//------------------------------// // 25: Before it Begins... // Story: An Overlord Apart // by OblivionShadow //------------------------------// Hunter walked out to the platform and waited as Sorkeno winged his way toward him. He had sent for the dragon a minute earlier to ensure that he was not late in getting to Equestria and then to the castle. Sorkeno’s golden scales glittered as he came into view and locked his claws into the side of the Dark Tower and looked to the Overlord. Hunter looked to his travel trunk off to the side and his magic levitated it toward the dragon. On his back Wrath held tightly to the living armor, grumbling under his breath. Gnarl came out as Sorkeno took the trunk in one paw and wrapped his large paw around it to carry it easily. “You sure you’re all right with me taking some time off?” Hunter questioned for the sixth time to the Minion Master. “I am certain Master. Even your Lord father took time to rest every now and then. So you being allowed to do the same is reasonable. I simply ask that you come back and do not stay away too long.” Gnarl said to him as the robed minion stood off to the side. “I can’t even fathom staying away for a week so you don’t have to worry about it too much. Plus, I need to come back to make sure the baby dragons do not lose my scent.” Hunter replied as Sorkeno nudged his hip, trying to hurry him. “We do not wish to be late Little One,” Sorkeno said to him, his voice calm and soothing. Hunter pushed back the apprehension in his mind as he jumped to Sorkeno’s snout and walked slowly to the notches in his scales and slid his hoof boots into place. Wrath gripped his armor and Hunter leaned forward to Sorkeno. “How long do you think it will take?” Hunter asked the dragon. “I estimate about twelve hours or less.” “My goal would be less since we are traveling in a straight line,” Sorkeno replied as he shifted and prepared to drop off the Towers side. “Take care of my Kingdom Gnarl!” Hunter shouted, his tone firm. “I expect to be alerted should anything be amiss.” Gnarl bowed his head low at the Overlords tone. “Of course, Great One. Your ponies will barely notice you’re gone and you will be alerted to anything that happens within your lands.” “Good.” Sorkeno waited as Hunter patted his scales and the dragon pushed away from the Tower and free fell for several seconds as he oriented himself. Hunter gripped the thick scales as the dragon spun slowly around to face the wide-open space of the Netherworld. Wrath screeched on his back and Hunters magic gripped the minion’s thin frame to keep him close. The minion fell silent as the dragon banked and his flight leveled out and the dragon began to beat his large wings to get out of the Netherworld through the Lair’s access tunnel. Hunter looked past the golden shoulder to see the dragons looking up to him as they flew over them. He saw Kaiana as she looked up and roared to him as he went over her. He smiled at the sight of her as they went up to the narrow tunnel and out into the air. Hunter rolled his shoulders as he stood in the notches for his hooves. The hours had ticked past him quickly and he barely noticed when they came upon the ten-hour mark in their flight. Sorkeno had alerted him only as a courtesy and not due to a request by the stallion. Wrath was leaning over his shoulder as Hunter walked out of the notches and up the dragons head and out onto his snout. His hooves gripped the thick scales easily and he leaned slightly forward to avoid being tossed off the dragon nose by the wind. His eyes scanned the grounds below him. They had chosen to fly higher than normal to avoid being seen and raising more of a panic than necessary. “We are close Little One,” Sorkeno said to him. “If you look down the Castle is close by. It has been many years since I flew in this land.” “You mentioned years ago that you came to Equestria,” Hunter said to him as he looked down from the dragons head and he was not able to see anything considering how high up they were. “Try to land behind the castle if you can. The less panic we wreak the better.” Sorkeno nodded slightly as Hunter went back to the dragon’s neck and slid his hooves into place. Wrath gripped his armor and Hunters horn lit up as he held the minion close to ensure that he arrived with the minion in place. Sorkeno dove from the skies and Hunter closed his eyes as he relished the fall. Wrath screamed as they plummeted through the air and Hunter gave a bark of laughter at the minion’s terror. Sorkeno banked and his wings snapped open and they beat to allow them to land easily. Hunter held tightly as the abrupt stop could have sent him rolling had he not been prepared for it. He heard the thud of Sorkeno’s paws landing and the sound of the dragon's wings folding as he opened his eyes. Hunter looked up as the town seemed quiet and he was pleased not to hear any screaming ponies and he waited as Sorkeno laid his head down to allow Hunter to jump from his head and snout. The dragon set his trunk next to the castle by the front doors as they were thrown open and Twilight came outside to see Sorkeno’s nose close to the door and his paw receding. “By Equestria!” She shouted. Hunter jumped from the dragon’s snout and to the ground as the Princess of Friendship stared at him. “Greetings Twilight.” He greeted her as he approached her. “Are we late?” “No. No, you’re early. It’s barely ten-thirty.” She informed him as he glanced to the dragon behind him. “Well done.” He praised and the dragon gave a toothy smile in reply. “Are you staying Sorkeno?” She asked him. “Of course, Little Princess.” He replied to her and raised his head to nuzzle her. “I am your ride.” He chuckled at the look on her face as he spoke. “What?” She asked him and then looked to the Overlord. “How did you intend to get to Canterlot easily?” He asked her. “By carriage or the train.” She admitted. Hunter scoffed and shook his head. “No. Neither of those is an option. Anything less than a dragon will not befitting. Think about it Twilight. I rule over ponies and dragons.” Twilight thought it over and he watched as she finally nodded. “Okay I understand it but he is going to cause a panic in Canterlot.” “Or I can have a Gate made when the diggers reach here to do the same thing.” He said to her. “You’re having a Gate made here?” “Yes. If I have to need to get back to my ponies quickly I cannot wait the twelve or fewer hours it would take to get back by a dragon.” He explained to her. “Okay, that makes sense. Making a Gate in Canterlot might be a worse idea.” She admitted as she thought it over. “Okay dragon might be the easier option to explain versus the Gate.” She looked at him. “You can’t just make it easy can you?” She teased. “Of course not. I’m an Overlord.” He replied to her. She giggled at his reply and her magic picked up his luggage and she set it inside the castle. “Okay so welcome to Ponyville.” “Thank you for the welcome. So now what?” He asked her. “Now we let Sorkeno rest and I will give you a tour of Ponyville.” She replied to him brightly. “I will remain where I am Little Princess. Enjoy the tour.” He replied to her and gave Hunter a nudge as he laid his head down. Spike came out the door and his face brightened at the sight of the armored pony and he trotted to him. “Hey, you made it.” “Thanks to Sorkeno’s wings and a tailwind,” Hunter admitted to the baby dragon. “How are the babies doing?” Spike asked as he stood with them. “They are doing well. Growing bigger each day and soon they will be too big for me to move around.” Hunter said to him. “What happens then?” Twilight asked him. “We teach them to be careful. I might have been able to play with them when they were smaller but now that they have started to get their legs under them it will be impossible for me to play with them as I am.” “So you won’t be able to play without getting squished?” Spike said to him. Hunter chuckled and nodded. “Precisely.” Twilight giggled and patted his shoulder. “How is Kaiana?” “She is well last I saw. She has decided to start teaching the babies how to be gentle while I am gone. She is the best one to teach them.” Hunter said to them. “She taught all of the babies before these ones so she is an old hat at it.” “That’s good to hear. The last thing they need is to roll over on you and hurt you. How long before they get to be the size of Red and others?” “Considering those babies are older than I am. They grow fairly slowly. Red and the others are close to thirty years old.” “So they were there when you were a foal?” Spike asked him. “Yes. I grew up with them and they are like siblings to me.” Hunter responded. “They will be moving into the Nest area to help with the baby’s once they get a bit bigger. That will give them others to play with that are closer to their own size. Red and the others have been taught how to be gentle with ponies so they will reinforce what Kaiana is teaching then as well.” “Sounds like you have it all figured out,” Spike said to him. “Sometimes it works out and I do. While other times I am left playing catch up.” Hunter admitted. “I heard that one of them died suddenly,” Twilight said and Hunter nodded as she spoke. “Are they doing okay?” “They are young enough that it seems to have left no lasting damage to them. While it was sudden it does happen and can still happen. The four that remain are not immune to the same thing that took her.” “So they could still die?” Spike asked him. “Yes.” Hunter nodded to the baby dragon. “We do all that we can to avoid it but some things are out of our control.” “It’s good to hear that they are doing okay. I would have thought it would be pretty traumatic for them.” Twilight added. “It was and they were quiet and they did call for her for about two weeks but in time they came to understand that she is gone and will not be coming back. They have moved on and we will not forget her.” Hunter replied. “Whose baby was she?” Spike asked. Hunter tilted his head at the question and Twilight looked between them as Hunter chuckled. “I have no idea.” “You don’t know?” Twilight asked him, her expression shocked. “Many of the dragons have that bright green in their lineage and it could have been any of them. I don’t pry.” He retorted. “Do they know?” Spike asked him. “We know the lineage of our children,” Sorkeno said to them. Hunter chuckled. “They know and it is one thing that I do not need to be worried about.” “That’s fair,” Twilight admitted. “Least they all know. Anyway. Are you hungry?” She asked Hunter, trying to steer the conversation back on track. “No. I ate before we left just in case.” Hunter informed her. “Well, we can see if you can fit in a snack during the tour. We planned for dinner later with the girls. Spike do you want to come with us?” “Is it okay if I stay with Sorkeno?” He replied to her and looked at the golden dragon. “So long as Sorkeno is okay with it that’s fine. If he wants to rest then you need to let him rest. He flew all the way here.” Twilight said to him with a stern glance. “Not a problem,” Spike assured her and went to the golden dragon’s side. “Enjoy your tour and I will entertain the small one for a time,” Sorkeno said to them and nudged Hunter in Twilights direction. Hunter’s magic gripped Wrath and he set the minion down next to Sorkeno and gave an unspoken command for him to stay. The minion dropped to his flanks and sat in place, clearly intending to wait as commanded. Hunter looked to the mare once the dragon stopped pushing him and she motioned for him to walk with her. “Are you ready for the Gala?” Twilight barked a laugh. “Sort of. We haven’t seen Rarity since we got back. She’s been hard at work making the gowns for us.” “She did seem quite dedicated with my armor so I assume she is the same with her normal clients.” “She is very driven. I have seen her work miracles with a dress in a short amount of time. I just hope she doesn’t overdo it and tire herself out before the Gala.” “I’m sure she knows how to pace herself. How about the others?” “Pinkie and Applejack were chosen to help with the food, so they have been busy working out the menus. Rainbow and Fluttershy have been taking care of the entertainment. Not sure what they are up to most of the time but it should be interesting.” She admitted with a shrug. He nodded as she explained everything to him and he looked up as they passed by several single-family homes. “So is this tour going to be as short as I think is?” She looked at him as he spoke. “Town is not very big.” “It has many things to see despite its size.” She assured him. “That’s Rarity’s boutique right there. Doors are locked while she finishes her projects. And the town square is that way.” She explained and pointed a hoof for him to follow. “And you said it was not very small. We are already in the town square.” He jabbed at her. “Ha-ha.” Twilight elbowed him in the side gently to avoid hurting herself on his armor. “We just happen to be closest to it. The area we are going into is the main business section. The one behind us is the suburban section.” “Makes sense.” He replied to her and stayed with her as she moved. “That is Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie lives and works there.” “Geez. And you call me a workaholic.” She barked a laugh. “She just loves sweets and the smiles they bring. So I don’t think she calls it going to work.” They angled away from the sweet shop and toward the main square that would lead them through the rest of the town. As they moved he looked quietly around them as his hooves thudded on the compact dirt. At his side, Twilight pointed out other small businesses as they moved slowly forward. “It can’t be too different from small towns in your own Kingdom.” She pointed out to him. “That’s true. Very few are this small though. I have been to very few of the small towns in my kingdom more than once so you have the luxury of knowing everypony that you see. I do not have that luxury.” Hunter replied to her. They paused as she began to speak but her eyes fell on something behind him and he turned to look. Ponies had stopped and they were obviously staring at the tall armored stallion. His red eyes glowed brightly as he regarded the ponies around them. His armor shone in the sunlight and the crown he wore showed plainly against his black fur. He didn’t comment as Twilight set a hoof on his shoulder and he looked back to her. Her face was uncertain as she regarded him and he shrugged. “I expect them to stare. I am a new pony in their town and they have never seen anypony like me before.” He said to her and she smiled at his words. “They did the same thing to me when I first came to Ponyville. I got stared at most anyplace I went to.” She said to him. “I would have been shocked if they had ignored me entirely. Not only am I wearing full armor but I am walking around with their Princess.” “Plus you’re wearing your crown.” She pointed out and he looked up toward his horn. “True.” “I thought you hated that thing?” “I have gotten used to the new design of it. I think Gnarl is the most pleased with it.” He admitted. “You’re wearing it so he’s happy. That’s another thing ponies are looking at. Nopony besides the Princesses wearing a crown normally.” “I noticed you don’t wear yours when you’re among your ponies.” “I never have. I wear it when I need to but otherwise, I tend to leave it at home.” She admitted to him with a slight shrug. He said nothing as she began to lead him away from the group of staring ponies and out of town. They moved easily along the path out of town and the Overlord looked around them to the lush forest and large fields. The fields stretched out away from them and were filled with various flowers and tall grasses. The forest in the distance was thick and darkness came from the edges of the forest. His red eyes went from the forest to the mare with him. “So where are you taking me?” He asked her after a couple of minutes. “Sweet Apple Acres.” She replied brightly. “Applejacks family runs it and it would not be a complete tour without seeing it.” “I see.” They approached a fence line and he motioned her ahead of him as they reached the only entrance to the farm. He followed easily behind her as they approached the farmhouse. His ears flicked as the sounds of hooves caught his attention and he turned to look as Applejack came into view. She had a barrel of apples on her back as she ran to a cart and bucked it into the empty wagon. “Applejack!” Twilight hollered as the mare looked ready to run off again. “Howdy Twilight.” She said as she wiped sweat from her brow. Her eyes went wide at the sight of the armored stallion with her. “Hunter?” He gave a slight bow of his head at her as she approached them. “Afternoon Applejack.” “Ah clean fergot ya were coming a day early. Welcome ta mah farm.” She said to him as she smiled. He gave another slight nod to her greeting and she motioned for them to follow her toward the barn. An elderly mare was coming out of the barn ahead of them with a stocky red stallion close behind her. The orange mare angled toward the other ponies and spun to face him when they reached them. “This is mah, Granny Smith, that’s mah elder brother Big Macintosh, and mah little sister Apple Bloom is around here somewhere ah’m sure.” She said to him as she began to look around them for the last member of her family. “I think she’s behind me,” Hunter said as he turned away from them revealing the filly that had followed them from the house. “Eeyup.” Big Macintosh voiced at the sight of the filly. “Apple Bloom.” Applejack said to the filly as she came to stand with the rest of her family. “Are you the pony mah sister went ta visit?” She asked him, her eyes wide as she looked up at the tall stallion. “I am,” Hunter replied. “This here is Hunter…Somethin’.” Applejack had an apologetic look go over her face as she forgot his surname. “Flame.” He replied to her. “My name is Hunter Flame.” “Applejack.” Granny Smith said to her. “Ya spent so long over there and ya ferget ‘is name.” She chastised the mare who cringed. “In her defense, it’s very rare for me to be called by my name at all. I am called many things by ponies but my name is not common.” Hunter said to the elder mare. “What do they call ya?” Mac asked him. “He’s the ruler of the Netherworld Empire so they call him Lord, Master, and Overlord to name a few.” Twilight supplied and he nodded. “He came to attend the Gala with me.” Granny Smith looked from the mare to him and her eyes fell on the heavy armor that covered his form and the crown that glittered on his head. “Well, ya certainly look tha part.” She said as her eyes landed back on his face and eyes. “Why ya wearin’ that?” Apple Bloom asked as she came up to him and poked the gauntlet on his right foreleg. “It’s a piece of my armor. I wear it constantly back home. “Why?” “To keep ponies from hurting me.” He replied to her easily, his tone calm. “Have ponies hurt ya afore?” He saw Twilight and Applejack cringe as she questioned him and he knew they were both thinking of the battles they had seen. “Not here no.” He replied. “So why wear it?” “Habit I suppose.” He replied to her. “I might remove it later.” “It makes ya look scary.” She said to him. “Ah think it's supposed ta.” Mac added. “Correct. The armor I’m wearing is designed to do just that.” He replied to them. The other ponies nodded to him and the matter seemed to drop as Granny Smith reached out a hoof and her hoof prodded the chest of his armor. The armor shifted at her touch and clenched around his chest and lower shoulders, intent on protecting him. “It’s alive?” She asked him. “Yes, in a way. It’s designed to be a living armor that adapts to the attacks of ponies of monsters as needed.” “Well if ya think ya need it then who are we ta argue?” She said to him and leaned back on her haunches. “What is yer kingdom like?” “It’s very different from Equestria.” He began. “I am the sole ruler of my ponies and I permit none other to make decisions for my subjects. I permit none to rule over them aside from myself, meaning there are no nobles that they would answer to.” Granny Smith nodded as he spoke. “Ah see. So ya rule with yer family?” “No. I am the only one left of my family.” He replied. “Ah’m sorry ta hear that.” She said to him, her eyes sad as she regarded him. “I barely knew them and others have filled in the gaps that were left by their passing,” Hunter said to her. Twilight smiled as he managed to avoid talking too much about the dragons. “Well, we need to get back toward town. I have a few things to finish up and I want to get Hunter a snack before we return to the castle. See you later for dinner Applejack?” “Yup. Ah’ll be there on time. No worries Twi.” The farm mare assured her. “Well, yer always welcome here on the farm. Feel free ta drop in anytime.” Mac said to him. Hunter gave a respectful bow of his head as he turned to follow Twilight out of the farm's gates. He stayed on the mare’s heels as she led him back toward the town. She glanced back as he drew up next to her as they walked back the way they had come. As they walk in silence he can see her occasionally look to him as they near the town once more. She leads him toward Sugarcube Corner and opens the door for him. He thanks her as he walks into the building and she angles him toward a booth and they sit down across from one another and wait. “Here we can grab a light snack and then back to the castle.” She clarified at his look. “Very well.” He agreed and sat with his back against the rear of the booth. His armor shifted easily on his form to allow him to sit comfortably. Mrs. Cake came out of the back and made her way to them. She held up the pen and paper to take their orders. Hunter looked to Twilight who asked for a small blueberry scone and a lemonade. Hunter asked for the same drink but no scone as he was not hungry. The blue mare walked away from them and back into the kitchen. Twilight looked at him as a chuckle broke from her. “It won’t have any alcohol in it. We don’t carry your selection of wine either.” She teased. “I would think not. If you had my selection I would wonder how it made it past the border.” He replied with a laugh. “So long as it is not bitter I’m happy enough with something basic.” “So what is your opinion of Ponyville?” “It is certainly a small town but it has its charm. Most places I have been are larger so I have little experience with the really small towns.” He admitted to her. “Are there any towns in your kingdom that are like Ponyville?” “There are many small towns but I do not have reason to go to them. They seem to do well enough governing themselves without my interference.” “I didn’t think you let any of them govern themselves.” She asked him. “Or did I misunderstand?” “I allow them to do as they see fit so long as they are aware that I can arrange to see them as I wish. Each town or village has at least one Gate close by that I can use to visit if I decide I need to.” He explained. “They are often more peaceful areas and do not need my presence.” “So you don’t need to go there often or at all?” She asked him. “Either not often or not at all. Some towns I have not seen since the last time I went through. I went through each town when I retook the kingdom just to make sure they knew who I was. Some I have not seen since.” He admitted with a shrug. “They know who I am and they understand that I may arrive when I see fit and they ensure that the tributes to me are made.” “Tribute?” “A tribute is generally gold, gems, or specific goods. I only take what is extra and leave enough for them to live on comfortably. I typically request items that are not needed daily by them. Otherwise, it is excess food and then I store it and use it. If another village has their crops fail then I am able to send them aid with the tribute I am given. In one way or another, it goes back to my ponies.” He explained to her. “So you use it for your ponies?” “Yes. Mines are common throughout my kingdom and I typically have Minions work the mine with the ponies working as overseer to the minions. One pony is put in charge of the mine with a minion watching and the ore and other materials are sent to the netherworld. No doubt you saw how it was done in the Empire with that new mine?” “Yes. You put Gaze in charge of it. So he is trustworthy enough to not have a minion watching over his shoulder?” “He is the rare pony that I would trust with the mine.” “He was incredibly helpful to me when I was there.” “He was a member of my father’s inner circle when he ruled. He knew me as a foal and I have no reason to doubt his loyalty.” “I agree with you. But the Empire still had a lot of minions in it.” “The bigger the city the more I place within it. Towns might have ten or less. They are meant to keep the peace and ensure that the ponies are safe from those that might harm them. If needed they can come and get reinforcements. It is rare for them to need to come for aid.” “How do they interact with the ponies?” “They seem to do well. I have seen them develop their own way of communication and each minion is different. They all may look the same but each one is different.” “So if they need you one of them will go to the Gate and get you for help?” “If needed then yes,” Hunter replied to her. “I can only think of once when I was needed in a small town.” “What did they need you to do? Defend them?” She asked him, her voice tense for a moment. “No. Nothing so complex. Simple mediation.” Twilight blinked as she spoke and then her head tilted slightly. “Mediation? Really? They called on their Overlord for that?” Hunter barked a laugh as Mrs. Cake came back with their drinks and Twilights scone. “Not everything I do is as dramatic as a battlefield. As far as Mediation goes, I am only called on when all other routes have been exhausted.” The older mare looked to them and her eyes fell on the crown and armor that he wore but she simply smiled and walked away from them without questioning him. Hunter had to admit he appreciated the mare’s lack of staring. Being stared at was not anything that was new to him as when he walked through his own kingdom being stared at was part of his job but it was nice when somepony tried not to stare. “What happened?” “I was called in about a large territory or land dispute. It had been made worse by others interfering and bringing out solutions that would not work nor were they legal.” Hunter said. He gave a pleased noise as he sipped his lemonade, it was sweet enough for him. Twilight bit into her scone and then looked at him. She made a motion with her hoof for him to keep talking. He nodded as a chuckle broke from him and he went on. “This was about…four years ago or so. It was a town probably about a third the size of Nordberg. It was located fairly close by but not close enough to easily accessible by road. The ponies that were the complaining parties were the two sons of a couple that had recently passed away. The husband had passed and then his wife shortly after. Their younger son was fighting with the elder about who owned the property after the death of the parents. He claimed that the parents had left it to him through a verbal agreement.” “Oh eww. Property law.” Twilight cringed and shook her head. “Not my favorite, I agree. But nonetheless, I was called on when no agreement could be found through normal means. When I arrived the two brothers were brought to the table to join me and speak their piece.” “So what did you do as their mediator?” “One thing I did bring up to them was that if they failed to find a solution then I could take the land and employ them to work the land in my stead.” He paused as Twilight gave him a sidelong look. He held up a hoof to keep her quiet for the moment. “They would live on it and harvest it and take what they needed from it but the remainder would go to me.” “And what would that solve? All you did was take from them.” “Exactly. That would be the fate of the land if they did not stop bickering and start to think. Truth be told I had no desire to take it.” He replied to her and she nodded at his explanation. “So I finally asked them what they wanted for the land. The elder son wanted the land to remain in the family as it always had. It had been in the family for four generations and he wished for it to remain that way.” “Wow. That’s a long time. And what about the younger brother?” “He did not answer me at first so his brother did it for him. He wished to sell the land and move to the Empire or Everlight for a change of scenery.” “Then let his brother have it!” Twilight nearly shouted but put her hooves over her mouth at her own outburst. He chuckled and nodded. “That was my first thought as well.” He admitted with a shake of his head. “I asked the younger if that was true and he admitted that was accurate. I asked them both what their parents would have wanted for the land. And they told me they always wanted it to remain in the family. His elder brother said that he wished it to remain in the family and he and his wife would move onto the land and work the land as his family had always done.” “So he’s the one that would do as his parents wished with the land though?” “Yes. He planned to raise his own family on the land as he had grown up on it and pass it along.” Hunter informed her. “Then leave it to him and share the profit?” “I said that there had to be away for them to both profit from the land and still allow them to both have what they wished from it. The elder said that he had posed the same solution and had been shut down by both his brother and others in the town. I asked them why that solution had been shot down so quickly and the younger said that he had tossed it aside since he did not want the process to drag on forever. He wanted it to be done as quickly as possible.” “What did you end up doing?” “I opted to give them two choices. I informed them that I would first be splitting it down the center and the elder would control the half that held the house and buildings. The younger would have the side of the fields. The first option was that the land would be remaining in the family and the elder would take control of the land and they would share the profit from it. The elder would pay his younger brother to use the other half of the property. Option two was for the older brother to buy the land from his younger brother. Allowing it to remain in the family and the younger to go and do as he wished.” “That’s actually brilliant. I hadn’t considered him buying the second set of property to allow the younger brother to leave as he wanted.” “I agreed with the elder brother that the land should remain with the family but if we needed to we can set the land up as a business and therefore pay the younger for his part of the land and it can be bought at a later date if they choose.” “What did they choose?” “They chose to keep the land in the family and the younger brother would sell half of his portion now and use it to move and he would rent his brother the final portion until a later date and then sell it completely. I got the banks involved and everything was done properly to avoid anypony saying they had been cheated later. I agreed with the solution and stamped the banknotes with my approval.” “That’s quite clever. And you didn’t need to take the land from them.” “Again, truth be told I had no need or desire to take it. The threat was there to make the mediation easier for them to come to a choice. I used it to make a point about them needing to come together and make a decision that was beneficial to both of them. The point was that I had been called from the Netherworld to come and fix this and I was not going to leave unless it was solved.” Hunter’s magic gripped his drink and he sipped the lemonade as Twilight finished her scone and sipped her own drink. He finished his drink and leaned back against the booth and waited for her to finish. “We should be getting back so I can show you to your room. If you like you can rest while I get a few projects finished for the Gala tomorrow.” “I think I will lay down for a while. This morning was early even for me.” He admitted. “Did you even bother to go to sleep?” She asked him as she got up from the booth. He looked away from her for a moment. “Maybe.” He replied, a wry smile on his mouth. She shook her head and sighed. “You need a vacation.” She said to him as she got out of the booth. “You’re not the first to tell me that.” “Oh?” “Sorkeno, Kaiana, and Gnarl.” “See? Even they think you work too much.” She said to him as she left the bots on the table and led him out the front door. “I have to admit at first I thought you were less of a ruler than Celestia or Luna at first.” He looked to her as she held up a hoof to ask him to let her explain. “I watched as you ruled your ponies and I noticed something.” “Which was?” He asked as they walked back toward the castle slowly. “As time went by I saw that you ruled in a way that was both firm and fair and they loved you for it. Not the same love that we held for Celestia and Luna but still love.” His eyes widened as she spoke and he tilted his head slightly. “They see all that you give for them and they could see not just their ruler but they saw you as a pony.” “Go on.” “I have always seen the love that Celestia got from all of us and then we grew to love Luna just as much and I have seen that love grow to include myself as well. It’s different with you though. You have fought for them and stood to protect them at the slightest hint of danger. I saw it in the Empire when they stood with you. I was told what happened in the mine by the ponies you rescued. You fought that construct for them and protected them despite your own exhaustion and your armor coming apart at the seams.” He nodded to her as she spoke. “I didn’t even think about it then.” “Of course not. You’re their protector and their Overlord. You were not afraid to fight for them in the mine, nor when you walked back into the city the second time. Kaiana told us about how you retook the city the first time. You waded through the sewers with no minions and no guards and they saw you coming to them. You gathered them to you as you walked and they were able to see that you were not afraid to come to them.” “I did what had to be done. Nothing more than that.” “I know that. You put your life on the line for them and you had no fear of what could happen if you fought for them. You showed them who you were and they flocked to your side. When we rejoined you we had to get through a throng of ponies who were standing with you. I saw the ones that came out of the tunnels that you used and they stood with you as well. Ponies that had been in hiding came out to join the others and stood at your back. They love you as their ruler and they showed you that day.” Hunter fell silent as she spoke and he looked back to her. “You would have done the same in my hooves.” “Maybe. I have fought to protect my ponies, but I was not alone when I did it. I had my friends to back me up and help me get through it. You have done it alone. You have an army and twenty-plus adult dragons that would come to your command. But instead of using it you choose to fight. At first, I couldn’t understand it. I thought you had to be out of your mind, but the more I saw and heard from them I realized that you did it out of love for your ponies. You were showing them that you had no fear of walking into a battle for them.” She said to him and a wide smile went over her muzzle. “You have fought for all that you have and you guard it like a dragon over a hoard of gems. I have always wondered though.” He looked to her as she spoke and her smile faltered for a moment. “Why do you wade into the battle instead of commanding it from behind the lines?” He looked back to the road ahead of them and he paused in place. “I go in first to show them that I will. I will always fight for them no matter the opponent and I will be the first they see to walk to them. They will see me walking out of the fire and dust at the end.” “I have never seen anypony wade into battle as you do. I questioned it during the rebellion in Nordberg and I did it again in the Empire and Sorkeno explained it to me once and then Kaiana explained it to me again and I think I finally understand it.” She said as she stayed at his side. “I know that Celestia and Luna would if they needed to but they would command from the back first. Equestria is peaceful and we have never needed to go to battle as you have.” “You have the luxury of a bunch of Alicorns. I am a simple Unicorn. I do not have the magical clout that you carry.” He said to her as they began to walk once more. “Maybe. But you have the power of dragons and minions at your command. You have the blue minions that can shrug off the magic of a Unicorn. They are only affected by the magic of the Netherworld, which you command. I think you could give this Alicorn a run for her bits.” She jabbed at him and nudged him with her shoulder. He chuckled and nodded. “Perhaps. But you also have the nobility and their private guards.” “You got rid of them for a reason. You saw what they would do when they were left to their own devices. You abolished the noble caste for a very good reason.” “There are days that I wish they had been different and trustworthy enough to still have their place but then I recall that they had a chance to be better and they ruined it. I wonder if I had judged them individually then maybe I would have found ones that were okay. But then I recall that none tried to stop what happened to their fellow ponies…or what happened to me.” She was quiet as her eyes fell to his armor and then back to his eyes. “The nobles here are not immune to thinking themselves above each other. But they get reminded that they are not in subtle ways and that keeps them from getting too out of control. I have to admit if I had gone through what you did in the Arena I don’t know if I could have fought back to take control the way you did.” “I had no choice but to fight back when that happened. My ponies still needed me and I had to get up and fight back. Even though the Arena had me on my last legs I still fought.” “Exactly, you still fought for them. Your next action was not to flee and tend to your wounds, instead, you remained and abolished the nobles. You stripped them of what they valued most and made them just another pony in the crowd.” “That’s true.” He looked up as the castle loomed ahead of them and she looked at him. “So, in reality, our kingdoms are more alike than you or I once thought. They are almost exactly the same.” “Almost.” He chuckled as she nodded. “Welcome back Little One.” Sorkeno opened his eyes and greeted the pair of them as they stopped close to him. “How are you?” He asked the dragon. “I am well. The small one went back inside to work on a project that he had been assigned when I mentioned that I was growing tired. How was your tour?” He asked as he reached out and nuzzled the stallion. “It went well. The town is small but it seems to hold many things to see and do.” He admitted as he leaned on the dragon’s snout. Wrath jumped to his back and held onto the thick armor. “I’ll be right back. I need to check in on Spike.” Twilight nudged his hip as she spoke and he nodded that he understood. “To be honest it reminds me of many of the smallest outposts back home,” Hunter admitted once she vanished from sight. “It is small I agree. But there is much here that the ponies are happy about and at the end that is all that matters.” Sorkeno observed. “Agreed. So have many of them noticed the giant golden dragon behind her castle?” Sorkeno chuckled and nodded. “Several did but the small one was able to calm them.” Hunter laughed at the image of Spike defending the elder dragon. “Twilight has several projects that she needs to finish. While she does that I think I will take the time to rest. I am joining them for dinner tonight so will you wake me in a few hours?” “I will. Rest well Little One.” “I will.” “Hunter?” Twilight came back out and sees him standing close to the dragon. “I’ll show you to your room so you can rest while I get a few things done.” Hunter turned to her as Sorkeno nuzzled him gently and motioned for her to lead the way. Her magic picked up his trunk on the way in as he followed behind her as she led him up a set of stairs and down a long hallway. “I borrowed two mannequins from Rarity for you to put your armor.” “That will work perfectly thank you.” He said to her as she pushed open a set of double doors. “Here we go. This one is all yours. I made sure it was good-sized since I know you like your space.” “I appreciate that.” “There is an adjoining bathroom so you don’t have to look for one.” She said and pointed to the other corner of the room. He nodded to her as he walked around the room while she set the trunk down and his magic covered it. He pulled it open to lay his formal armor in place on the farthest mannequin. He glanced back to her and she smiled as she closed the door behind her, leaving him alone. He pulled his armor and crown off and set them onto the second mannequin as he sighed and rolled his shoulders. It had been a long flight and he had to admit he was tired from the last couple of days. He had not bothered going to sleep last night so he has tired already. Wrath sat down by his bed and waited for him to lay down. Hunter looked around the room once more as he approached the bed and tossed the quilt back. He sent a reminder to Sorkeno to awaken him and he heard a loud snort from outside. A feeling of disquiet rolled over him and his eyes snapped open. The feeling was gone the moment he awoke and he recognized it to be Sorkeno. He groaned and sat up, his back popping as he moved. He blinked in the darkroom and pushed the quilt back to allow him to get up. He shook himself as his hooves hit the plush rug and he waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkroom he made his way to the bathroom. The black stallion looked into the mirror and he cringed at the sight of his mane and fur. After making himself presentable he slid his armor and crown off the mannequin and onto his body. “There we go.” He said aloud as he left the bathroom and waited as Wrath jumped to his back. He pushed open the door and his hooves echoed on the crystal floor as he made his way back through the hallway. He retraced his steps and walked down the main stairway and into the foyer. His ears flicked as he listened and he could faintly hear Twilight’s voice in the next room. His magic pushed the doors open and he saw Twilight using a crystal table for their final projects. “Hunter!” Twilight greeted him as he walked into the room. “Did you sleep well?” “Yes thank you.” He replied as he approached the table and chairs. He took note of how each chair had the cutie mark of one of her friends on them which left him uncertain where to sit. He stood in place and looked over the large table between them. “Good to hear.” She asked him as he finished looking around the great room around him. “Quite the castle.” He observed as he stood close to the table. “It took a lot of getting used to. It stands where the Golden Oak Library used to.” She informed him. “Right it was lost during Tirek’s assault?” He replied and she tilted her head at him and he shrugged. “I made sure to get my hooves on a few first hoof accounts. I kept an eye on him as he moved so I could defend if needed.” She sighed and looked to the ceiling for a moment before her eyes fell on him once more. “Why am I not surprised that you kept an eye out?” “You know better by now.” He jabbed at her. “That’s true.” “So how do you like it now?” “I like it. My friends made it homier and while I occasionally think its way too much home for me, I have grown attached to it. You were raised in the Netherworld so you’ve always had that much space. How does it feel to you?” “It’s all I have ever known. There were times where the wide open spaces made me feel very alone but in time I grew to see them as my own space. You were right in giving me a room that was larger since anything smaller feels very confining to me. Small spaces remind me of a cage so I tend to avoid them.” Twilight nodded as he spoke. “I can see where that would happen. You were caged once and that was a bad experience.” He nodded in agreement and she pushed aside the last of her work. “All finished?” “Yes. All done with what I was tasked with. Now I can have the evening to dedicate to you and our friends. They should be here in no time.” “Do I need to do anything for…?” He stopped as she shook her head and waved a hoof to silence him. “You are my…date and a guest in my home so you have nothing to worry about. I sent a letter to Princess Celestia about not being worried about anything coming from Ponyville. I left out what and hopefully she just thinks that it will be something flying that I made for me and the girls. Can they ride with us somehow? I don’t want to leave them behind.” Hunter leaned back on his haunches as he thought it over. “If you can make something for him to carry then it should be fine. They will have to hold on a bit since he still has to take off with us.” He replied to her. “That should be fine. I can make a carriage for them to be carried in. I would have asked him personally but when I went outside he was napping and I didn’t want to disturb him. Decided that asking you would be the same thing so I chose to wait until you woke up.” “I can double check with him later to ensure that he is okay with the decision but I do not anticipate any issues.” “Your room has a balcony so he can talk to you there is he wants to.” “Perfect. I can call on him from there. He woke me up a minute ago but I can sense that he is asleep at this moment. So I will let him sleep while we eat.” Twilight nodded at his explanation and her magic covered the materials she had been using and sent them elsewhere as the doors opened as the others came into the room.