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// 74 - Walk in the Light 
// Story: Fading Suns: A New World 
// by David Silver 
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Showing the students artifacts of religious and historical import, Gregor acted eagerly as their kind guide. "This is a personal trinket of mine, one of my most valued possessions." He wrapped his fingers delicately around a fine mirror that he lifted. "While the others certainly have history and weight behind them, this has a touch of the divine."

Smolder hiked a brow at it suspiciously. "It looks like a mirror."

"And it is that," allowed Gregor. "But so much more. When one reflects on the sins they have committed, the world listens, and others are faster to forgive you, should you be properly contrite." He lowered it to where the class could see it more easily. "Please be careful, this is the most delicate thing we have viewed so far." It was little more than glass and a metal frame, just asking to be broken.

Yona approached with wide eyes, compelled by the presence of something so easily smashable. "It's pretty." She did not trip and fall into it, even stopping where she should to admire the mirror and her own reflection caught inside.

Laud let out a breath he had been holding, expecting the yak child to crash into it at the first opportunity. Instead the children gave their soft oos and no one was reaching to actually touch it.

Spike shrugged lightly at it, back among the crowd. "Wouldn't it be easier to just not do something that makes people angry?"

"So you have never angered another before then, through an act of your own doing?" Gregor gently set the mirror on its shelf. "Held regret in your heart, wishing you could take it back?"

Spike's thoughts went back to when he tried to scared Owlicous away. "Um, no?" His tone of voice had the other students giggling and chortling, seeing right through him.

"She forgave me on her own," he squeaked, turning red in his cheeks.

"And this is good." Gregor nodded just so. "But sometimes, a little nudge." He made a little pushing motion. "Especially when visiting foreign places, where people may not know the good within you."

Had he used the mirror there already? Laud wondered if it was at least partially at fault for how little they had actually paid to absolve themselves of the sin of attacking the dragons. The dragons were satisfied, but if magic, divine or not, were used to help bring that about... He let that stew quietly for the time.

"This need not be the last time you visit us." They perked at him, some curiously, others suspiciously, as he had predicted. "We would gladly welcome you, as new brothers and sisters."

Spike held up a warding hand. "Uh, thanks, but what would that involve, exactly? We're still students, we're not moving away."

"Nor would I want you to," assured Gregor. "You would visit, perhaps once a week, to sing and learn."

"That sounds fun!" Silverstream clapped her hands eagerly at the idea. "Would I get to meet the other people? They're really shy."

"Not shy." Gregor softly laughed at her assumption. "They are keeping out of the way for this tour. You'll get to meet many of them, yes, and they will greet you as kin."

Spike huffed softly at that. "Not shy at all."

Ocellus, Yona, and Silverstream agreed to come back later. He had his converts, hopefully, but the others demurred, some gently, others... "Yeah, right." Smolder rolled her eyes. "Hard Pass."

Truly the dragons were the least cooperative of the cherub species, but even they had vestiges of the light. Gregor counseled himself that some things were not meant for man to understand, and he let it go that the dragons did not wish to participate further.

That left him wondering at Sandbar. "I am given to believe that ponies adore a good song."

"And we do," he agreed with a smile. "But my schedule's all full, sorry. Have fun though!" No hard feelings, but also a no. "You'll tell me how it goes, right?"

Silverstream gave an emphatic thumbs up. "For sure!"

They children started for the exit, the tour over. Gregor approached Laud directly. "They were quite well behaved. Their caretakers should be proud of themselves."

"They are," he assured with a nod. "But I should keep up with them. It would be a shame for trouble to emerge at this last instant."

"Too true." He let Laud go, a satisfied smile on his face as he watched him go. He had his converts.





The children scattered almost immediately on leaving the ship, as if it were the only force keeping them contained. Those with wings were the first to depart, though Ocellus remained with the group until they exited the landing pad. Sandbar and Ocellus wandered off together while Yona took off in a stampede.

That left Spike and Laud together, walking towards the castle. "Did you see anything I didn't?"

"Uh, well..." Spike began going over what he did see, including his encounter with the one church member that wasn't part of the tour.

"I don't recall telling you to leave the group." He raised a brow. "I'm glad you weren't hurt."

"I was a spy!" He threw his hands out as he walked. "I was supposed to look for stuff. Anyway, I wasn't hurt, so no harm right?"

"It would appear not, save for a bad impression. That man will surely inform Gregor of your lack of discretion." Laud turned his eyes to the castle. "But let's put that aside. This was, overall, a success. None were harmed, and Gregor's response was quite positive. I think he is even more charmed by my people than I was, especially when first I arrived."

"You were a mess," laughed out Spike, launching up to fly at Laud's side. "He's cheating though, with that magic of his. For not trusting magic, he sure has a lot of it."

"This is true... It is a matter of sacrament. The mirror he spoke of is a holy relic, not a witch's devilish tool." He shrugged softly, turning a hand towards Spike. "Surely you have, in your adventures, witnessed artifacts held by wicked people, born of wickedness. You perhaps had to destroy them, for the good?"

Spike frowned with thought, floating along as he was. "Huh, hmm... Actually, yeah. There was this anti-magic throne that needed some busting up to stop an evil queen, come to think of it."

"Precisely so, and yet." He waved a hand at the towering castle. "You live inside another magic artifact, but its origin is pure and its purpose clean. Just like people, they can be saints or sinners, and it is the job of others to discern which is which."

"Makes sense enough." Spike flew ahead and grabbed the door, pulling it open just in time for Twilight to faceplant, having just been about to push it open from the inside. "Oops! You alright?"

"I'm fine." She quickly stood back up. "Oh, you're both back! Laud, Bon Bon would like to speak to you. Spike... maybe you should come too. This affects everyone living here. For that matter..." She turned in place. "Starlight!?"

With a pop, Starlight appeared, looking around on high-alert. "Is someone invading?"

"Nothing quite that dramatic. If you would come with us?" Twilight waved for everyone to follow her and they headed inside. "Bon Bon, Laud is here."

Bon Bon hurried down the steps with a nervous smile on her face. "Is he? Great... Hello, Laud... everyone else..."

Lyra descended just after Bon Bon with a far more relaxed expression. "Everyone's here? Great! Bon Bon has big news!" She nudged her marefriend forward. "Go on, tell 'em."

Bon Bon glared at Lyra, refusing to be hurried. She took a slow breath, eyes closing slowly. "Laud, the nature of our relationship has taken a turn."

Laud raised a brow at that, crossing his arms. "The others have already said this was good news. In what way would our relationship change for the better? Have you decided to put aside your reservations?"

Bon Bon took a step back, almost tumbling on the steps she was still on. "You knew?!"

"I had a good hunch. You are a warrior, Bon Bon, and your guard was never completely down around me. I can understand that." He crossed a hand over his heart. "We are strange things to one another, even if the mechanisms of fate and politics brought us to union."

Bon Bon lifted one ear. "Well, no... not exactly. I mean..." She shuffled from hoof to hoof, knocked right out of the line she had been planning to navigate. "I'm still learning you, Laud, but it's not that... Destiny has declared our love to be true enough." She glanced back at her belly, unchanged from the outside. "I am carrying the first foal of our marriage. I believe it to be a male, Star Chaser is the name I decided."

"I do not get a say? But forget that for the moment. With child?! That is..." He put his hands out wide. "That is magnificent news indeed! I... scarcely have words for it, even as I reel at the idea that this is possible."

Starlight softly clopped her hooves together. "Congratulations! Was that what you wanted me to hear, Twilight?"

"You say that like it's not a big deal." Twilight smirked at her wayward student. "But yes."

"You caught me in the middle of something." She turned to Bon Bon. "Seriously, good news! If you want a helping hoof, you reach out." She vanished with a pop, back to whatever she was doing before she was called.

Spike was hovering there with slow flaps of his wings. "Huh... wow... what will they, uh, he, look like? I mean, will they be a pony, or a human?"

Twilight quickly shook her head. "We can't possibly know, which makes it all the more exciting. Whatever Star Chaser may be, they will be a member of the family and will need all our support. Spike, you won't be the youngest member of the family anymore, isn't that exciting?"

Spike sagged a bit. "Exciting..." He felt he should have been delighted. Finally, he wouldn't be the littlest thing around, but... Part of him refused to feel that way. A child was coming that would need attention. Twilight was already so terribly busy with her duties, and her time would get even more slender for him. "Great..."

Laud clapped a hand on Spike's closer shoulder. "That will be a matter for women in large part, especially when he is too young to be physical with. While they are busy, I feel we have things to do."

Spike blinked softly, shaken out of his funk with surprise. "Like what?"

"With Twilight's leave, I would like to take you officially under my wing, as a squire, to be trained in the arts of combat, chivalric behavior, and proper courtly etiquettes." He turned his head to Twilight, hand unmoving in its firm grip. "He is at the cusp of dragon puberty, is he not? This is a fine time for him to advance in the arts of a grown man. Allow us this."

Twilight glanced between the two of them, a hoof raised in thoughtfulness.

Bon Bon hopped down off the stairs, landing with a loud clop. "I refuse! Unless I am also allowed to take part in this. I have things he should learn too and I won't be left out."

Lyra's eyes widened. "But you're, you know... This isn't exactly the best time to go getting all physical with Spike and Laud."

Twilight bobbed her head in quick agreement. "Why don't you save that until after you've had the foal. Until then, you're more than welcome to speak to them, as we are now. There are many lessons that words will be enough for, and you can watch them and give advice as you see fit, but... let's not go being risky."

Spike was looking to Twilight. "Does that mean you're alright with it then? I can be a squire?"

Twilight heaved a soft sigh. "Well, you're under my care, and a national hero of the Crystal Empire, so you qualify for status, and he certainly qualifies as a knight, so it is well within his power to name you a proper squire, to become a knight when you complete your training." Spike's eyes kept getting wider, his hands together with building hope. "So... I will not stand in your way, if this--"

He crashed into her, wrenching away from Laud to hug her around the neck. "Thank you!"