//------------------------------//
// Storytelling 
// Story: An Aeternian's Conviction 
// by The Real Darkness 
//------------------------------//

Sunset Shimmer had fled Equestria. An Aeternian named Kanna has been slain. Arctus ascended to become a Master Scout. Now he was unofficially courting Princess Celestia. There was also a threat out there that struck Kanna so horribly and had such power that she was raising a massive force to fight it.

Aeternian's were always full of ambitions and that meant they were always busy, but no matter how much Arctus put on his plate, his main responsibility was to recover now. A growing one was his more intimate dedication to white alicorn. He was still in the bed, not even budging from his intial sleep position.

Celestia did lower the Sun later on, awaking before sleeping again with her new special someone. He had slept very deeply and peacefully.

And only when the morning Sun bled through the balcony curtains did he rouse. Celestia spent some of her time in and out awake by taking care of things with her magic. The metal and wire along with sewing kit arrived somewhere during the long dusk created just so he could sleep.

"Good morning, Scout Arctus."

"Good morning," he stretched, "I feel a lot more like myself, I should start on fixing my equipment."

"I've seen you enough times and fixed your chain and scale myself. Your tunic is also repaired and well washed, no blood is on it anymore."

"That's generous of you."

"An older Art would have complained."

"Art?"

"It's a nickname."

"A nickname?"

"You don't have something similar in Aeternia?"

"We do, but usually the regular population uses them, As military we are given nicknames based on how we fight or our defining achievement."

"Art, because every movement you make in combat is an intended brushstroke to create a scene of your victory!" Celestia laughed.

Arctus smiled, "I suppose that works. I was last called War Wraith. Art is a much more friendly sounding."

"War Wraith?"

"I...I used invisibility when I dueled Sunset."

"That's a spell most unicorns never cast in their life."

"I'm told. I used it one day when I was called to Aeternia to defend in, a massive army in front on out salt flats. I used that spell coupled with a godhood spell that allowed me to fight with endless energy. The enemy was flung through the air and thrown into disarray and incredible fear from the 'wraith' that was slaying them with ease that day."

"They fled and we struck down each one that day."

"You'll have to tell me more of your world. Why was Aeternia built in such a desolate place?"

"Well, Celly, we are centered around our temple. Though you've not heard me talk about it because an Aeternian will not reveal any triggers to let them be enraged.."

"Celly?"

"Your return nickname. Our temple is built atop the central volcano, all the others are around it among the mountains and sometimes their lava flows through every crack of the salt flat around the capital. It's beautiful when it does that and an immediate festival named Ukotr's Prance. We bring feasts and drinks out on metal platters, setting them directly on the salt and we dance the whole time the lava is there until it seeps below. We dance to prevent our feet from burning."

"That's an odd ritual."

"The one who dances the longest without stopping to let their feet heal is named Ukotr's successor and given the option to join the Ember team and learn their devastating fire magics."

"Everything is about battle to your people."

"Our legends hold that the sky once oppressed everyone in Aeternia, everyone in my world really, and so there are people who invoked the wrath of the Trepidatory Volcanoes and with the fury of molten magma, they challenged the sky, sooting several stars into it. The sky relented on Aeternia, but those heroes who beat it back were not satisfied with the outcome of the battle and wished their foe eliminated to never threaten our lands again."

Arctus slowly moved around to face Celestia himself, "so they met at the central volcano and all of them poked and prodded at it until it's rage erupted and with its power they launched giant beacons of light, the Destiny Stars killed the sky, leaving its white corpse in tatters as it flew over the blue canvas. In this act, the sky gave one act of vengeance before its death and cursed our land to be dry of water for eternity, the rock and ponds melted away mysteriously and revealed the salt flats that were there. The heroes then called upon the Destiny Stars they cast up and every month they would fire a torrent of water at the central volcano, invoking anger again."

"We built our temple quickly and there at the top is a giant basin to catch the water that is then distributed via aqueducts, sustaining out lives and our farms that we built ourselves from importing soil."

"H-hold on," Celestia stopped him, "that's astounding! You built a temple at the top of a volcano prone to erupting?!"

"It's a natural defense, we can invoke it and it would fill premade moats to prevent any ground troops from entering after an hour or two of combat."

Celestia paused, Arctus' lands were far more magically crazy than his, but yet he commented on how different and amazing their magic functions at one point.

"So...do you always speak with such a serious tone?" She smiled wide at him.

"Not always, Celly. Could we get some breakfast?"

The commander of light slowly let him go after squeezing tight, "of course, you must be incredibly hungry."

She left the bed and he began to follow, "are you sure you can stand?"

He stood, swaying for a bit before holding his hand toward the balcony, his spear hung above the archway.

"Plienas karka savininkas."

His spear flung into his hand, moving him over a bit before he stabilized himself, "I can fight."

"Oooooh, Art. You can fight...horribly right now, but you could if you wanted."

"I'll walk to the dining hall here this morning."

"Not your usual stop in town?"

He walked to his desk, putting his usual clothing and armor back on, "no, that'd be a bit much. When injured, you can not protect your home if you aren't ready to respond."

Celestia hummed, "good, you at least know your limits."

"You would keep me from leaving the castle."

"I would, I'm not afraid to touch you like everypony else is."

"I noticed, you're basically a blanket," he opened his bedroom door and Celestia shut it behind her as she followed him closely, still unsure about his health.

"You know the healer's discovered a skin very close to yours and that's how they stitched you up."

"What skin resembles mine?"

"They couldn't readily research primates, but they instead directed their efforts to pigs. You might have a really nasty scar."

"That's okay, maybe my tissue will just be tougher then," he entered the dining hall and the guards present bowed to her, the kitchen immediately bring prepared food out.

"Please, a feast if you could. Arctus needs to eat and regain strength for tonight's celebration."

"We're doing to celebration tonight, Celestia?" A chef trotted out from the kitchen.

"Yes, brazen oven, he'll be ready for it."

"Celebration?"

"I'll ensure all the food is prepared, thought it will be my first time so please forgive me for any odd tastes, Arctus," he went back to the kitchen.

"Yes, we're throwing a celebration in your name. They may not say it, but they're very thankful for your efforts."

A knock came to the dining hall doors.

"Enter," Celestia looked.

"Thank you, Princess. Are you feeling okay, Arctus? We don't want you to get yourself killed in the field."

"Lieutenant Silver Spike?"

"I told him you were feeling up to a visit, he wanted to see you," Celestia took a seat at the head of the table, "join us Lieutenant."

Arctus sat to Celestia's right and Silver Spike across from him, "I'd heard the stories, to believe you survived a hit from a greatsword directly, I couldn't believe it. Guess you're in the position you are for a reason," food was being levitated about in front of them all onto plates.

Arctus looked at the rather normal breakfast, looking a bit out of place even, like it was from his homeland.

"He's definitely durable, which is needed for the things ahead."

Arctus looked to Silver Spike, "are you...my friend?"

The soldier just recently put in charge of training for the next moon almost choked on his food, "what?! Of course, I'm your friend. You thought I got friendly with you for a transaction? Pfffft, no. You've been the most fun pony to be around in a long time. A lot of the guard are too serious acting the part and not serious enough about doing the part."

"Oh, sorry Princess Celestia, that was not-."

"An insult? I didn't take it as one, I put you in charge of training recruits this moon for a reason."

"I won't let you down, Princess."

Celestia looked at Arctus' plate, in their short conversation he had already clear it and she nodded to the waiter who quickly piled his plate more, levitating food from other platters onto it.

"You eat fast."

"Lieutenant, he's never eaten this fast before, but he regularly consumes a meal meant for three ponies in twenty or so minutes."

"Is that why the Sun's Ray always gets sudden produce delivery when he's about to return? They figured him out fast."

"I didn't give them much choice," Arctus spoke while food was actively in his mouth, "I needed a specific set of nutrients and it put strain on them...but in hindsight, I might have helped that town...Ponyville, boom a little."

"I remember when they built the bakery while I was stationed there, fought less timberwolves than I wish I could ahve."

Arctus inhaled deeply before exhaling.

"Art, tell me about them, those godhood magics you mentioned."

"Well, I only know a three of them, but I have studied all of them. It takes a lot of practice to get the symbols right and the emotions, too."

"So they require a state of mind? That's a little unlike our magic."

"Our godhood spells are based on the heroes who set the Destiny Stars. By calling their name and emulating what they stand for we can use mana and emulate their abilities."

"Sounds exhausting. I know I'm a unicorn and all, but I'm not professional mage," Silver Spike interjected.

"They can take a lot out of the inexperienced. I used one during my battle with Kanna to ensure I had the energy to fight her after destroying her entire military. Another I used to get home."

"Mmmm, that makes me happy," Celestia had finished her palte.

"What does?"

"That you would consider this place your home," she smiled at Arctus.

"It's a home that I love, and I love it enough to put my life before it."

"You must be careful, I'll be more than distraught if you don't come back."

Silver Spike was catching on quick, "you two found something last night?"

"Astute of you, Lieutenant Silver Spike. We did."

"I'll try to keep it from spreading around the rest of the guard, Princess. You hear that?!" He shouted at the guards who stood at the doors and arches into the dining hall and loud enough that the one's outside could hear.

"Yes, sir!"

"I need to be getting down to the yard, it was nice talking with you Arctus and you too, Princess," Silver Spike stood and bowed, a spatha hanging at his side.

"Did he always carry a weapon around like that?" Arctus saw him pick a spear up from the side of the table on the floor while he left.

"You're a huge role model among them, Art."

He finished a second plate, "that should do for breakfast. When and where is this celebration?"

"The garden ballroom, 6pm tonight."

"You know...you did a really good job fixing my equipment, and far faster than I would have."

Celestia smirked, "I'd be a good home maker."

"Whose to say you aren't and a good Princess?" Arctus stood as he normally would and his vision blanked, "I might be pushing it a little today. I'm heading back to my room to look over some things and make some notes."

"Okay, Art. I'll be handing some day to day things and catching up from yesterday afternoon."

"And Arctus?" He paused at the door, the guards have opened them. He leaned on his spear.

"I love you."

Those were words he had not heard in his life. He related to Sunset Shimmer and would have very much liked to show her some of his ways before revealing that he had no parents and was mysteriously found. The scholared at the Aeternian temple said his birth was a sign that Aeternia would be eternal and that the changing of an age would happen. Some citizens even called for him to be named supreme ruler, Emperor of Aeternia.

But not a single one of them said that they loved him, but a princess of ponies, mover of the sun, ruler of a nation with boundaries as large as his homeland was saying that to him.

"Art? Something on your mind?" Celestia brought his mind back to the present.

"I'll tell you later, you should know my history after all."

He turned all around, facing her with his front, "I...I love you, Celly."

The guards' jaws were open, one familiar to the day.

And Arctus laughed behind his lips at the thought of domesticated.