//------------------------------//
// Studying 
// Story: The Pointed Woodsmaster 
// by The Real Darkness 
//------------------------------//

Arctus was eating away at the restaurant in town.


Sun's Ray


And the name was true, there was a giant skylight at the top of the high end establishment that bled light into the whole dining hall.

The Scout always sat alone at his own table on this occasions, eating a giant helping of food every lunch a large variety among them, but Arctus had definitely done wonders for the farms planting legumes and leafy greens.

And bread was a staple of Aeternia, so the local bakers felt like artists whenever he came into to see them. He was making a name for himself, but every high class pony in the restuarant still gave him glances of distaste, not that he cared.

He was actually taking down a buttered woven loaf when he was approached.

"So, you're him?" A voice feigning authority spoke and he saw her approach from his glances. 

Now he fully looked up, "Arctus you mean? Yes, is there an emergency?"

The red and orange maned slice of fire laughed, "you're reserved for emergencies?! That's all they give you the privilege of?"

Arctus knew playful banter, and this was not that teasing. Ponies were looking about and whispers were quickly going on how there might be a duel that evening.

"I had planned to brave the Frozen North's wastes this weekend and make a checkup on the environment, but seeing as you're laughing in my face," he stood, overcoming her height, "we can have a duel should you like. Now or in the evening."

Ponies were slowly leaving their chairs and stepping away.

"Hey, Arctus! I appreciate your business, but you're not-," a chef came screaming out the kitchen doors.

"This evening then, the higher cliffs of Canterlot. Don't fall," she smirked at him.

Condescending, boastful. Arctus met a few of those types among the army in Aeternia, even some captains and higher ranking officers would request a scout to duel them to whip their ego back in line.

In one case, Arctus was even called to make a spectacle, killing every enemy that approached a soldier before he could face them, humility was a lesson the armies needed.

He sat back down and continued eating, the unicorn who approached him trotted away, leaving the restaurant.

Another pony came to him, "sorry to-."

"Another interruption?" His mannerisms didn't change until he expressed them and felt the anger, "sorry...sorry, what do you need?"

"You...you know you just challenged Princess Celestia's student to a duel, right?" Arctus had been in the forest for quite a while, stunting the wilderness of it back and keeping his domain in check, but also traveling about. Celestia had mentioned a future protégé, but this must have meant it's official.

"I didn't."

"Is the Princess gonna be okay with this?"

"She'll have to be, maybe it will even teach her student some humility or the right way to boast."

"O-okay," the pony left to return to his party, who immediately began intense whispers.

Arctus finished his food and paid with the stipend he received from Celestia for his efforts over the nation.

"Arctus...that unicorn's no joke, rumor is she's just as powerful as Starswirl," the host pony whispered to him.

"I appreciate your concern."

"Knock her down a peg for all of us."

He smiled and patted the host on his shoulder before setting off for the castle and readying his gear.

He made a point to check in on the egg, no noted development since the day he first got it.

And he headed off to the cliffs in full kit.





There was a bit of an audience, mixed of class. Guards, soldiers, nobles, rich, poor, everypony wanted somepony to be there to tell them about it later.

Arctus arrived before the unicorn challenger did and so he sat on a cliff edge, looking out at the sunset made by his closest friend.

"Afraid you wouldn't show, too busy being an errand pony," that same scoff.

He didn't look to her, "what's your name?"

"Sunset Shimmer."

"Let's make this quick, Sunset," he informally addressed her as he stood and walked away from the edge, "everypony, you better be a decent distance away and find some cover...if you're not a unicorn, find one who can cast a shield spell."

Safety to audience was paramount for duels that involved Scouts.

"So, Sunset, you got any rules?"

"Just one...don't kill each other."

"But it's okay if I send you to the healers?" He smirked and saw the annoyance hit her face as he drew out his spear and one of his throwing knives.

"IF you can," she smiled and lit her horn, sending a bolt at him.

The magic just dissipate upon contact with his spear. The Master Scout took initiative and began to rush down the unicorn, blocking three more small bolts before thrusting his spear forward. The unicorn teleported and he heard a magic bolt behind him, this one he stepped aside and in the same movement, threw the knife, "we come prepared, informed, and ready to adapt. We Scouts are an army all on our own."

"Ahh!" Sunset Shimmer cried out as the knife pierced one of her hooves, the scout took the time during his dialogue as a tactical moment and put his spear back, taking out his bow and loading a normal arrow, he shot at her other hoof and a shield of cyan came, the arrow breaking off.

Arctus already loaded another and shot it at the first insistence of a return fire, ducking after, another shield.

She didn't return fire this time, her horn staying bathed in the light blue glow.

"Did you want to stop before you get further injuries?" He asked her.

"It'll take more than a cut to stop me," Arctus fiddled with his hand.

"Plienas karka savininkas."

And the throwing knife that fell out made a return, cutting her once more. Arctus slotted it away as she flinched and sprinted at her, letting her teleport again, but this time, he whipped around, dialed in, ready, breath held in his throat for his complete attention.

Dedication.

And an arrow was pulled back, the moment he saw the flash of her reappearing he loosed it and it sank into her chest. He spun about, not unlike advancing and avoiding an untrained spearman's thrust.

Her magic bolt missed him and a mace was flung right toward her face, there was no time to teleport as a show off so she moved her head back around.

"Plienas karka savininkas!" The mace began to fly back and almost made contact before it was held in Sunset's magical grip.

"You get to only do that trick once," and a beam was shot at him, he went to move, but the pony before him stuck his feet to the ground, just a quick duck and the spearhead above his head pierce the magic, dispersing the energy about him for two or three feet. When it was over, he stood and his mace flung into his hand and then back into its spot.

His bow was put away and his spear came out again.

"The last foe that made me get innovative was Lord Tirek, and now you're here."

She smirked at his half handed compliment and the Scout put his spearhead down, "so let me make sure you know what I am capable of," his hand went about the air, tracing a sigil, a purple line followed his index and ring finger as his others were down, the symbol was one he hadn't used in a while, a spell to be used in tougher circumstances, "Tirek taught me that some creatures and ponies here are worth the extra effort.

"Protector of those in the Shadows. Pusher of knives in the Dark. Please cover me in your chill."

And all at once he was gone. The entity he asked permission from always gave it, of course an idea and intent to murder could not decline or have it's own conscious, but he petitioned in the spell words all the same with the full incantation.

"An...an invisibility spell?! That brute managed a spell that advanced?!" The audience was in an uproar at his feat.

And in the short time, Sunset's hoof was pierced deep and then lifted up, the spear cutting while he raised her now bleeding body into the air, he flung her then against the mountain wall at the cliff side, shrieks the whole way.

He became visible again and breathed deep, readying to channel the magic in his spear. The unicorn was slowly rising up and the icy fires that scarred his spear hissed to life before crackling across the ground at an incredible rate towards her.

"Wait!" She cried and the flames stopped, "you...you win."

And the flames retracted before she shot a beam.

The deep blue roared high and cut the magic off, at the same time, consuming her fur and leaving frostbite in its wake when it touched her rear hooves and tickled her stomach. She screamed loud and the flames died down.

"I'm not a stranger to deception," Arctus spoke and the ponies about were whispering.

Sunset was breathing, "I...I concede, get me to the hospital, please!" True desperation.

Arctus approached, putting away his spear, "even if you attempted magic again, you couldn't. That fire, as cold as it burns," he heaved her up and onto his shoulder, "also suppresses magical energies."

"You really are," she grunted in pain as he walked to the edge, "her best defense."

"You might feel some discomfort."

He rubbed those familiar wards of his boots before descending straight down the mountain cliff, "none of what you do is a rumor, it's all real."

He sprinted down toward the city, heading to the nearest hospital he could see from up above, "I imagine there are too many wild stories about me."

"There are, they say you destroyed Minos all on your own," she grunted.

"I did, and now there is an entire kingdom rising elsewhere that Celestia denies me any course of action," Arctus met the city and began running through the streets, he was going to a familiar one, a hospital that has studied him extensively and offered any services should he need them.

Which was more than most did.

Arctus burst through the doors of it, rushing in toward the actual hospital, "Arctus?! Sunset?!" The nurse at the reception was compelled to action and quickly took to the PA system, "doctors, healers, Sunset Shimmer isin the hospital in need of immediate attention."





Arctus, after delivering her, elected to wait in the waiting room, where a physician was actively discussing and trying to verbally discipline him, "what are you thinking?! Dueling the Princess' student! She'll have your head!"

"I'd like to remind you that I stood as an equal to her sister, but I understand the consequences of my actions."

"Arctus?" He heard Celestia's voice as she trotted into the hospital, all the ponies bowing to her, he chose to stand and face her, "oh, Arctus," she approached him with a smile, "this is very much like you."

"P-Prin-princess! He...he gravely injured your new personal student!"

"That may be so, but I would trust him even with my own life. Did she insult you?"

"In a way, but her ego is what really bothered me."

"You have one yourself," she jabbed.

"I know I do. I haven't seen you in a while, I heard stories that there is a new alicorn princess?"

And not a moment later after the words left his mouth, Sunset trotted out of the doors that lead to patient rooms, "Ce-Princess!" She bowed.

"I see Arctus put your hubris into check, my student," she trotted to her, "rise."

"I...I, it's my fault, I was purposefully provoking him."

"That's okay, just remember Arctus is from a different world and a very privileged person of Equestria."

"I know."

"And I lived through all the things he has done, he's capable of things nopony would ever dream of."

Celestia looked to him with a wide smile, "and has painted himself black for all of Equestria, a noble action none of us would understand. You're free to return to your studies, Sunset, there's not coming punishment from me."

"Huh?!"

Celestia trotted back to Arctus and pushed her head onto his back, "let's go for a walk, it's been too long since I've seen you."

Sunset had never seen Celestia act so interested in someone, let alone so lenient to her especially after something a serious as this.





A couple of turns down streets and Celestia spoke up, "I see you're in your full battle equipment. How was it? Your duel with Sunset?"

"It wasn't difficult to win, she's too confident in her abilities and it left her very vulnerable."

"That boastfulness has been the hardest trial for her to overcome. I see so much potential in her."

"She teleported very readily, from the reading material you gave me many years ago, that marks her as a talented mage."

"Yes, but her lack of friends concerns me."

"Perhaps she just needs time to travel the world. That happens regularly to those seeking to join Aeternian military and they're all the better for it before joining."

"You could have a point there. Sorry to be as selfish as to pull you around for a walk."

"I don't mind, Celestia," the looks were still given, but mostly out of respect for the two of them. That was the consensus when they were seen together, Arctus was used to seeing their fear and hesitant nature when dealing with them.

"Thanks, I just haven't seen you in a long time. You've spent so many moons out in the field."

"I've been monitoring, there's an organization to the west, the Griffons, but are unlikely to pose any kind of threat. There is another...the dragons. Their nature is to destroy and I would very much like to reco-."

"No, there is no need. They've always kept to themselves."

"But the saf-."

"I appreciate how much thought you give the safety of Equestria, but it will be fine. We must learn to live in harmony with different creatures just as we live in harmony with you."

He decided being quiet was best for now.

And they walked for a bit more, "Arctus, have you ever thought of starting a family?"

"A...family?"

"I guess Scouts of Aeternia never really thought of it. Always on the move and so close to death must be too harrowing."

"Equestria is more peaceful."

Celestia expressed more eagerness than she intended to, "so you're open to the idea."

"Having children would be an interesting experience, but one I think I might not be suited for."

"What about marrying?"

"I did give that some thought in Aeternia, but didn't really consider it until I became more established as a Scout."

"Because of your high mortality rate?"

He nodded, "but the idea of having someone like that is...nice."

Celestia hummed, "well, we likely aren't able to get you back to Aeternia. I do have a couple of scholars looking into it as I always have, but with no success."

"As bad as it sounds, I've already given up on the possibility of going back to Aeternia. I made peace with that a long time ago."

"How long ago?"

"When I returned after conquering Minos, you welcomed me back just as warmly and I knew I'd be okay living here."

Celestia stopped walking and laid her had onto him, "thank you for telling me that."

Arctus patted the tall pony's neck, "you sure are inclined to these gestures."

"Only with you. I'm not a princess when Arctus is here."

He smiled, "glad I can fulfill that role for someone who's given me purpose again."

The two began to walk again, "has anyone piqued your interest in Equestria?"

"That student of yours, Sunset Shimmer. I think I'd like to duel her again some time."

"You're always allowed to, but-."

"And there's a new princess? I was spending a year under the dragons' eyes, observing them, so I missed all of that."

"I know and the first day you're back, eating a hearty meal, Sunset assails you."

"That's an admirable trait, confronting the strong is a mental will few have."

Arctus began walking to the castle, bumping Celestia into walking that way, "I would have immediately recommended her to the counsel for Scout training."

"You think she has those kind of traits?"

"I know she's capable of great power, that's always been the foundation for it."

"She has persevered with no parents," Celestia mentioned, "I can introduce you to Cadenza today, that would not be a problem. I did mean my question in a different manner.

"Tell me then," he looked down to see a less composed ruler of Equestria.

"Anyone in Equestria that interests you...romantically, Arctus?" They were walking up a series of steps to the castle, alone.

"I...I haven't given that thought. There are some ponies I find great company with, like some of the guard, but I don't know about romantically," it was a foreign idea, "but it does...does make me curious now, it's a thought I didn't think I'd entertain this much," and it kept swirling in his head.

Celestia was smiling, "just remember you can always come and conf-tell me anything. I'll keep discretion in mind as I always do."

"Thank you, you mentioned meeting Cadenza. Where is she?"

"Oh, wow. You're...intimidating."