//------------------------------// // The Alicorn of War // Story: Eltirion's Chaotic Collection // by Eltirions //------------------------------// At first, rumours were all that came to Celestia from Zebrica. Fantastic tales of a tall stallion, dressed in dark golden armour with his face masked, his mane and tail the only unarmoured parts of his body. A stallion that did all manner of impossible things. A warrior so mighty, he took on the Storm King’s elite, warriors feared across the world even more than any other yeti warrior, in a fight to the death and came out with nary a scratch on his armour, and then killed the Storm King, breaking his army and shattering his empire in a single day. That was a feat worthy of note, if it hadn’t been shrouded in mystery. Exactly what weapons had been used in the fight was unknown, and the Storm King’s exact fate was just as uncertain. Celestia only knew that he was dead. More exploits of his made their way to Equestria. How this stallion had entered Chiropterra, a stain on Equestria’s history, and slain it’s commanders and leaders, paving the way for an invasion by Hippogriffia. At that point, Celestia had begun to use her few informants in Zebrica to try and find out anything they could about this stallion. The only thing they could reliably do was track his movements. After Chiropterra, he headed east for a time, vanishing in Zaranthia’s deserts. Then he reappeared on the other side of the continent, in Roam, where he broke the back of the despots that ruled that backwards ‘Imperium’. After that, he disappeared for three years, not a single word of knowledge to be found on him. Celestia almost forgot he existed. Until she picked up the morning paper. ‘’Coup in Griffonian Empire prevented by mysterious stallion; life of the Emperor saved!’’ With growing incredulity she read about how one General Ferdinand Dawnclaw, as a result of discreet purges in the Empire’s military, gathered men loyal to him and stormed the Imperial Palace. They managed to get all the way into the Emperor’s chambers, but then ‘a mysterious stallion’ intervened, and saved the child’s life. By blowing up the hallway. But that was all well and good. Celestia could accept that the mysterious warrior that had destroyed several governments had saved the life of the Emperor of Griffonia, though it was more Herzland now. What she couldn’t accept was the picture that dominated the front page: the young emperor standing under the wing of a stallion who looked to be even taller than herself, clad in armour that hid his entire body. A spear hung in the stallion’s magic. The mysterious warrior was an alicorn. In hindsight, that explained a lot, she reflected. How he had survived all those battles, where he got his power from. What she couldn’t understand was how no one had ever mentioned this before. There were only four alicorns in the world, for crying out loud! How could no one have told anyone else of this? It wasn’t like there weren’t any witnesses. She glanced back at the article, quickly dismissing it. She didn’t need to know the details; at least, not now. And the speculation the paper went into, wondering if this was the same stallion that had wandered around Zebrica a few years; well, she already knew the answer to that question. There would be panic by Twilight and her advisors both soon enough, Celestia noted. They would demand her time to discuss this development and what she knew of it. But for now, there was no such demand, only a very nice breakfast in front of her. -x-X-x- Twilight’s mane was frazzling as she put the paper down. ‘’Spike!’’ she shouted. ‘’Take a letter to the Princess, please! And get my friends here!’’ The dragon grumbled, ‘’Twilight, what’s the issue?’’ Twilight thrust the paper under his nose. Spike quickly glanced through it, eyebrows raised. Then he clawed it back to her. ‘’I’ll get that letter and the girls,’’ he said, before standing up from the table, taking his breakfast with him as he went. Twilight barely acknowledged him, mind alight with possibilities. Who was this alicorn? Why hadn’t the Princess ever mentioned him? Did she not know of him? How did they know it was even a he? -x-X-x- ‘’Bitte, erbarme dich- Uf.’’ The griffon collapsed to the ground as the curved tip of the spear pulled out of his chest. The stallion looked at the body for a moment to make sure it was dead, then looked around him. Twelve Black-Cloaks lay dead on the ground, felled by his spear in less than a minute. Their weapons might have given them the illusion of advantage at a longer distance, but said distance wasn’t there, as the stallion could bridge any gap between him and his opponents in seconds. And the Black-Cloaks deserved it, no doubt. These in particular had been heading for a pony village, planning to burn and pillage it. Well, they wouldn’t anymore. And the stallion had his next target. Saving the young Grover had been a spur-of-the-moment, lucky happening. It was chance that had made the stallion be in Griffinheim on the same day that Dawnclaw attempted his coup, and his sense of morality that had steered him to protect the child from the traitor and his ilk. The stallion might be a creature to not flinch at the sight of torture and death, but he held a soft spot for children in his heart. They were the future, and it would not do to stop that future from potentially achieving greatness. But enough musing. He had a destination, and another one after that, a date with a mare on the other side of the world. But first, purging some racist griffons. A smirk crept onto the stallion’s masked face. What fun. -x-X-x- The stallion vanished again after overthrowing the Reformisten governments of Hellquil and Longsword, and exposing their crimes for all the world to see. The next time he turned up, it was in front of Canterlot Palace. Celestia was having afternoon tea with Raven when a scared-out-of-his-mind guard entered the pavilion they were using. ‘’Your pardon, Princess, but there is a visitor demanding to see you,’’ he said. Celestia put her cup down. ‘’And who might that be?’’ The guard gulped. ‘’It’s the stallion, Princess.’’ Celestia nodded. ‘’I see. Send him to me, please.’’ A few minutes later, the stallion entered the pavilion, following behind the guard. ‘’Princess,’’ he greeted, not bowing his head or otherwise showing respect. His black wings and horn and his dark green mane and tail were the only un-armoured body parts. His spear hung on his side. ‘’I don’t know what to call you,’’ Celestia admitted after a moment. ‘’Glaive will suffice,’’ the stallion said succinctly. ‘’Very well, Glaive. Please, have a seat. Tea?’’ ‘’No, thank you.’’ The stallion sat down in the empty chair. A moment of silence ensued. Then Celestia cleared her throat. ‘’What brings you here?’’ The stallion didn’t reply at first. He shifted slightly, adjusting his wings. Then he answered, ‘’Information.’’ ‘’Information?’’ Celestia repeated, raising her eyebrow ever so slightly. ‘’I know you’ve been following me,’’ the stallion said bluntly. ‘’You want to know who I am, where I come from, and why I do what I do.’’ A little startled, Celestia nonetheless said, ‘’Yes.’’ The stallion inclined his head, then lifted a teacup in yellow magic - without his horn lighting up - and put it to his masked lips, sipping from it. When he was finished, he put the cup down. ‘’Well, I’m afraid you will have to wait a while longer. I’ve got a couple of things to do before we finish this conversation.’’ ‘’What do you-’’ Celestia was cut off as the stallion vanished in the flash. She stared at the empty air he had just been. And then started to swear. -x-X-x- The stallion returned to Canterlot a month later, once again meeting with Celestia in the garden pavilion. ‘’A couple of things?’’ Celestia asked as soon as they sat down. The stallion shrugged as he picked up his cup of tea. ‘’Perhaps.’’ ‘’You killed Chrysalis,’’ Celestia continued. ‘’Perhaps,’’ the stallion repeated. The mask and voice gave away no emotion. ‘’Why?’’ ‘’Now that is a long story,’’ the stallion said.