//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 // Story: Through the soul of friendship // by ShieldStar //------------------------------// Through the soul of friendship Fanfication by ShieldStar 8 A knocking on the door startled him out of his deep thoughts. "Uh, yes, come in." Reed looked up to see who had knocked on the door. "HI I'M PINKIE PIE!" A bouncing pink pony bounded in to the room. She bounced over and started to babble greetings, questions and explanations. "Wait, Wait, slow down, I got pinkie pie." Reed eased his hand and made a clamming gesture. The pink pony sighed, then started to speak slower than she had, but still quickly. "Come on, we are waitrons for you. The princesses thought you got lost, so I went to find you. And I thought, "Now Pinky Pie if I got lost where would I go first?" And I said, "of course I would go back to my room so I stopped and ask a guard where you were staying and he told me and I came and knocked on your door." Pinkie Pie said all this in one breathe. "Now come on every one is wait to eat." Pinkie rapped one hoof around his wrist, which was covered by skin and fur not like a horse's hoof. It was like being grabbed by a fury hand thing. Pinkie began to pull him towards the door. "Wait, wait let me put my boots on." Pinkie let Reed put his boots on still bouncing somewhat impatiently. "Tell you what," Reed said, standing, "in order to make up lost time. I'll race you there." Pinkie eyes widened to bread rolls. "Yippee!" And she shot off to the dining hall. Reed realized his mistake, he didn't know where the dining hall was. Hurrying outside he asked the guard the way. Five minutes later Reed found Pinkie Pie bouncing outside the dining hall doors. "What took you so long slow poke?" "You’re fast Pinkie." Pinkie giggled, "Thanks, I race Dashie all the time." Before Reed could ask who Dashie was Pinkie Pie pushed the doors open to the dining hall. Where the princess sat at one end and seven other ponies sitting father down. Reed recognized twilight and FlutterShy, but none of the other ponies. "Oh good, you found him Pinkie Pie. Reed you sit here next to Luna." Princess Celestia said waving to the Night Princess's left. Reed made his way over and sat the chair much like any other he might sit in. "We had to pull out one of the chairs from the set used for the Minotaur diplomats, seeing as they aren't here today it wasn't a problem." "Thank you, pony chairs are a little... Hard to sit in for humans." A few of the ponies he didn't know stifled a few giggles. A waiter pony brought out menus and everypony started too deiced on what to order. The waiter came over to Reed, "As I understand there are some foods humans cannot eat that ponies can." "Uh, yes." "Then I will take your ordered directly. While everyone decides." "Okay," Reed thought for a moment," do you have peanut butter, apples, some bread, carrots and a few grapes?" "We do." "Then that is what I would like, please. Could I have the apple sliced and a butter knife brought with the peanut butter?" "Of course, is that all?" "Yes, thank you." "You’re welcome." The waiter left to take the rest of the orders. Once every pony had ordered, small conversations broke out. Reed watched with mild interest. "So thou- you had mentioned that you would explain your symbol's meaning to my sister and I." Reed jumped a little at the suddenness of the princess's speech. He turned to face the night princess. Celestia also turned at the night princess's statement. "Oh yes, Luna told me about your symbol and how you had said you would explain its meaning." "Ha! You have a symbol. I doubt it, what is it a-" "Blue Blood that is quiet enough!" Celestia cut the unicorn stallion off. He had a white coat and blond mane. "Excuse me." All eyes now turn to Reed, "I am quiet interested in what this stallion has to say about something he is ignorant about." The room became silent. All eyes on Blue Blood. "Well, I-I, um." Blue bloods face flushed red, "who are you calling ignorant. You bald ape!" There was a tense silence that last for a long while.  Reed stood, "Sir I have giving you respect before we met formally. You have disrespected a promise to the dead I have made, and that I find no honor in." Reed turned to the princesses. "I beg for your forgiveness, your majesties. I find myself not fit for company." Reed bowed, the princesses nodded in understanding and Reed left the hall. - "Blue Blood you are dismissed to your quarters to think about your actions and to practice the warning that was given to you." Luna's voice quiet and cold as stone in the silence. "Yes Princess Luna." Blue Blood rose and left his voice downcast and his head bowed. Twilight watch in silence as Blue Blood left, shock at what had just happened. Not only was Blue Blood silent but he looked thoughtful about what Reed had said. Twilight looked at the others at the table. Like herself it looked as if the others were wondering what warning Luna was talking about. Twilight waited till Blue Blood had left before asking the question on every one’s mind. "Um, Princess Luna, what did you mean by the warning Reed have to Blue Blood? I didn't hear Reed's warning." Others nodded and gave sounds of agreement. "It is an older way of speech. Before the Nightmare, there was more...supple ways of arguing. What might pass as a heated discussion was in truth, if brought to president time, a shouting match, only using tone and wit. This way of speaking made a pony think after, made them consider what was said and the meaning. It also was less directly hurtful." There were nods of understanding. "But what’d Reed warn Blue Blood about anyhow?" Applejack asked. "When Reed said, 'and that I find no honor in,' He was commenting on Blue Blood's lack of honor for the promise he made to his dead friend. When someone states a lack of honor, it is a warning that they have offended them and need to learn a lesson from what they just did or it might cause trouble for them." Celestia answered the confused orange mare. "Ah' still don't get it." "Basically A.J. Reed told Blue Blood that he was rude and needed to change if he didn't want a beating." Rainbow Dash said flapping her wings with furor. "Oh my." FlutterShy squeaked. "Indeed, this Reed fellow of your's, Twilight, sounds quite versatile or well rounded." Rarity said patting FlutterShy's shoulder. "He sure is full of mysteries." Twilight said thoughtfully looking at the door Reed had left through. "Agreed." Luna said. At that moment their food came out and no further discussion was made about Reed and Blue Blood. "Hey where's Pinkie Pie?" Rainbow asked only now noticing the missing pink mare.