While reading a beginner's guide on how to manifest emotions into solid constructs, Sharp Shot activated his necklace and took the occasional glance at the statue of Spike in front of him. Or rather, he looked at the ponies that stopped to admire it or even take a picture of it. All of them presented the perfect opportunity to practice the first spell that he was taught. It was a pretty harmless one called 'Eye of Hearts', which, as the name implied, allowed the caster the ability to see the aura of others if they were feeling passionate or affectionate towards someone or something. As he was noticing, from the pink radiation, all the indicated admirers were showing.
"Having fun there, rusty?" Hurricane broke his concentration as he turned to his left to see her approach him. "Don't get me wrong, I like to keep my mind and body sharp like any other good soldier, but using your new toys on civilians? Doesn't that seem a bit invasive?"
"I could barely consider that a breach of privacy, ma'am," Sharp answered before they both heard a particularly happy fan prancing and bragging to her friends about how she touched the statue. "When you are exposing your love and happiness to the world so publicly, you are practically begging for others to see your aura. A thought that is shared with my classmates," he explained, pointing at other ponies not-so-subtly using the 'Eye of Hearts' as well.
"Ok, point taken," Hurricane nodded before sitting next to him. "So, mind if I join you for a while? There is something I'd like to discuss with you."
"Not at all, ma'am. By all means. Ask me whatever you want," he commented, lowering his book.
"In that case, I will cut right to the chase. What did you mean when you told us that your goals and my pals were the same? Because let me tell you, that is something improbable," she said with a stern voice.
"I'm that transparent?" he asked, not denying anything before sighing and closing his eyes. "Please don't get me wrong, ma'am, I genuinely wish to be of assistance in your endeavor to capture that pony, and I truly came here to study the emotional spectrum to stop him. It was only that my goal isn't going to stop there," he admitted with a hint of embarrassment, gaining the attention of Hurricane who looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"As Miss Amber said earlier, my family has been in the arms dealing business for several generations now, ensuring the protection of Equestria. Not only of the crown but the regular citizens as well. As with any good enterprise, the key to staying on top of the market is keeping up with the times." Sharp Shot explained, before pointing at his necklace, he continued, "Take this discovery, for example. Magic directly linked to your emotions and using them to defend and create solid constructs. With a premise like that, the idea of weaponized emotions is almost guaranteed to happen soon after."
"And like any stallion in the arms dealing market, you want to be the pony that brings up the idea first."
"Precisely. But putting aside my own gain, I can guarantee that my intentions are not as malicious as that sounds. I am, in fact, fully aware of how weird this might sound coming from an arms dealer. But the truth of the matter is that I wish to marry a non-lethal ideology to the concept of emotions as weapons to my peers," Sharp Shot said, placing his right hoof on his chest and gaining the attention of Hurricane.
"Come again?" She asked, perplexed by what she just heard.
"What I mean is, even a monkey can shoot to kill anyone, but to incapacitate, an aggressor or an intruder is the equine way. To prevent them from harming you without risking their lives in any way. Now, there is an idea worth exploring, especially if it opens the door into a more lucrative enterprise and a faster way to make money, rather than just another lethal weapon," he explained, getting excited as he exposed his project to the Commander.
"You shoot someone, you injure, scar, or kill them. You shoot an arrow of emotions…say an arrow of sorrow or one that blocks them, and your attacker loses their will to fight or resist! No scars, no permanent damage, and a problem solved in the most peaceful of ways, with just the right amount of moral ambiguity of right or wrong, by manipulating others' emotions. And that means bigger market options, worried parents, bachelors concerned about their safety, even police officers! The possibilities are vast and wide!"
"Ok, ok, I get the idea, your planning on getting rich and exploiting a discovery before the competition beats you to it," Hurricane raised her hooves, trying him to bring him down from his hype. "I still don't see how my pals enter into that plan of yours, Rusty."
"Easy. No matter how good of an idea or product you have, without the proper advertisement, it will fail. Now, having two Celestial Centurions using my prototype to apprehend a criminal with charges of attempted regicide? That would be the perfect publicity stunt to put my product on the map."
"Woah, Woah, Woah, prototype?, You already have a prototype?! Didn't you just start learning about emotions today?"
He chuckled at her reaction. "My time as a royal guard has been paying off, ma'am. I have been exploring the concept of these weapons ever since that assassin made his attack. Don't you know? Prepare for any surprise. So far, anything I have in mind is still in the blueprint stage, and I only pitched my idea to Prince Armor a couple of days ago. He and his wife are still discussing the subject. But I assure you once I get the green light and am provided with the proper materials. I will be able to create something that will not only be able to disarm this criminal in the most equine of ways, but it will also revolutionize Equestrian security as we know it, and will drastically drop the number of casualties taken when chasing or subduing criminals," he finishes with a smile.
"You mean IF that prototype works and doesn't blow up in their faces," Hurricane pointed out with a raised eyebrow.
"Rest assured, that will be the last thing that will happen. Besides my keen eye and professionalism with archery, I'm also an adept inventor when it comes to weapons design and construction. It's a trait that has been ingrained in my family for generations and has ensured our place as the number one arms manufacturer in Equestria for that long. Whatever I build, I do it fast, efficient, and of high quality, even if it is the prototype. If Amber and Stellar were to agree to my help, you can bet that I will put even more passion and attention into the details of this project."
"You want to make this weapon, don't you, Rusty?"
"What can I say, we never stop being soldiers ma'am, we live on the battlefield. Combat is in our blood, I simply wish to evolve it into something more civilized" He answered with a sly smile, unsettling Hurricane significantly and giving her a shiver.
What the heck is the deal with this colt, and that smile? Sure he's a slimeball, but as much as I hate to admit it. His logic seems on point, and other than wanting to make a quick buck, he doesn't seem all that bad. Is this what the Rookie was telling me about, the 'sharks' in the world of business?
"I hope that helps clear the air Commander. Sure, I seek personal gain as well. But I genuinely wish to be of help hunting down this assassin. Heck, I would gladly volunteer to join on the hunt for his head, but as Amber said, that is a sensitive mission. And as much as I hate to say it, I'm a civilian now. Besides, for the looks on their faces and their flop in the first class, something tells me that they are not exactly looking for a negotiator. Am I right?"
"Ah, so you saw it too, then?"
"As I said, you never stop being a soldier, and if there something we know is when one has a desire for the hunt."
"And yet, you want to offer them an opportunity to use a weapon that will not hurt their prey?"
"Who says that it won't hurt?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, surprising the Commander as he smirked maliciously. "As I said, it is still in their development stages, and I plan to build a ballista. It will not leave scars, and I fully intend for it to be used to disarm and stun, but until I find a material that can replace it, an arrow is an arrow."
He then stood up and dusted himself off. "Thank you for your time, Commander, but I'm afraid I have some business to attend to myself, and it appears that our friends will not be joining us today. If you see them, please tell them what we discussed and to think it over. I'm sure that with my help, they can speed things along greatly. But of course, the decision is ultimately theirs."
He turned around and started to walk away. "It was a pleasure talking with you, Commander. Perhaps if there is a next time, we could exchange war stories. For my part, I'm particularly intrigued by the campaign you carried out against the Caribou during your five-year tour in Equestria."
And of course, he would know about one of the more gruesome and grueling fights I had while I was still alive.
"Maybe next time, Rusty," The Commander replied with a practiced smile as she waved at him goodbye. It was only after Sharp Shot had finally left did she allow herself to relax and sigh.
This stallion gives me the creeps. One moment he's a clean-cut business stallion. The next, he's a fan wanting to hear my most gory of stories. Seriously, Rusty, what the hay is the deal with you?
Later that night
"After that, I went to find Shining Armor and did some digging around in the royal library and the archives on Sharp Shot. Everything seemed in order while he was a Royal Guard, but things seemed to go downhill after he became a Wonderbolt." Hurricane explained to her friends while comparing notes in their hotel room.
"I know about that. He was brought up for a dishonorable discharge for refusing to obey the chain of command and started training cadets in aerial combat after they declined his idea of turning the Wonderbolts into a more active militarised force. There wasn't enough evidence to convict him, and a psychology test revealed some mild dissociative disorder, typical for ponies after a war concluded, so they were easy on him in the trial. According to his claims, he 'only wanted to prepare and explore different alternatives in case of a new war.' He was forced to some vacation time at the suggestion of the princesses, and was placed as a drill sergeant where they believed his services could be of better use for the crown."
"Sunshine! Of course, you did that" Hurricane told no one as she brought her hoof to her face. "Always giving everyone a second chance."
"Well, it looks like it worked, because he fit right in as a drill sergeant. Some cadets complained of him pushing them too far, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and after two years, he simply decided to retire for good and didn't re-up." Amber concluded reading the report, looking at the papers before looking at her friends. "According to him, his body was getting too old, and he wanted to spend the remnants of his life peacefully, so no one had any objections to his retirement. But everyone thought that, when he said that, he meant a house on the beach to spend his life, not taking over his family business."
"What about his family?" Hurricane asked, looking at some other papers.
"Divorced, with three children of his own, two pegasi and one unicorn, all males and none involved in the royal guard or any similar lines of work. It looks like his ex-herd thought that he was a workaholic and wasn't exactly father material, so they split with the mares taking the children. Other than that, it doesn't seem like he has any other family left. Overall it seems like he just got married to his job as an arms dealer, ma'am," Amber concluded, putting the papers down.
"Yeah, I got the same vibe when I was talking with him earlier, right up until the end when he wanted to hear a very nasty tale about what happened to me while I was serving Equestria," Hurricane grunted in frustration and put the papers down in annoyance. "Damn it. I simply don't understand that stallion. From all accounts, he is perfectly fine, but with a past like that, I was expecting something more aggressive and violent, 'specially with the dishonorable discharge. Ponies like those don't just give up an idea like that so easily."
Stellar floated another piece of paper, showing his psychological evaluation. "Right, therapy helped, I get it. Maybe that influenced him, but either that was one hell of a doctor, or that stallion is fooling us."
"Regardless, everything is out in the open, and even if he had any other ulterior motives, this invention of his could be useful," Amber voiced her opinion, surprising Hurricane.
"You are pulling my tail right now, right? Are you considering his offer?"
"Only as a last resort and with the approval of Princess Cadence. Stellar and I never intended to extend our visit any longer than necessary, and our objective was to study and find ways to counter this assassin's magic. If Sharp Shot can truly give us something that can do just that, then that could speed up our progress dramatically."
Stellar nodded in agreement.
"Just like you said, this is not a pleasure trip, ma'am, we are on a mission here. And as such, we need to make use of every advantage available." She told Hurricane with determination. "Besides, if Sharp Shot is truly plotting something, it would be wise to keep a close eye on him, don't you agree?"
Hurricane only sighed in defeat. "I can't argue with that logic" She then pointed at the two of them. "I just hope you two know what you are doing, and don't let the mission make you lower your guard."
"Don't worry, ma'am, we won't, this is what we have trained for." Amber answered before Stellar poked her side, seeking her attention before showing her necklace. "Yeah, I know, I haven't forgotten about that either. We still need to retake our emotion test and see where they place us. So we are stuck here until then. So until and only IF Sharp Shot could truly show us a functional prototype for us to use, the plan remains the same." They both looked out of the window. "As well as doing a lot of soul searching," she said, looking back at the CD the doctor gave her in the afternoon, not noticing that her friend doing the same toward some earplugs on the nightstand.
Meanwhile Back in Canterlot
It was a stormy and rainy night on the Canterlot castle, and the prince was finishing up pouring some tea into two small porcelain cups while an assortment of candles illuminated the room around him. " Again, I'm so sorry we have to meet so late at night, with the weather as bad as it is right now, I must insist that you stay the night." He picked up the sugar bowl and added two scoops to each cup "Believe me, I fully intended to contact you as soon as I returned after everything had calmed down. But with the whole duel, the trial, the safeguarding of the money, discussions about the criminals…it was a circus and a half. Trust me, I made you dodge an arrow there, the last thing you wanted was to be caught in the crossfire of all that mess." the prince joked as he uses his magic to levitate both cups and turns around.
"And then, my aunts decided to press me into learning about good manners and proper etiquette for weeks before I could even do anything else. Thank god I still have my notes," he mumbled the last part mostly to himself as he advanced. Thunder and lightning rumbled outside, occasionally illuminating the room even more.
"That is partly why neither of my aunts aren't here now. I tried explaining, but they were still up to their necks in documents and royal decrees that needed their immediate attention. But I don't think they will have any issue with me inviting you over. After all, you are a very close friend of the family."
He sat down and then realized that he hadn't let his guest utter a single word for a while now. " and I have just been complaining and rambling about myself for a while, haven't I?" Rather than answering, his guest merely smirked and nodded a couple of times.
"Sorry, it's just that I still feel bad for not contacting you, and I know this sounds like an excuse, but I wanted things to be in order before I start any of my plans. God knows I have been patient enough," he mumbled angrily, the last part making him look to the side with a glare before returning to his guest.
"I will stop now, that is not the reason you are here," he placed one cup on the table while he admired his reflection in the other. "The reason why I asked you to come is…well, ever since my exile, I have had a lot of time to think about what you said about my family, and to be frank, I wish to learn more about my parents. I even plan to visit their tombs tomorrow with my aunts, and I'm sure they will be happy if you could join us too. Before I start living up to my title there are a lot of things I want to put in order, and one of them is having some closure." he extended the cup to his guest, "and I would love it if you could be a part of that, so what do you say, miss?"
"Blueblood, my dear child, nothing would make me happier than to accompany you, it will be my honor to be part of your life once more." his guest responded while taking the cup with her wings and taking a small sip from it, "and stop it with the 'miss' as I told you at the masquerade, you can call me Aunty Tempo." the mare in question answered him. At the same time, a particularly close bolt of lightning bathed the entire room with light showing the pegasus as she smiled at her god-nephew.
At that exact moment in Celestia's office, the monarch of the day stood up from her bed with a start, feeling a cold sweat making its way on her back and looking as she just witnessed a ghost. "Something horrible just happened..." she exclaimed out loud as yet another flash of lightning illuminated her entire room.