When it connected, however, they certainly heard it... It connected with a boom that rivalled a thunderclap, the air around the impact distorting with the force. Switch's eyes seemed to shoot open within the mask and his mouth widened in pain, spittle flying from within it as he tried to cry out, the only sound he could make being a strangled wheeze. Twilight sighed, figuring surely now the fight was over, a direct hit from the Princess? No one could continue after that! Switch suddenly snapped his head up to look at the princess, who gasped in shock. His eyes narrowed and his mouth shifted into a snarl as he growled, increasing in tempo and ferocity as he countered. His knee, now precariously close to the Princess, swung across in a savage arc, fuelled in turn by crackling displacement energy. It collided with Celestia’s cheek and carried on past it, dragging her head along the arc and scraping across the edge of her face plate. Her eyes clenched shut in pain and a grunt escaped her lips as a thin line of blood sprayed from the edge of her mouth. Twilight tried to avert her eyes at the sight of her beloved mentor being hurt but found she couldn't, the clash of these two titans keeping her eyes glued to it as her heartbeat sped at an almost dangerous pace. Both Switch and Celestia couldn’t stop their descent and they found themselves crashing to the floor, both collided with a bounce that sent them skittering away from each other. There was a momentary reprieve, a silence in the battle as both combatants slowly got to their feet, the focused hostile expressions of narrowed eyes and upturned mouths not leaving either of them. Just as soon as it had started, the silence was shattered as Switch and Celestia leapt at each other again. Both throwing a flurry of punches and kicks whilst fending off attacks from their opponent. This dynamic was disrupted as Switch suddenly shifted just in time to avoid a blow from Celestia, a second later he appeared in the air above her with his hands clasped together. He brought them downwards, a savage hammer fist that forced Celestia straight down to the floor, shattering the marble into a fine cloud as he did. He landed with his feet either side of Celestia, who had enough time to throw her wing in the way as he started to bring a hail of punches down onto her. It looked like the fight was over, like Humans were about to be proven the strongest of the races when Celestia pulled her wing back in an interval between the punches. Her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates and her pupils dilated. However, they were not this way for long as suddenly they lit up… Not in the way of arcane power or the soft glow of benevolent magic. But in a way that demonstrated Celestia's position as the Goddess of the Sun as her eyes suddenly burst with its brilliant light. The full solar light of the sun itself beamed straight into Switch’s eyes and he reacted as anyone would, crying out in surprise and extreme pain, he staggered back with his hands covering them . Celestia capitalised as she shot to all four hooves, planting her front two down into the earth as she span her back two around in one fluid movement. She lashed out with them simultaneously in a classic, old fashioned buck. The primary method of Pony protection. A standard earth pony could use a buck to shatter solid wood with enough practise, as was shown with the element of Honesty on her farmstead. The Princess of the Sun and an Alicorn however…. All the ponies present cringed as the blow connected, definitely hearing but practically feeling the bones in Switch’s arm bending with the force of the impact as he ineffectively tried to shield himself with it. He was launched backwards, leaving the ground and sailing in an arc before crashing into the marble twenty feet away, rolling to a stop a few feet after that. A low groan filled the air as Switch slowly moved his arms to his sides, using them to push himself up. Thick yellow blood dripped from his mouth onto the floor and he breathed through clenched teeth. Standing up fully, he couldn’t stop himself from swaying on the spot. Celestia's expression changed, slightly and only for a second but he noticed it all the same… She was worried, concerned about him. It seemed that even in combat she couldn't suppress her caring side…heartwarming, but unnecessary. In the first interaction since their battle had started, Switch’s mouth curled into the smallest smile and he nodded, almost unnoticeable. That was all the incentive Celestia needed as her wings snapped open to their fullest and she prepared to attack once again... If Switch was at all worried about the impending blow from Celestia, he didn't show it. In fact, he showed the complete opposite. His eyes going dark as he closed them and his form becoming relaxed with his arms by his sides, he slowly let out a breath and then slowly took another in, as he did a faint and almost mist like aura started to radiate off of him. Deciding she didn't like whatever Switch was doing and being unwilling to give him a chance to carry it out, Celestia swept her wings downwards. Propelling herself from still to almost supersonic in no time at all. She was halfway across the room in a second, when there was a sudden twitch in the superhero's arm, almost as if it flickered for a second. This on its own could be counted as rather unremarkable, However, what accompanied it was nothing short of extraordinary... There was a flash, more like a spark than anything as a yellow shape appeared in the air inches from Celestia's head, causing an astonished gasp from Every pony in the room, which only worsened when the construct lashed out with a speed that seemed to slow down time itself for the monarch, realising the danger, Celestia didn't dodge so much as flinch out of the path. The blow missing by less than an inch. A split second later the Construct dissipated, replaced by another to her other side, this one striking at a different place. Celestia was instantly and overwhelmingly thrown back on the defensive as she could only defend herself from these shapes as best she could, managing to evade most but still receiving the occasional agonising blow to her body. Repeated sightings also lead the audience to discover the nature of these energy constructs, and the revelation chilled their blood. They where all Switch... Within milliseconds, glowing yellow forms identical to him appeared and lashed out before disappearing and being replaced with another. At times the numbers even seemed to increase, with three or even four copies materialising at once to strike Celestia with deadly coordination and precision. All the while, Switch was still stood where he had before, the only difference being his whole body was now flickering, blurred and distorted. Frustration mixed with pain in a dangerous combination as a copy punched Celestia straight across the muzzle and she suddenly let out a war cry. An animalistic bellow that vibrated the air and pierced the hearing of the audience. A intense blast of golden magical energy erupted from her being, blasting the copies into nothingness and causing the air itself to crackle and spark as it was saturated with magic. A single breath, that was all Celestia managed to get until she heard the sound of something launching from the cracked floor... whipping her head towards it, she came face to face with the Switch himself. He had used her recovery to close the distance and was now rearing his arm back for the final strike, his hand was open palmed and the crackling lightening of displacement energy was filling it. Again, time seemed to slow for Celestia and she was able to make out every single detail of that one moment. She saw the dust and debris that had been carried in the wake of Switch's leap. She saw his clenched teeth and the determination that was fuelling the blow. Reacting on pure instincts refined over thousands of years of long life. Celestia charged her own horn with magical energy, her vast experience allowing the process to happen instantly. A ball of pure magical energy appeared at the tip of her horn and she thrust it, with as much intent and purpose as her battered form would allow... Straight into Switch's open hand... She would later come to regret that decision very much... This was for several reasons... the first being that she had no idea how raw magical energy would react with unfiltered displacement energy, therefore this decision was nothing but reckless. The second was that she was so close to the results of this combination and had not witnessed it from a much safer distance. However, the third and definitely to most prevalent of reasons why she regretted this venture was simple.... It Hurt... A lot... For a fraction of a second the two energies seemed to mingle, almost harmoniously within their own spaces. Until of course this union was smashed as these two alien energies rejected each other. Destroying each other and themselves in the form of a loud and fantastic explosion. Neither Princess nor Superhero touched the floor after the brilliant burst of light erupted from in between them. The force sending them both backwards at a rate faster than either one could move on their own. Celestia collided with the solid stone wall at one end of the room, the force behind her impact shattering most of the wall itself, which began to fall as several chunks of massive stone, each several tonnes and accompanying the princess on her painful fall to the ground. Switch impacted the space just above the ornate stained windows that decorated the other side of the room, instantly destroying every single one held within the mighty stone frames, and therefore he was accompanied by a rain of broken glass that caused an almost musical clattering as he fell back down to earth. Once they both impacted to floor, there wasn't a sound from either of them... "We need to get a Doctor! or Luna! or somebody else! This has gone way too far!" Twilight shouted as she tried, quite unsuccessfully, to avoid hyperventilating. "Wait!" High honour said as he held out a hoof to stop her, when Twilight opened her mouth to argue, he spoke. "It isn't over yet..." Twilight's pupils shrunk down to pinpricks as, right on cue, there was a shuffling from either side of the room. Celestia was the first to emerge, rising from the stony rubble slowly and almost definitely painfully, a small shower of pebbles and dust flowing off of her back... Switch also rose to his feet, although he took longer than Celestia had, and had to pause as he noticed something in his hand. Bringing it too his mouth, Switch clasped something in his teeth and quickly yanked it out of his hand before spitting it out. A large shard of glass, now dripping with glowing yellow blood. They looked across the room and regarded each other yet again, nothing different about the way they looked. Still seemingly willingly and able to carry on the greatest showdown of Equestrian history... Yet, all they both managed was a shaky step forward before something else materialised between them. "That is Enough!" A voice that itself shook the room filled the air as a brilliant blue flash of light lit up between the two combatants. Luna, with all her power and majesty, imposed herself between Switch and Celestia. Her face deadly serious as she held a hoof out to each one of them. Despite this, both of them still wore the same stony expression and didn't take their eyes off of each other. "This is a sparring match, nothing more, sister!" Celestia said "Your 'sparring match' will become a lot more serious when you both bring the castle down around yourselves! Look at the damage you've wrought!" For the first time since the match started, both combatants turned their attention to the room around them and as they did, their expressions became increasingly ashamed. And for good reason... The room was, simply, a mess... giant gouges and grooves had been dug into the marble floor as well as the walls and ceiling now being crisscrossed with cracks and gaps where the stone had been dislodged. Dust and debris littered every surface in abundance, mixing well with the shattered glass at the end of the room. A draft could also be seen disturbing the dust and grime, as the wind blew through the open frames of the destroyed window. Switch shifted himself so he was stood by Luna's side, Celestia copied him using a small teleportation spell. They didn't say anything, only seemed to look at each other solemnly as they regarded the damage they had done to the room and each other. Celestia moved first, her wings suddenly sweeping low until they almost brushed the ground at either side of her. She then reclined her head, slowly until she was bowing before him. Switch immediately did the same, although first he placed his hands into an alien position, one open palmed and the other closed in a fist, pressed into the palm of the open one. He too bowed in respect. The atmosphere in the room went through a profound change, the tension the held the audience rigid bled out of them, with Twilight going so far as to visibly sigh in unspoken relief. Highest honour also puffed out his cheeks as even he felt a small modicum of relief. Celestia’s wings folded up into their natural positions by her sides and she stood up fully, Switch doing the same. Twilight could wait no longer, therefore she bounded over to her mentor, avoiding the largest stones and mortar that threatened to trip her. "Princess Celestia!" she cried, causing her teacher to turn and face her with a look of surprise, as if she had forgotten that her student was watching the fight. "Yes, Twilight?" she said in her usual motherly tone. "That was... it was.... Are you okay?!" "Okay...?" Celestia said in utter bafflement, her face become a frown and twilight's blood chilling as she feared she had suddenly hit a nerve. "Okay...?!" Celestia cried again, holding the stern expression for a few seconds before suddenly bursting into laughter, loudly and joyfully. "Oh Twilight... of course I'm okay! That was the most fun I've had in years!!" Twilight jaw dropped, unable to stay closed under its own power as she tried to process the princess's words. However, Celestia had turned around to face Switch, a kind smile now gracing her features. "I had thought you where a mighty warrior, Switch, but I had no idea just how incredible your skills where!" Switch chuckled before he replied. "I can't take all the credit, your Majesty, you had me on the ropes more than once. Your skills far exceed mine!" "Oh no need to be so humble! You done your people proud this day, I never imagined anyone could last this long against me, let alone put up the fight that you did!" The conversation between the two of them drifted into the two off them as Twilight's eye lid suddenly started twitching, her brain had long since given up trying to decipher the situation and therefore she was left infuriatingly clueless. "Don't think too much about it" came a voice from her side, and she looked up to see the face of Princess Luna, who wore a sympathetic smile as she realised what Twilight was going through. "They're happy with each other..." she said, stunned. "That is martial artists for you... to them fighting is not something to be seen as hostile or negative, to them, fighting is pure and honourable. I'd wager their friendship has only grown much more stronger as a result." "But the fight seemed so... serious..." "A battle between two people as strong as they are always will, but it was mutually agreed on by both of them. And I'd also wager it was a valuable training exercise, therefore, there was never going to be any true hostility between the two of them..." Twilight and Luna where both pulled back into the conversation as Switch and Celestia suddenly turned and, as a pair, started to make their way towards the doors of the room, or at least the one that had remained on its hinges. "I imagine there is still some dinner to be had! I will send for the palace chefs, I imagine you're hungry?" Celestia said to Switch "Starving!" he replied. "Prefect, although for now I must return to my chambers and see about getting this dust from my mane!" "Yeah, I could definitely use a shower too" "Shall we say... the royal dining room in half an hour?" "Sounds great! See you then!" Both Celestia and Switch where suddenly enveloped by different energies and where promptly transported from the room. Meanwhile, inside the mind of Twilight sparkle, the sense and deduction regions of her brain has gathered their hats and coats and where promptly handing in their resignations, stating that the reason for such a decision was unfair and stressful working conditions.. coupled with more work than they could ever get through. This of course had an affect on Twilight as, with sections of her psyche making sure to slam the door on their way out, she reacted in the only way she could... "WHAT?!" ******* Switch and Celestia appeared in their respective rooms at virtually the same time and both reacted in very much the same way. Namely, they both instantly collapsed to the floor, any remainder of their jovial expressions lost and they let go of the pretence the fight hadn't affected them. "Ow,ow,ow,ow,ow,ow,ow...." Celestia murmured as she massaged one of her wings that was throbbing with a deep and tearing pain. "Jeeves, activate the P.R.S..." Switch groaned as he placed his back against the side of his bed, breathing deeply as a fiery agony shot through his leg. "Pain Reduction System online, sir, pain reduction imminent" Switch sighed in relief as the pain slowly shrank away, the result of the extremely efficient painkillers now flowing through his system. Meanwhile, Celestia had just finished using her magic to repair her broken wing, as well as several horrible looking cuts and bruises. Both combatants thought back to their match and both immediately smiled at the thought of it. No regret shown in the slightest as they both said the same thing to themselves. "What a fighter!" ******** A loud, clear series of knocks rang throughout the room as Luna rapped her hoof against it, standing in silence for a sew seconds before there was a response. "Come on in!" The foreign accent of the Switch came back through and Luna used her magic to slide the heavy door open. The room that Switch was currently occupying was a guest suite for the palace, built for bipedal creatures such as visiting Minotaur dignitaries and very recently for a human, it was fairly ordinary by royal standards, although to anyone not accustomed to such decorations they where rich indeed. A huge four poster bed was set into the centre of the room, set much higher off the ground than a pony bed and covered in rich burgundy quilts with cream white pillows. Most of the exquisite marble floors where covered in expensive imported rugs. To fill the space, several sofas with a large coffee table in the middle of them and a large ornate desk where dotted at various key points around the room. To complement this pony made furniture where some human innovations. A large mechanical device had been set against a free wall, one that Switch called a "computer". On a table to one side was an amazing, smaller device that could make several different types of coffee within seconds. Finally, a large flat device that had been hooked onto a space in the wall, one that could show movies without a projector, this one he called a "Television", and already Celestia had asked to buy one... stating she was very interested in the show Jeeves had mentioned known as "the desperate housewives" Noticing that Switch wasn't in the room himself, Luna made her way over to the room's balcony, one that overlooked Canterlot city. The man himself was lay down on the stone Bannister that surrounded the balcony, a large pillow behind his head and one leg hanging freely over the outer side. He turned to face Luna and respectfully started to stand, but Luna stopped him with a dismissive wave and conjured a pillow in order to sit down next to him. She frowned slightly when she saw something clasped in his fingers. "You smoke?" she asked quietly, no judgement in her voice so much as curiosity. Tilting her head to regard what she recognised as a long cigarette, he chuckled before nodding. "We all have our vices, Princess... I couldn't help but notice a metric tonne of ice cream in the castle parlour... with an angry note threatening people with exile if they dipped into it" A light shade of pink spread across Luna's cheeks as she 'Harrumphed' most indignantly. Although Switch likely didn't notice as they had both turned to regard the night sky. "An exaggeration I'm sure!" she retorted, before Switch silently shook his head. "It isn't... Jeeves weighed it all. In fact it was just over..." Luna's mouth worked silently as she tried to come up with a response, settling for a moody snort when she failed. "Anyway!" she cried "I came here tonight to get to know you a little better, if that's alright with you?" "You don't know enough?" Switch replied, not angrily but in fact with an amused smile. "I know that you love Lasagne and that Eric Johnson is *Ahem* the shit..., although I'm given to understand that in your world, this is a compliment" Switch laughed at that, loud and heartily before turning to regard Luna again. "Can't argue with that! Go ahead, Princess, ask away" "Aright, If your permitted to tell me... what's your real name?" "I don't know" "Switch is your superhero name, or an Alias?" "It's my only alias..." "I don't understand..." Switch suddenly sighed, frowning as he regarded his cigarette. Luna got the impression that she was unearthing something unpleasant, however, curiosity was burning within her and she felt compelled to know answers so she remained silent. "I wasn't being evasive, Princess..." he started with a distant and sad tone "... the simple truth is... I don't know what my real name is..." "You see... Most humans have the luxury of being born and growing up with a family that loves and nurtures them. They are born and get their entire lives to decide who and what they are... Unfortunately, I didn't qualify for that privilege..." Luna didn't say a word, only listened as the Switch recounted his story but finding herself feeling more and more sorry for the normally jovial young man. "I was born with a unique biology, with genes and DNA set into an order that gives me a certain resistance to energy, both in resisting and storing it... I don't know how they managed to get me but all that matters is they did... either as a baby or a child but honestly they could have wiped my memory, so I could have been older." "I was taken to a facility... somewhere... and that's when they went to work. Fusing my entire body, down to the cells, with raw displacement energy, implanting bio augments to aid the process as well as grafting this mask to my face. Their trials must have been a success for me to be alive but something inevitably went wrong... I don't know what, but the facility was abandoned and I was put on Ice" Switch noticed Luna's confused expression at his phrase and quickly corrected himself. "Cryogenic hibernation... they froze me... kept me asleep in sub freezing temperatures for... weeks? months? years? I don't know... but the fact the earliest I can remember... Is waking up" There was a small silence and a loud exhale as a cloud of smoke left Switch's lips. "Maybe it was an inbuilt failsafe... or maybe the compound ran out of juice... but all I know for certain is that one day I fell out of that Cryotube and onto the floor of that factory... I remember hacking up this freezing blue goop that filled my lungs and looking around with my vision blurred and shaky. In a way I had only just been born and so I didn't even know what my powers where... let alone how to use them... so of course they went haywire. Before I was pulled from that place and thrown around the multiverse like a goddamn pinball, I saw some letters on the side of the tube I had fallen out of..." Switch put his finger into the air and the tip of it glowed yellow, he swirled it in midair and left behind a glowing trail of yellow light. When he had finished, Luna's gasped at what she read. S . WITCH "Switch..." she said to herself in disbelief, turning to regard the young human in a totally different and heart wrenching light. "I bounced around the multiverse, shifting from random place to random place at random times, not knowing what I was going to experience and praying I didn't land in a world that would kill me. It took days but eventually I managed to calm myself down enough to stay in one place... Slowly and with the help of a truly great man... I managed to gain control of my powers... to use them for the betterment of humanity. Eventually, I gained friends and with that came training, equipment and experience, enough to allow me to master my abilities... to use them at will to travel the vastness of space... all the while hoping to answer the simplest yet most difficult question there is..." The next words Switch said to himself more than Luna and he frowned as he said them, a morbid curiosity filling them as he spoke... "Who am I?" Switch took another silent drag of the cigarette, there was the tiniest of sounds. An almost silent patter as a tear drop fell from the Princesses eye, she tried not to sob at the plight of the superhero. "So you know nothing? Truly nothing!?" she said, in her own way desperate to hear him deny it, but all Switch did was nod his head in confirmation, suddenly reaching up to tap a finger against the outer rim of his mask. "Amongst many other cool things... this mask comes with an inbuilt inter-networking neural interface, basically it means I can 'download' certain information straight into my frontal cortex, the knowledge centre of the brain. Luckily, my makers decided to upload the English language so I could speak... Literature so I could write... knowledge of biology, chemistry and physics. I managed to find a few files buried within the data banks but all I've managed to retrieve was a detailed plan of the 'induction process'... and the name of the wonderful bunch that did it to me..." Switch frowned once again as if a bad taste was filling his mouth. "The Scion Project..." "But that's it... that's all I know about myself of all people! My name... my family... my age... my birthday... my home... all... deleted... as if it meant nothing" There was silence on that balcony, for what could be said after such a revelation? Luna silently chastised herself for ever doubting the Human lay to her side, such a story could not be made up, no level of suffering this cruel and malicious could ever be a work of fiction. So Luna found herself doing the only thing she could, the only thing that made any semblance of sense at that time... She slowly reached her hoof up and gently rested it on his arm, Switch didn't try and stop her and only inclined his head slightly towards her, with a voice broken out of sadness and grief and with tears welling in her eyes. Luna whispered... "I'm so sorry" "Ah..." Switch scoffed as he waved a hand dismissively "That's alright... after all it does come with some pretty kickass perks!" The tension was broken with a small chuckle from both of them, when Luna looked down to the floor afterwards, the same sadness still in her eyes, Switch turned to regard her. "I'm not the only one with a bad story, am I?" he whispered, causing Luna to sigh in defeat. "No, you aren't. In fact, I believe I can understand your pain better than anyone... I imagine by now you've heard of the events that happened a millennia ago?" Switch only nodded in response, casting a sympathetic glance at the princess, who continued on. "The truth is... whilst I'm eternally grateful that I was spared from the evil that consumed me. And whilst I have been reunited with my people and my sister, who I truthfully love very much... Since my return, I've never felt further away... And the heart wrenching thing is I can do nothing about it" "In what way?" "In the most ironic of ways... I am a ruling monarch with arguably more freedom than anypony alive as well the having the power to draft and change the laws that govern my people. And yet still I find myself infuriatingly bound by laws of my own... ones that stop me from achieving that which I desire most" Luna looked over to the Switch, the tears she was holding back now flooding from her eyes. Both in parts sadness and relief at finally talking to someone. "I want a child, Switch, more than anything in this world... I want to be a mother, to have someone to nurture and guide again, to love something with the same intensity that me and my people once had for each other. I want a little bundle of happiness and pure joy that will make me both happy in good times and frustrated in bad, one that will truly view me with no fear... somepony who will feel safe and carefree in my presence... somepony who won't see me as... as some kind of monster" Switch had been silent so far, more than happy to listen to Luna's problems, after a pause he suddenly spoke. "So why can't you?" Luna laughed bitterly before answering. "Pony's have their laws... Alicorns have the tenants... You see, Alicorns have always been the ruling caste of ponies. Every monarch in new equestrian history has been an Alicorn. This, coupled with our unnaturally strong power and lifespans, gave rise to a new kind of Laws and boundaries, in order to keep us in check. Firstly, our abilities to conceive children was altered, to ensure the Alicorn population couldn't increase to... dangerous... levels" "Therefore, as it stands now, Alicorns can only carry foals when they mate with someone truly special, someone unlike any other in terms of heart, soul, and meaning. A true love... one that only occurs once in a lifetime." "Princess Cadance and Shining Armour" "Exactly, those two share a true and unrequited love stronger than almost any other. They found each other and therefore they may in the future be gifted with a child..." "And have you... ever...?" Luna looked up to stars at that, examining her work with a meticulous eye as memories, both beautiful and horrifying, where brought to the surface. "Once... but things where simply not meant to be and he was... taken from me. And therefore the gifts that came with such a thing were denied to me" "I'm sorry. But there must be another way, right? Adoption, maybe?" "I have considered such a thing too... at times with as much intensity as the more, natural, method. However, another tenant forbids the adoption of Pony kind by members of royalty. Such a thing was made to protect the Prospective parent more than anything else, for what fate is worse than having to watch your child grow old and die, as you live on?" "Jesus..." Switch said as he ran a hand through his hair, blowing out another mouthful of smoke "So basically...?" "Basically , there's nothing I can do about it..." Switch chuckled and it came out muted, shaken with disbelief as he turned and shuffled on the balcony so he was facing Luna, nothing was said as a sad silence descended on the two of them. "What a pair are we, huh?" he murmured, Luna chuckled too before replying "Yes... what a pair..." Luna stood up slowly from her pillow, gracefully bringing her wings around to wipe the tears from her eyes. "Forgive me, but it is getting late and I have duties to attend to... If you'll excuse me" Switch stood up respectfully as Luna started to leave. "Luna?" The princess of the moon turned to look at the superhero, not failing to notice that he had used her name rather than the usual formalities he employed, but she was glad of it, finding it felt much more fitting. "I'm sorry this happened to you, you don't deserve it... and for what it's worth... I think you'd make a great mom" Luna smiled in sincere gratitude, before reclining her head in acknowledgement. With nothing more needing to be said, she merely left. ****** The next three months could be described quite easily as eventful... Switch visited Equestria at least a few days a week, seeing it as a form of vacation from his travels of the multiverse and his duties as a Superhero. A chance to unwind and visit his new equine friends, however, this meant them having to get the train from ponyville, as the general public didn't yet know of the alien creature staying at the palace. Celestia and Luna quickly grew to see Switch as a close friend as they grew to know him more. His personality showing him to be joyous and carefree, yet serious as the situation demanded. He was confident and charismatic and this made him extremely likeable. To the joy of Twilight he was revealed to be a scientist at heart and they spent many long hours exchanging and discussing scientific theory, to the even greater and more flamboyant joy of Pinkie, he was revealed to love parties in all shapes and forms... as well as showing a penchant for pulling pranks... Much to the annoyance of Celestia, who more often than not found her sugar replaced with salt. Of course, she responded as one of her stature and maturity should in such a situation... by slipping fire pepper seeds into his food. Over the course of a single night and making use of his natural charm, coupled with copious amounts of alcohol, Switch completely erased any hostility the guards felt for him. And by the time morning came around, Switch could be seen singing drinking songs with several members of the royal guard, the rest having passed out a long time before. Deciding at this point that Switch no longer deserved a guest quarters in the castle, the Princesses gave him a large circular room in one of the towers, giving him the freedom to do whatever he wished within its walls. Using his powers to bring object from his own universe, Switch built a space that was a complete harmony of living and working. One quarter of the room was walled off with steel partitions and a bed, completely different from the pony variants, was placed within it... A large T.V was added, as well as smooth metal cabinets and wardrobes. The rest of the space is what commanded the most attention, it was a laboratory blended seamlessly with a workshop. Metallic counters dotted the space, each one holding a different scientific instrument or apparatus, a collection capable of measuring or creating anything. Lockers lined the walls not filled with windows, each holding armour, weapons and gadgets for the Switch's use. Dominating an entire section of wall was a massive computer screen, its processing systems and input hardware fixed into the floor below it. It was from here that Jeeves worked, helping his friend and master with anything he needed, as well as using an automated system to serve refreshments... should the need arise... It had seemed that any pretence of an unholy war between the two species had been just that... and every pony and human within the castle was looking forward to a brilliant and harmonious future together. ******* "LUNA!" "LUNA!!" Switch's voice echoed off of the inside of the castle walls, carrying through the hallways and archways as he ran through them. "She's never in her goddamn room..." he murmured to himself "Jeeves? Track her down, please!" "Of course sir, but this castle is filled with over four hundred bio signatures, and as you thought it best to keep the Princesses DNA off the system... it will take some time...." "Perfect..." Mid stride, Switch dissipated into a flash of yellow light, reappearing a second later in the guard barracks. Used to such a thing by now, the three guards sat around a nearby table laying cards didn't so much as flinch. "Hey guys!" Switch started, causing them all to look up at him and wave in greeting "Any of you seen Princess Luna?" All of them shook their heads, apologising for their lack of help. Switch sighed in frustration before turning towards the door. Before he disappeared, he turned back around. "By the way... Silver shield is hiding cards in his mane" Switch vanished and two of the guards scowled at the third, who grinned sheepishly before diving from the chair and out the door. The other two in hot pursuit. Switch shifted into the kitchen. "Luna!?... No" He shifted into the gardens "Luna?!....No!" Into the observatory "Luna?!" There she was, plotting her latest constellation ideas on a large blackboard before double checking the proportions of them against the night sky. She set her pen down before turning away from her work. "Yes, Switch?" she said, clearly not impressed by the loud disruption of her work. "Luna! I've got it! I've finally found a way to help you!" Being taken completely by surprise did nothing to help Luna's confusion. "Help me with what?" she replied, taking a step towards him. He couldn't possibly mean...? "I've found a way for you to get what you want most! For you to become a mother like you've always wanted!" The confusion was suddenly cast aside as hope rose within Luna's heart. the possibility of a solution causing her heart to flutter wildly. "You have?! What is it? Quickly!" Switch looked into Luna's desperate eyes and smiled widely, both thrilled with himself and for Luna. But deciding it was cruel to keep her waiting for his answer. He spoke... "Adopt a human!"