"This way, handsome."
"Sunset! Aero is a VIP guest. Please behave."
"Says the mare who mistook him for an abandoned colt."
"Hey!"
"Sounds like the two of you are good friends."
Aero was being escorted to the throne room by Sunset Shimmer and Gleaming Shield. After the duel against the captain, Sunset offered to accompany him and thus keep him company in the Princesses' private dining room. Gleaming would wait for them outside so that both mares would then take Aero to Princess Celestia and the Elements of Harmony.
To Aero's surprise, breakfast was uneventful, and he finally saw more stallions, who were butlers and chefs.
However, there was a subtle change in the attitude of the royal guards.
They kept looking at him like they did yesterday, but now some of them avoided eye contact when he looked at them. They were also blushing. The intensity varied on each one. Sunset couldn't help but giggle when she noticed it.
The stares weren't a problem for him, compared to everything that happened yesterday. He ordered a vanilla coffee with a lemon pie and ate without problems.
All the mares made sure to see how he ate. Even Sunset.
Since she had to eat breakfast too, the two of them had a nice conversation.
Sunset wanted to know more about Aero, so he told her that he was born and still lives in Canterlot, but if she wanted more answers then she should go to today's meeting.
Aero also received new information. He discovered that the Twilight Sparkle of this Equestria has two siblings. It turns out that Gleaming Shield has a twin brother.
Shining Armor.
Aero... doesn't really want to meet him. The last thing he needs is to have memories of a frail Shining Armor or worse, wearing a dress.
Sunset also told him about her position in the castle's royal mages.
As their leader.
When they finished their breakfasts, they met again with Gleaming Shield, which brings them to the current situation: walking to the throne room.
And once again Aero was the center of attention.
"(With the audience and the recent duel I almost forgot...)" Aero began to remember everything 'unusual' he has seen so far in this Equestria. "(Lack of stallions, overprotective and perverted mares, different events and different history... It's time to get some answers.)"
Leaving aside the glances of the guards and some maids who passed through the corridors, the walk was uneventful. When they reached the throne room, a pair of guards opened the big door. Once everypony had entered, the same guards closed the doors.
Aero could see Princess Celestia. Twilight and the rest of the Elements of Harmony were there too. Unfortunately, Princess Luna could not accompany them as she had to rest.
"I hope both of you had a delicious breakfast." Princess Celestia focused her attention on Aero and Sunset. "I am rather proud of our kitchen staff."
"I have to admit, that lemon pie was delicious." said Aero. Pinkie Pie pulled a small notebook out of her mane and started writing immediately. "And that vanilla coffee was refreshing."
"You know, the mares in the room enjoyed watching you eat." added Sunset, chuckling at the end.
Aero noticed that both the Princess and the Elements of Harmony were getting closer.
"Normally I would say that it is an offense that as mares they do not have the decency to behave, but..." Rarity's eyes did a quick scan of Aero's body. "I really can't blame them. It is very difficult to not observe you, darling."
"Yes. I realized that yesterday." answered Aero. Fluttershy and Twilight witnessed it.
"It seems that you already know the Elements of Harmony." said Celestia.
"I know them only by name." Aero looked at the group of friends. "Although yesterday I did get the chance to talk to Fluttershy, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash."
"Then it's a good thing we are here now, pal." Applejack was the first to approach him. "As you already know, I'm Applejack. I have a farm with my family near Ponyville."
"Sweet Apple Acres. Right?" Aero surprised Applejack with his words. "A friend of mine loves your apple products."
The Element of Honesty looked into Aero's eyes for a moment. There was no doubt...
He was telling the truth.
Aero is one of the four members that make up the elite group 'Elemental'. Within the small group, there is a pony who really loves the food that Applejack's farm produces, to the point of buying their products whenever she can.
Royal guard codename 'Ignite'.
A very nice and somewhat competitive pegasus, ready for any challenge. Despite being the smallest of the four, she is a fearsome fighter, and her ability is both powerful and destructive.
"Rarity Belle, dear. Although you already know my name, manners make the mare." the Element of Generosity turned her head a little to move her mane in a conspicuous way. "Very pleased to meet you."
"I hope your date with Davenport was a pleasant one." said Aero, getting the attention of Rarity and Applejack.
"Thank you, darling." apparently, they were not expecting to hear anything on the subject. At least Applejack. Rarity didn't seem fazed by this. "Davenport was such a dear, and I'm glad he's going to consider our offer."
"Oh, I'm next! I'm next!" now it was Pinkie Pie's turn to approach the stallion. However, unlike her usual demeanor, Pinkie Pie just walked up to Aero. This was enough to surprise her friends a bit.
"Pinkamena Diane Pie! A-super-duper pleasure to meet you! I like to party and laugh a lot, but I'm sure you already know that!" Pinkie leaned in until she was as close to Aero's face as she could.
"You're so tall! And strong! How can you be so strong if you are a stallion, though? You even defeated Twilight's sister! What's your secret, big colt? Also, you have to tell me what sweets and candies you like. I need that precious information so I can bake you the best cake in the world!"
Twilight and her friends know that Pinkie talks a lot. This makes almost everypony who meets her for the first time feel somewhat uncomfortable.
But at this moment, there were two details that caught the attention of the group.
One: Aero didn't look uncomfortable with Pinkie's closeness, although he did look slightly surprised.
Two: Among everything she's said, Pinkie didn't ask the one question she always asks when she meets a new pony.
She hasn't asked him if they can be friends.
"Well, you aren't shy, are you?" said Aero, who then chuckled for a moment, getting the attention of everypony, including Princess Celestia. "I trained a lot and for many years to be strong despite being a unicorn. I'm not sure if that can be considered a secret. Lemon pie is one of my favorite desserts. I also like pineapple flavored sweets."
Pinkie was already writing in her little notebook.
"It seems that now we can begin."
For some reason, even when the words of the Princess were soft, to everypony else it sounded more like a command. Nothing wrong with that. After all, they were there to discuss something.
"Aero. Do you want to be the one to say it, or do you want me to?" asked Celestia.
"I'll do it, Princess." Aero moved to stand next to Celestia, in order to observe everypony else. "Yesterday, I requested an audience with both Princesses. To be honest, I only wanted to confirm that they were here. Combining all the information I had at the time, plus what I acquired from the Princesses, I realized what was going on."
Aero took a few seconds before giving his answer.
"Somehow, I was sent to another Equestria. This Equestria."
For a few moments, the group of mares just looked at each other, confused by Aero's words. The seconds began to lengthen, and when they looked at Aero, they still didn't seem convinced. Well, Pinkie Pie was more surprised than doubtful.
"That sounds a bit too crazy, don't you think?" said Rainbow Dash. "I get that you are different but..."
"I also find it very difficult to accept, darling." added Rarity.
"You told me that you were born here, in Canterlot." said Sunset, getting the attention of the group. "There is no doubt that during the years you were growing up, the mares would have approached you. Just the fact that you are a stallion would have been enough to draw attention."
"And no mare in her sane judgment would've allowed you to do anything dangerous, such as combat training." added Gleaming Shield. "And let's not talk about herds..."
"You look like a hard worker to me." said Applejack. "You must have done some heavy work somewhere without a mare's supervision."
Fluttershy, Twilight, and Pinkie Pie opted to remain quiet.
"I bet if you heard it from the Princess then you wouldn't have doubted."
Twilight, her friends, and her sister immediately looked at the stallion with a mixture of surprise and regret. It didn't take a genius to understand that he was upset by their negative reaction. Celestia felt bad too, mainly because Aero was right.
"Well then... How about a trade?"
"A trade? What do you mean?" Gleaming Shield didn't seem to get the idea. Twilight's friends also didn't know what he was talking about.
However Twilight, Sunset and Princess Celestia got it.
"Information!" exclaimed Celestia's student. "Of course!"
"Yes. This meeting is about my current situation, so in order for you to fully understand it, I need to tell you about my Equestria." Aero then focused on Celestia. "But first, you need to give me a summary of the events of this Equestria."
Aero moved again, so he could see everypony.
"Why are there so few stallions? Why are there so many mares and why did herds become a pillar of this society? And by Luna, why does every mare think I'm weak as a foal?"
Luna was angry but at the same time, she felt useless.
After receiving the news from Discord about Aero's whereabouts, she teleported to her room so fast that her sister was unable to stop her.
Even she herself didn't realize what she did until she collapsed on her bed.
Another Equestria.
Aero was in another Equestria. This was no longer just a disappearance.
It was something much worse.
How are they going to find him? Is it even possible to find him? Anything that involves Discord is either a disaster or not something they can manage due to the poor compatibility between unicorn magic and chaotic magic.
Still, Luna searched tirelessly for Aero's subconscious... but couldn't find it. As much as she searched, there was no trace of her aide.
She felt terrible all night. This did not stop her from performing her duties as a dream guardian, but the feeling of not being able to do anything to help Aero was driving her crazy.
And this feeling remained... until her sister suddenly appeared thanks to a teleport spell. Normally something like this would have put Luna on guard, but even in her sleep, she can identify Celestia's magical aura, so she only woke up somewhat sleepy.
"We found Aero."
Oh, blessed words.
Both sisters teleported to Celestia's room, which is where Twilight and Discord have been working.
"Princess Luna!" Twilight welcomed Celestia's sister.
"Ah, you're finally awake!" Discord also saluted. In his own way.
"Twilight Sparkle. Discord. Once again I thank you for helping us." Luna respectfully greeted both of them, then turned her attention to the room.
It had no noticeable changes, but space was made in one of the corners. That's where all the 'different' is.
An assortment of 'unique' tools and items. Several have transparent tubes attached and some of them have magic traveling from one point to another. In the center is a round glass container, and inside, the only clue they managed to obtain about Aero's disappearance.
The mysterious color-changing mist.
And right next to the container, is a rather peculiar object. A TV to be precise.
It resembles a generic model sold in Manehattan, but this one was bigger. This television had several tubes attached, including one that connected it to the container.
"Is it true that you found Aero?"
"Yes! We definitely saw him!" Twilight approached both Princesses. "This is going better than I expected. I thought it would take days for us to get our first clue."
Celestia looked at Discord for a moment.
"(So he hasn't told her about the other Twilight and Fluttershy he saw.)"
"Never thought Sparkle would understand the basics of chaos." Discord admitted.
"Just because I can't use chaos magic doesn't mean I can't understand it." said Twilight, looking at Discord with a smug. "I'm glad that while our magics aren't very compatible, they can coexist to a certain level."
"I'm pretty sure this bundle of chaos wants to go back where it belongs." said Discord, looking at the mist inside the container. "But it lacks the power to do so. We need to keep it healthy and-"
The fog began to react, and the machinery around it as well. Twilight and Discord moved immediately.
"Discord! This time we must keep it stable!" Twilight activated her magic.
"A little more help would be nice." said Discord, who was transferring his own magic with his hand.
Celestia and Luna used their magic to support Twilight. Discord adjusted his magic now that the amount of the other increased.
The mist started to move a bit more violently but never made any attempts to try and break free. Both unicorn and chaotic magic were building up in the machine, and little by little, the mist began to subside.
When the fog returned to normal, the television next to it began to react.
And finally...
"Aero!"
Thanks to everypony's magic mix, there was now an image, as if It was a recording, and it was a view from above. Aero was the first to be seen in the image. The surprise came when they could see who were the others who were next to him. Even if there was no audio, at least they recognized the throne room.
"Sister... it's you!"
"Yes. It seems that Aero managed to befriend the me from that Equestria."
"That's... that's me! My friends are also there! And I'm still a unicorn! This is-wait. Is that Sunset?"
"There's also a mare that looks a lot like Shining Armor. Even the cutie mark is almost identical."
"That's literally a female Shining Armor! This is a nice one for the 'might have beens', Sparkle."
"What!?"
Aero was speaking, and all the mares around him were paying attention to his words. Twilight and Celestia were the ones who were the most surprised with the view. Twilight for seeing another version of herself that is still a unicorn, and also for the 'female Shining Armor'.
Celestia was watching with a smile seeing that the Sunset of that Equestria was still in Canterlot. It seems that the other Celestia didn't show her the crystal mirror. Thank goodness for that.
As the seconds passed, the group began to calm down and focus on the mist.
"Now that it's balanced, we can focus on searching for this specific Equestria." said Discord, now looking at Princess Luna. "I can't give you an estimate, Luna. We may find him in five minutes, or in one month. It's all up to lady luck at this point."
It's not exactly what Luna wanted to hear, but at least they have proof that Aero is okay for now.
And a goal.
"Aero looks calm, and the fact that he's in Canterlot with my sister and the Elements of Harmony means he's looking for a way to get back to us too."
Luna realized something.
She underestimated her feelings for Aero. Besides being her assistant, he is her best friend and appreciates his company.
"Please wait for us, Aero..."
"Do you know anything about the corrupted mare 'Astarte'? Or is there any mention of her in the history of your Equestria?"
"Astarte? Never heard of her. Judging by that nickname, she must have been an enemy of this Equestria."
"Indeed. She is the origin of all the changes in our society and our biggest problem."
Celestia could only sigh as she began to remember everything in her mind.
"To this day we don't know her origins. She claimed to come from the stars, but maybe we'll never know. Her nickname is due to her having a tendency to seduce males, and she bragged about sleeping with them and turning them into devoted slaves. Sadly, this ended up being true. Before long, she had what you might call a slave harem. Not just ponies. Before she was a danger to Equestria, she traveled through various territories, her followers included zebras, minotaurs, and even some yaks and diamond dogs."
"In history books it is described that she had exhibitionist habits and..." Twilight wanted to finish what she was saying, but she started to blush a lot. "Well, you know..."
"Quite the lustful mare." said Aero, trying not to imagine anything. He has enough to deal with for now. "Did she have some kind of unique ability or power?"
"Unfortunately, her harem wasn't just for carnal whims." said Celestia. "Lust and devotion were the source of her powers. The more she had, the more powerful she was. To say she was a headache would be an understatement. Despite her disregard for morals, she was a formidable warrior, to the point that several royal guards lost against her and were seduced. Entire families were destroyed. I have to say, Luna would have loved to fight against her."
"Astarte appeared after the birth of Nightmare Moon?"
"Yes. If Luna had been there, fighting her wouldn't have been so complicated. Astarte really played her cards right."
Celestia shifted her gaze to one of the many stained glass windows in the room. That one in particular showed several ponies, one of them being Celestia, armed and surrounding a pony that was almost the size of the Princess. This pony had a unique feature: on her head she had not one, but two horns. Both curved and in opposite directions.
"Fortunately, after several attempts, we managed to corner her, and after a fight that lasted half a day, she was defeated."
"Excuse me Princess Celestia, but while I understand how dangerous Astarte was, that doesn't explain the behavior of the mares I've seen so far." said Aero. He found Astarte's story a bit interesting, minus the lust behavior.
"In order to answer your question, it was necessary to tell you about Astarte, because although we were able to defeat her... she left us a parting gift." Celestia's gaze at that moment showed a hint of anger. "Before dying, Astarte declared with a cry of agony that if she couldn't have her males around, then no one would. She used her magic, in what we believe was a ritual, and no one could approach her, as she blocked our way. There was an explosion, and we had to back off so nopony would get hurt."
"That sounds like a last resort attack."
Celestia activated her magic, and a piece of paper appeared next to her. Said paper had a drawing.
A star within a circle.
"There was no trace of Astarte's body after the explosion, and much of the ground within the explosion's range was destroyed. However, in the area where Astarte was last seen, there was a drawing on the ground, reinforced with magic that we were never able to destroy."
"I assume it's that drawing." said Aero, looking at the piece of paper. Celestia nodded.
"We tried by all means to destroy the magic symbol, but nothing helped. The only thing we were able to do in the end was seal the area so nopony would come near." continued the Princess. "Days passed, everyone who was previously seduced was freed from Astarte's influence, and slowly everything returned to normal... or so we thought."
Aero thought of a possibility. That circle could be...
"A curse." Aero caught the attention of everypony in the room. "Did the circle end up being a curse?" he knows about King Sombra's previous curse that affected the Crystal Empire.
"Although we do not have the concrete answer... it is what we all believe." was Celestia's answer. "The changes were so subtle that by the time we noticed it it was too late to fix it."
And that's when Aero had a hunch. If this curse started long ago...
"When did you defeat Astarte? How many years have passed since then?"
"Astarte appeared two hundred years after... Nightmare Moon." Celestia said, a little sad at the end. "And eight hundred years have passed since then."
"And I assume this curse involves stallions."
"That was our conclusion once we realized what was going on." Celestia replied with a bitter tone. "As I said before, the changes were so subtle that it took us a while to know what was going on. In fact, it took several years before the first changes began to be noticed, but it was a fact: The number of stallions, in general, was beginning to decline. Over the years, the situation only got worse. Slowly but continuously, to the point that a clear lack of stallions was reported in several towns and cities."
"History books indicate that the Princess had to enlist the help of all the mayors and leaders of the towns, cities, and villages throughout the Equestrian territory to gather information regarding the lack of stallions." said Twilight. "It was thanks to these efforts that a clue of what was going on was obtained."
"The reports were almost the same everywhere." The Princess remembered again the anger and regret of not having noticed it before. "At first we believed that stallions were dying abruptly, but the answer turned out to be different: Over the years, almost all newborns turned out to be fillies."
With that last information, Aero could already get an idea of what was happening but decided not to interrupt the Princess.
"As soon as we got this information, I knew this was Astarte's parting gift. Her curse. Slowly, the curse was getting rid of all male ponies. The stallions alive would become older, and would naturally die, while the newborns would only be fillies. Understanding the consequences if I didn't act immediately, I had to take the necessary measures, one of them being the herd system... and while it didn't work the way I'd liked, some colts were born among the many fillies."
"Eight hundred years using the same system and with the same results..." Aero didn't have to think long to understand. This was the main reason why he has seen very few stallions and so many mares.
It seems that due to Astarte's curse, stallions became a rarity in Equestria. No wonder the mares are so overprotective of them.
"What is the current gender ratio in Equestria?"
"The last study that was done about two months ago revealed that the ratio is close to one stallion for every nine mares." Twilight didn't hesitate to answer, just as if she was a student responding to her teacher.
"I think it is necessary to add that this phenomenon occurred with all species. Not just ponies." added Sunset.
"(By Luna, that's discouraging.)" thought the stallion.
"This is why it is our duty as mares to protect and take care of stallions, handsome. While a stallion's duty is to provide as many foals as possible, in hopes of giving birth to more males."
Aero didn't like anything he heard, but this is not his Equestria.
"That does explain why I've seen so few stallions, but there's something that's still bugging me."
In an instant he did a quick teleport, reappearing behind them.
"Yesterday when we were walking to the train station, all the mares asked Twilight and Fluttershy for permission to ask me questions. When I met Rainbow Dash she told me in a mocking tone that this was a 'mare's world'. When I fought yesterday with those two guards at the entrance of the castle, I did so because they did not respect my presence. They treated me like the 'stallion of Twilight Sparkle', and even cut me out of the conversation saying I should be a 'good stallion' and wait."
Aero let out a sigh, somewhat annoyed.
"Not to mention that almost all of you doubted my strength, even though I am bigger and stronger than you, and even treat me like a sick foal, trying to limit my movements, and I really have to ask: Why?"
"The curse turned out to be more complicated than we thought." the answer came from the Princess. "It was already a serious problem that so few colts were born, but when they grew up, a new problem arose: They were weaker. The strength they possessed was limited, even when they trained their bodies. Their magical ability was much lower, and even Pegasi had some trouble flying."
"So this curse not only limited the number of males being born but also made them naturally weaker?"
"The anger and frustration they felt when we reported this to them..." Celestia had a faint memory of stallions yelling, arguing, and crying over their limitations. "I don't want to bother you with all the details, but I can tell you this: Over the years, mares took on the jobs and activities that the stallions usually did, while they began to get used to their new condition. It was because of this that stallions began to have changes in their personalities and attitude. Already aware of their weakness, they began to leave the mares in charge of the complicated tasks and important decisions. In response, they began to be excellent parents, as well as trying calmer activities such as gardening or cooking."
"..."
All the mares in the room noticed. They could see from Aero's expression that he felt sorry for the stallions of this Equestria.
"(This is basically a really long fight...)" thought Aero. "(And this Equestria is slowly losing it.)"
"But hey! Stallions are really ok with this, you know?" said Rainbow Dash, trying to change the mood in the room. "We have made an effort to give them everything they need and require, in addition to accompanying them-"
"Is that really necessary?" interrupted the stallion. "Do they really need a mare with them to move anywhere?"
"Well of course!" Applejack was the one to answer. "The poor fellas are so afraid of being alone! Having a mare or multiple mares to watch over them is only natural."
"You have to understand, darling. In all these years, stallions have been afraid of their extinction, and nothing calms them more than the company of a mare or his herd." added Rarity.
"We love to keep them company and help them in their everyday lives!" said Pinkie Pie. "Their smiles mean everything to us!"
"I just hope that with this you can understand why mares and stallions behave this way." Celestia said, with a bitter smile. "This must sound pretty crazy to you anyway."
"And you are right, Princess." admitted the stallion. "I feel sorry for the stallions of this Equestria... But this is not my Equestria. I'm not in a position to say what is wrong or right for them."
Aero walked until he was once again next to Celestia. He turned around calmly, and adopted a more serious expression than usual.
"I guess it's my turn. Ask anything you want to know."
"Can you introduce yourself again?" asked Celestia, a bit curious.
"Of course." was Aero's answer, But the next thing he did surprised everypony.
He activated his magic, revealing his silver aura. Then, an entirely silver sword appeared at his side. The sword took a couple of lateral turns, then lowered until it almost touched the ground with the tip.
"A magic sword!?" Both Twilight and Sunset were impressed the most.
"It's not that different from a magic barrier. They just work differently." said Aero. "Now, I am royal guard codename 'Aero'. Princess Luna's Aide, and member of 'Elemental'."
"Wait, so your name is not Aero?" asked Rainbow Dash.
"No. It's my codename from 'Elemental', but I've been using it for so long that I tend to use it as my name." answered Aero.
"What is 'Elemental'?" asked Gleaming Shield.
"A special group of royal guards. There are only four members. All of us are skilled fighters, and have a unique fighting style."
"And what's yer real name, then?" asked Applejack.
"I'm keeping that one a secret." was his answer. "Very few ponies know my real name."
"So, what can you tell us about your Equestria, darling? I'm sure there must be some big differences if there are stallions like you around." Rarity made sure to use a somewhat flirty tone at the end.
"I can tell you that there was no Astarte." answered Aero, who then focused his eyes on Twilight. "But perhaps I can start by saying that Twilight Sparkle is an alicorn."
...
...
...
After what appeared to be an eternal silence, there was a heavy thump on the ground.
And Twilight passed out.
"I wish that stud was here today. That would wake me up because this is really boring."
"We saw him go to the train station yesterday, now stop whining."
"Oh c'mon! Can you blame me? He's the hottest stallion I've ever seen!"
"I don't question that. I'm questioning your professionalism. You could have approached him and ask him where he lives."
Ponyville was having a quiet day. That's good. Most days are quiet, but sometimes something unusual can happen. They already had problems with some small creatures that ate part of the houses. They also had problems with an Ursa minor, and if it hadn't been for the help of Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia's student, Ponyville would probably have suffered serious damage.
Even in a town like Ponyville you need the help of guards. The danger is one thing, but there is also a universal duty to help stallions in their day-to-day life. Sure, mares, in general, have this duty, but royal guards can help in special cases, such as lost and abandoned stallions. It's a shame considering the small number of stallions, but it happens.
"This is the area near the Everfree Forest." said one of the two royal guards. "Nothing happens here!"
"You can ask for a reassignment anytime, dear." said her partner, mildly annoyed. "Our superior is always looking for active mares to watch the more crowded places."
"She only does it so that we can give her information of any stallion that may be available. I swear she thinks she's all mighty but there's no doubt she just wants to have her way with stallions."
"I must remember not to tell you any secrets. I swear, one of these days you-"
The guard stopped speaking when something caught her attention. Her partner was curious and looked in the same direction.
At the entrance to the Everfree Forest.
At that moment, there was a sudden change of attitude in both of them.
"What!? B-but why?" asked one the guards, incredulous of what was going on. "It doesn't make sense!"
"I don't know dear, but we have to inform Mayor mare and our superior now!" said the other. "We are going to need help from Canterlot as well!"
Aero had to admit it.
He was having a bit of fun.
Everypony's reactions were something to see. When he mentioned that the Twilight from his Equestria was an alicorn, this Equestria's Twilight fainted, and when she woke up minutes later, she asked for the details right away. Sadly for her, Aero didn't know everything. Only that involved an incomplete spell of Star Swirl the Bearded. He then talked about Queen Chrysalis, the Crystal Empire, King Sombra, Discord, and the information that got their attention the most: The alicorn baby Flurry Heart.
Something that caught Aero's attention is that some 'villains' in his Equestria are completely different in this one.
They don't know any draconequus named Discord. However, they do know about 'Eris, the Lady of Chaos'. The same goes for King Sombra. There was no tyrant king in the Crystal Empire, but rather, a Queen, by the name of Umbra. What's more, when both Princesses defeated her, she didn't curse the Crystal Empire. Aero should feel happy about that, but sadly, it means that the 'stallion curse' happened there too.
Queen Chrysalis was also a surprise. She never invaded Canterlot, so Shining Armor and Cadance's wedding was a huge success. Changelings are peaceful here. They were hidden from the world until the Queen herself contacted Princess Celestia. Needless to say, she gladly agreed to have friendly relationships with changelings, although even so, they are very shy, and do not often leave their home.
The world seemed to look the same as his, but this Equestria still has so many differences that he can't let his guard down, especially now that he understands why all the mares have looked at him in these two days.
To their eyes, he's either a walking trophy or a poor, fragile and delicate stallion that 'needs to fulfill his duty' and enter a herd.
"I can't believe my brother is a father in your Equestria!" said Gleaming Shield excitedly. "And you say that her daughter's wings are bigger than normal? By Celestia, I'd love to see her."
"And are you really sure that her magic is that powerful?" asked an incredulous Twilight.
"From what I heard from you, Shining and Cadence? Absolutely." answered Aero.
An unusual sound caught the attention of Aero and the Princess. A few seconds later, the rest heard it too.
It was smoke. Both the Princess and Twilight recognized this smoke, which seemed to move as if it had a will of its own. The smoke moved until it reached Princess Celestia, the smoke then began to change shape, until, in an instant, it transformed into an object.
A scroll.
"A letter from spike?" the Princess was a bit confused.
"But he is with Mayor Mare. He offered to help her while we were here." said Twilight. "Did something happen?"
Celestia opened the scroll with her magic, and within seconds of reading it...
"Ponyville is under attack!"
Normally, the first to react would have been Twilight, then her friends. They all have family and friends who don't want to see hurt.
But this time, somepony beat them to it.
"What's the situation?" Aero was the first to speak. Celestia was grateful that he was ready for these kinds of situations.
"For unknown reasons, many creatures from the Everfree Forest got out and headed straight for Ponyville." Celestia knew there was something weird in the forest. If it's related to Aero's arrival, she doesn't know. "The local guard is dealing with them as we speak, but they need reinforcements. At the moment they've seen timberwolves and a few manticores."
"Sunset. Gleaming Shield." Aero's attitude had changed. He seemed calm, but you could tell that there was a certain authority in his voice. "You need to prepare the reinforcements. When you're ready, ask Princess Celestia to teleport you to Ponyville. It will be faster this way."
Everypony in the room was sure of it.
Aero was not joking. He was giving orders. Appropriate orders.
They were about to ask him what he was doing, but now that they knew that he is not a stallion of this Equestria and that he is also a high-ranking royal guard of his Equestria...
Both Sunset and Twilight's sister nodded in approval and moved immediately. Aero looked back at Celestia.
"Princess. I suggest sending scouts to the Everfree Forest to check the surroundings once the situation is under control. There has to be a reason why this is happening."
Despite the situation, Celestia couldn't help but get excited. After all, it's been so many years since she last saw a stallion make military decisions.
"I'll follow your suggestion, Aero."
Finally, Aero looked at the Elements of Harmony.
"The Twilight of my Equestria told me that you usually attracted problems and at the same time tried to solve them. I'm sure you want to go to Ponyville to help."
"Damn straight!" exclaimed Applejack, ready for some action.
"But please, wait for Sunset and Gleaming Shield's group before going."
"What? Why!? It's Ponyville! We have to go!" Rainbow Dash wasn't happy about this. "And why are you giving us orders? We are-"
"The Elements of Harmony." Aero had no problem interrupting her. "And I hope you know what that entails."
This caught the attention of Twilight and the rest. When they saw Aero's eyes, something inside told them that they should listen to him. Rainbow Dash keeps wondering how he does it.
"If something happens to you, or even if something happens to just one of you, Equestria would be left without its best weapon and at the mercy of anyone who takes advantage of this. You must also consider that regardless of your good intentions, you are not fighters. You may be able to fight under certain conditions, but that won't always work for you. Value your lives and be cautious."
The girls calmed down a bit, reflecting on Aero's words.
Truth be told, this is the first time they have been spoken to in this way. Being mares they are expected to show courage in front of stallions, and here they have one who is genuinely concerned about them.
It was a strange sensation, but little by little they began to like it.
"If you think that's the best... then we'll wait for Sunset and my sister." said Twilight in an understanding tone.
Aero knows very well that they can defend themselves to some extent, but it also bothers him that they risk their lives in the process. Now that everything is ready, he looked at Celestia to ask for one more thing.
"Send me to Ponyville."
Normally everypony except the Princess would have screamed in horror at the suggestion of sending a stallion out to fight. It would be foolish to risk the life of a precious male.
But Aero is different for more than valid reasons. They also know what he can do in combat.
And Celestia knows it. It was obvious that her sister would also agree.
And so she allowed himself a little whim.
She gently approached Aero and gave him a peck on his forehead.
This act didn't go unnoticed. Twilight and her friends couldn't believe it. The Princess has always treated stallions as a mother would treat her foals. Always guiding them, but never getting that close to them.
"Please be careful." said Celestia, with a warm smile.
Aero was surprised for a moment but didn't let it get to his head.
"(A token of good luck, perhaps.)" thought the stallion, preparing for the possible fight. "I'll try not to worry you too much."
And with a quick activation of her magic, Celestia sent Aero to Ponyville. She made sure to send him close to the town hall so he can gather more information.
Now that Aero was not there, Twilight wanted to know something.
"Pinkie. Why didn't you ask Aero if he could be your friend?"
"Silly Twilight, it's because I don't want to be friends with him."
...
Did Pinkie just-
"I want to be more than friends with him!"
Oh.
"Stay behind us! We don't know how many are out there!"
Major Mare was scared. Why would the creatures that live in the Everfree Forest leave their natural habitat? Even dangerous creatures avoid leaving the forest for various reasons. Despite being feral, the experience made them understand that going out and attacking the town is not a good option.
Years ago this problem was more common, but every time it happened, the local guards and the Canterlot royal guards took care of them.
But now? It seemed as if the instincts that held them back from attacking Ponyville were gone!
"How did this happen?" the mayor asked herself.
"We really don't know." said one of the guards that was with her inside the town hall. "All I know is that we got lucky when we spotted the first creatures leave the Everfree Forest. It gave us enough time to warn the town. At least everypony is safe in their houses."
"Leave the creatures to us." said the other guard who was with them. "The more experienced ones are fighting, and some of us were tasked with watching over you and other ponies in case some of the creatures try to attack the houses."
"I just hope nopony gets hurt." whispered the mayor. It may be a naive thought, but she still wants to believe that it's possible.
As the seconds passed, they noticed that the noise outside the town hall slowly diminished. this continued for several seconds, and then...
Quiet. Almost peaceful.
Curious about what was happening outside, the two guards slowly opened the door, ready to fight if necessary. What they saw really surprised them. Major Mare also managed to see what was happening as her curiosity defeated her.
Although there were some houses with notorious dents and signs of scratches on the walls, what stood out the most was the amount of wood on the floor.
Wood that belonged to the timberwolves that were attacking the village a few moments ago. There were also traces of broken stone and leaves.
The guards who were fighting outside had an expression of not understanding what happened. Also, an unknown pony was apparently talking to another guard in the distance.
"I'm glad that you managed to defeat them, but..." Mayor Mare was actually confused. "How did you defeat them so quickly?"
"It was... him."
One of the guards outside said something that caught the attention of the mayor and the two guards with her. Did this mare just say 'him'? As in a male? A stallion?
"Hey! What do you mean 'him'?" asked one of the two guards.
"It means exactly that!" said her partner outside. "We saw the whole thing! He just appeared out of nowhere and... by Celestia, he is strong!"
"And fast!" said another one.
Meanwhile, Aero was trying to get information on what was going on with one of the guards who was fighting before.
"Near the Everfree Forest? Are you sure?"
"Y-yes!" said the blushing mare with difficulty and her wings slightly raised. "The creatures here are j-just part of the ones they couldn't stop there!"
"I see. Thank you." said Aero respectfully. "Don't let your guard down. Make sure there are no more creatures nearby."
Before the mare could say anything, Aero activated his magic and teleported away.
The guard just stood there, unable to understand how that tall and handsome stallion managed to destroy the timberwolves with only his hooves. How is he so strong and fast? Every stallion she has met is weaker than even the average mare. It is basic knowledge that despite their musculature, stallions have limited strength compared to a mare.
And his strength aside, his attitude is something she had never seen! He was daring, serious, and self-assured.
Just who is his mare? She has to know!
"We must hurry! The local guard said that most of the creatures were near the entrance to the Everfree Forest. I want all of you to be ready for anything! We must fight these creatures and make sure to defend the Elements of Harmony!"
"Yes, captain!"
"I want to see your best, royal mages!"
"Yes, Miss Shimmer!"
Gleaming and Sunset tried to be as quick as possible looking for the necessary reinforcements to help out in Ponyville and prepare for battle. They were surprised to see that Twilight and the rest of the Elements of Harmony were still in the throne room. Even more so when they found out that they waited for them at Aero's request.
Now with a proper group of guards with them, Celestia teleported them to the same place Aero was sent to several minutes ago.
The atmosphere... was better than they expected.
They expected to find guards fighting timberwolves and even having trouble with a manticore, but instead, the guards were helping with some repairs along with some of Ponyville's residents. Obviously, other guards kept watching in case of emergency.
When they asked about the situation, the answer gave them a mixture of surprise and joy.
Turns out that upon arrival, Aero immediately began fighting the timberwolves, and from what the local guards saw, his strength was something they had never seen before. He managed to stomp on their heads and bodies like it wasn't a big deal, and he demonstrated superb use of his magic, constantly teleporting and firing magic projectiles. They have no idea how the wood didn't hurt him on each impact.
They also expressed a strong desire to know if he is in a herd.
When they were speaking about him, One of the guards approached them, happy to finally know the name of the tall and handsome stallion that helped them. She told them that Aero spoke to her to find out more about the current situation and that she told him about what was happening near the entrance to the Everfree Forest.
Now that they knew where to go, they went in a hurry. On the way, they ran into a few timberwolves, but they were quickly taken care of.
When they were reaching the outskirts of the town that leads to the Forest...
"Spike!"
Although there were also a lot of guards in the distance, the first thing Twilight saw was her little assistant who was with them. He, like all the guards gathered at the scene, seemed to be looking at something, and judging from the way their mouths were open, it must be something impressive.
"Huh? Twilight?" Spike started looking around. It seems that he managed to hear her but has not seen her yet. That was quickly corrected when he saw the group of royal guards coming towards him. "The reinforcements!"
This caught the attention of the other guards who were with Spike.
"Spike! What are you doing here? I thought you were with Mayor Mare!"
"I was with her." answered the little dragon. "But the local guard's leader came for me! She told me I needed to be close to her so I can update the Princess on anything important regarding this attack."
Now that they knew why Spike was there, the group focused on what the other guards were looking at.
"(Ignite would love to be in my hooves if she knew about this.)"
When Aero arrived at the town hall, he immediately noticed the fighting around him.
The first thing he did was do a quick teleport to appear higher up and thus know the location of nearby creatures, staying in the air without falling thanks to his magic. He could see that several guards were fighting what appeared to be timberwolves. Some of these looked grayer than normal.
He quickly chose a target, activated a personal spell of his, which made his front hooves emit a very faint silver glow, and teleported back to the ground, appearing next to the chosen timberwolf. Before the creature or the guard could react, Aero used one of his front hooves and struck the wolf, hard enough to crush its face. It fell apart in a matter of seconds.
Aero knows from experience that timberwolves with dark eyes don't have the ability to reassemble themselves because they are not fully adult. Fortunately, none of the ones he saw around had glowing eyes, indicating adulthood.
The reason Aero was unscathed after using his hooves on wood was because of his personal spell. It works similar to a magic barrier but also repels anything that may touch his skin. And so, he alternated between brute force, teleporting, and using magic projectiles to destroy the timberwolves in the area.
He discovered that the gray 'timberwolves' were actually wolves made of rocks! He heard one of the guards call them 'rockwolves'. Simple, but it works. They were sturdier than their wooden counterparts, but magic projectiles turned out to be an effective method to defeat them.
When he made sure there were no more creatures nearby in the area, he obtained information from one of the many guards who still had not come out of the trance of watching a stallion fight.
Since he previously came to Ponyville from the Everfree Forest, teleporting was not a problem.
As in the town hall, he appeared in the middle of a battle. This time there were manticores among the creatures. He managed to see about three, so he wasted no time and focused on them first.
"What the-" the mare didn't understand what happened. One moment she is using her buckler to avoid the tail of the manticore, and the next the creature was hit with what appeared to be a silver magic projectile.
The manticore tried to get up, but Aero came with extraordinary speed and struck its face with one of his front hooves. The manticore was immediately knocked out.
"(How did he move so fast?)" the mare was having trouble even moving. What she saw was impossible. He should not be here! He's in danger!
The other creatures, which include timberwolves, rockwolves, and the other two manticores, stopped attacking the other guards, and they all started heading towards Aero.
"(Looks like they know who they need to take down now.)" thought Aero, charging a magic spell, then teleporting.
Just as Twilight, her friends, and the group of guards arrived, Aero began his attack.
Everypony witnessed how Aero started to destroy all the timberwolves first, avoiding the attacks of the rockwolves and the claws of the manticores. His movements were unreal. He looked like he had wings although he clearly didn't. His speed was even higher than when he fought Gleaming Shield.
When he finished off all the timberwolves, he teleported higher up to check something out.
The creatures stared at him, watching for any possible move he might make, while he maintained his position using his magic.
"(The way all of them are focusing on me... it's not just instinct.)"
Aero also noticed it when he was helping out at the town hall. The timberwolves there stopped attacking the guards and focused only on attacking him.
And right now, the creatures were so focused on Aero, that they forgot the guards they were previously trying to hurt.
And that's something both Captain Gleaming Shield and Sunset took advantage of.
"Now!"
"Take this!"
Gleaming Shield and Sunset were the first to attack. Gleaming with her spear, and Sunset using her magic. Behind them, the Canterlot reinforcements, as well as the Ponyville local guard, came together to clash their weapons with the creatures. Twilight also helped them, shooting magic projectiles from afar to support them.
Two seconds of chaos, and then the timberwolves and rockwolves began to fall.
Aero took advantage of the guard's attack to teleport near the other manticore. He created a magic sword, and at the same time, he propelled himself in the direction of the beast.
The second manticore didn't see it coming.
The magic sword hurt the manticore right in the area of its ribs, wounding it to the point of letting out a cry of pain that could not even finish because almost at the same time Aero used one of his front hooves to hit its head.
Just like the first one, the manticore fell unconscious.
"(Two down, one to-)"
! ! ! !
Aero immediately looked in the direction of the Forest. The area-scan spell activated.
Something was coming...
Something big.
"Gleaming, do it now!"
"Got it!"
Sunset was using her magic to keep the last manticore floating within a light amber aura. Gleaming Shield, using her magic, hit the manticore on its head using the blunt end of the spear. The blow was enough to stun the manticore, and Sunset focused her magic to send the creature flying, hitting a few Timberwolves in the process.
"They did it!" Twilight and her friends watched with joy as the joint effort of both the royal guard and the Ponyville local guard managed to stop most of the creatures. A few managed to understand the futile effort of continuing, and escaped into the forest.
Several guards began to celebrate in victory, while Sunset and Gleaming Shield relaxed a bit as they saw that the situation was improving.
However...
"Sunset. Gleaming Shield."
Aero's voice caught the attention of both mares.
And he didn't sound happy.
"Aero? What's wrong?" asked Sunset, a bit confused. He should be happy with the result. Gleaming Shield, on the other hoof, had a hunch.
"Did you detect something?"
"Keep Twilight Sparkle and her friends safe." was the only answer they got from him.
Before they could even ask what he was talking about, something stopped them.
That something was a sound in the distance that came from the forest. The sound grew louder, and louder as the seconds ticked by. Soon, the ponies in the place began to feel a very slight tremor whenever the noise was heard. Whatever was coming, it advanced without stopping.
Until at last, the source of the noise showed itself, breaking some trees near the entrance.
Everypony froze, except the only stallion in the area. He was looking at the new creature that arrived, amazed by how big it was.
"(By Luna... it is as big as an Ursa Minor.)" thought Aero while looking at the new threat.
Among the many creatures that inhabit the Everfree Forest, some are considered rare because they almost never stray from the area where they live. These creatures are generally the ones that live in the deepest part of the forest. Among them are the hydra, lone dragons, bugbears...
All of them are classified as dangerous.
And this one is no exception, as it is the first time that Aero has seen a cragadile that big.
With a mighty roar, the rock crocodile made sure to intimidate all the ponies.
And it worked, as the guards didn't move, clearly scared. Twilight, her friends, and the group of guards who looked after them were in similar condition. Sunset and Gleaming Shield were desperately trying to find a solution in their minds. How are they going to fight that? Unlike rockwolves, a cragadile's skin is much stronger and tougher, and its whole body is dangerous: The rock claws on its legs, its large fangs, and even the rocks that cover its back and tails can easily hurt somepony.
Despite the situation, Sunset and Gleaming were able to notice something.
The cragadile was looking at Aero.
"(So this one too?)" Aero is sure that there must be a reason for the creatures not only to come out of the forest but to focus so much on him as well.
And so he made a decision.
If the cragadile is coming for him then he has to stop it here, otherwise, Ponyville will surely be destroyed. If it was the usual size, the guards would have a chance to defeat it, but this... is too much for them. They will not be able to lift it with magic because it must be way heavier than an ursa minor, and the weapons will be useless as nothing will get through that rock skin.
He wanted to keep his ability a secret, but even if it's not his Equestria... he has a duty to fulfill.
There is a reason why he is the current leader of 'Elemental'.
Aero began to move slowly, and the cragadile was still watching him. This managed to get Sunset and Gleaming Shield to react.
"Aero! Stop! You can't-"
Sunset fell silent.
She managed to see Aero's eyes for a moment. Compared to when he fought the captain, his gaze was much more intense now. For an moment she felt intimidated, luckily since she knows Aero won't hurt her, she quickly calmed down. Gleaming Shield couldn't see his eyes, but she did notice something odd.
The air began to feel stronger, and it even seemed to move in Aero's direction.
In the distance, Twilight also felt a change in the air and seemed to be heading in the direction of the stallion.
That's when she saw it.
Next to Aero there was something strange, looking somewhat blurry.
Aero continued to walk slowly for a few moments, while the cragadile began to move, opening its mouth and showing its large fangs, in another attempt to intimidate him. Twilight was still watching Aero, trying to understand why he is approaching the giant crocodile.
And then he disappeared.
But this time he didn't teleport. Twilight saw him move so fast that even a pegasus would have a hard time reaching that speed. The instant he moved, the wind went out of control for a moment, and almost instantly a deafening noise was heard.
The entire group of ponies in the area had the privilege of seeing the impossible.
The cragadile was in the air.
Somehow, Aero reached the creature in the blink of an eye, and with one of his front hooves, he managed to hit it on the bottom of its mouth. The cragadile was slowly turning as it was falling, and by the time it hit the ground, it was upside down.
Aero wasted no time and teleported, appearing just above the creature. He kept floating in the air with his magic, and the wind began to gather around him again. The cragadile let out a cry that was impossible for the group to identify if it was of anger or pain.
But now the cragadile was vulnerable, as the lower part of its body is the softest.
Without warning, Aero used both front hooves to hit its body, which again produced a loud noise. There was so much air now that the group felt a bit cold.
The seconds passed, and the situation, despite the fact that they saw it with their own eyes, was unreal.
The cragadile was not moving. The rocks on its back seemed to be partially embedded in the ground due to the force of the second blow, and on top of the giant crocodile... was Aero, who was making sure that the creature was totally unconscious.
Both the royal guard and the local Ponyville guard were speechless. They saw it all, yet still couldn't believe it! They weren't even trying to find any logic to the situation. All they did... was admire him.
Sunset, Gleaming Shield, and the Elements of Harmony already knew that Aero was an excellent fighter after witnessing his skills in the duel a couple of hours ago, but this...
They knew Aero was strong, but they never thought he would be that strong. That kind of strength and guts rivaled that of the Princesses! The worst thing is that they don't even know what exactly he did! Was he hiding his strength the whole time? Is he able to use some sort of unknown magic? Is his body sturdier than it looks? They have no idea at this point.
"Sunset."
"Y-yes?" Sunset barely managed to answer him time. She honestly still couldn't believe what just happened.
"Can you contact Princess Celestia with your magic signal?"
"I-I'm afraid I can't if we are very far away." answered Sunset. If she was in Canterlot, it would be possible, but the distance between Canterlot and Ponyville is too much for the magic signal to work.
Aero nodded in response, then looked at Twilight. He then teleported, appearing right in front of her. As Twilight and her friends were still dumbfounded by what had just happened, the whole group got scared when he appeared.
However, he was actually looking for her assistant.
"Spike. I need to ask a favor."
"Me? Really?" While he was obviously surprised and had many questions in his mind, Spike was very grateful for what he just did. In his young eyes, Aero is a hero.
"I need you to send a message to Princess Celestia. Tell her that the situation is not over yet, but it's being controlled."
"Yes sir!" Spike was carrying a bag with scrolls so he could send information regarding the attack to Princess Celestia.
"I'll go back to Ponyville to make sure there are no creatures hiding." said Aero, who was now looking at Twilight and her friends. "When they have everything under control, tell Sunset and Gleaming Shield that we'll meet at the town hall."
They all nodded in agreement. The reason they didn't answer with words is that they weren't able to say anything at the moment.
"Don't let your guard down." said Aero with a small smile, and then proceeded to teleport. Obviously, he went to Ponyville.
When everypony finally started to calm down, Fluttershy realized something...
Her heart was beating faster than ever.
What she didn't know, is that she was not the only one feeling like this.