//------------------------------//
// Chapter 4 -- Armed Forces 
// Story: A Realm Of Strange Creatures 
// by Delvius 
//------------------------------//

CHAPTER 4 -- Armed Forces



Once more I found myself wiping my helmet clean of the pink icing, only this time I was not alone in the endeavor. My fellow knights were far more open to the locals than I, though, so their time of removing the frosting from their visors was at least filled with amiable chatting. The subjects of their talk were not unlike what Twilight had asked me, and she seemed to be asking again just to get fresh opinions. Rainbow Dash had, however, remained behind along with Pinkie -- something about needing to 'stay away' from us. These creatures tended to be like that, polar in many ways; some were kind, others the exact opposite.

"... is why Applejack would love to meet you guys!" Twilight said at last. I didn't get the rest of their conversation, though. I had thought Twilight was asking questions, not telling us of her friend.

We went down a fairly wide dirt road, which steadily wound up a hill that was marked here and there with trees of the strangest appearance. Unlike the others trees that had nothing upon them but green leaves, these ones had the most queer red fruits upon them -- 'apples', so my suit told me. The path behind us was littered with used napkins filled with icing.

"She sounds... rather like an extrovert," Justinian replied. "I'm not one for such outdoor activities, so I'm not quite sure how she'd take to me."

"Oh, that's okay, Justinian," Twilight said. Yes, she HAD learned our names and had no qualms of using them. "She's with the Apple family, you know! They're known for their hospitality, so I'm sure you'll feel just at home with them."

Justinian let out a relieved sigh, and breathed out to answer, when Velian arm-locked him from the side. "Aw, come on!" he taunted, "What, isn't your frail skin already well protected by your suit? And yet here you are, doubting it's ability to protect you from exotic air and local mud when it can CLEARLY protect you from lava."

Justinian snickered as he removed Velian's arm from around his neck. "That may be true," he said, "BUT, as you know brother, I am simply not comfortable around air that hasn't been exposed to our Aura. You know how it is. Remember back on Trivium?" Justinian was, of course, referring to an incident where a sentient gas entity turned the surrounding air into a living parasite. Needless to say, watching animals and plants get sucked dry of all life was NOT pleasant to watch.

"So where is this farm?" I asked as I wiped the last of the icing from my face.

Twilight pointed to the top of the hill upon which the dirt path snaked. "We should see it in a little field right after we crest the hill!" she said excitedly. Then she frowned, but not out of sadness but of thought. "I wonder how she'll take to you guys, though. She isn't exactly the most calm when it comes to stuff that might scare her. Just like when Princess Luna was shouting all over town..."

Justinian perked up. "Princess Luna?" He turned to us. "Isn't she the so-called Princess Celestia's sister?"

Velian nodded, "Yeah, she is. But that's not the highlight; as it turns out, you WERE listening at the seminar!" Then he patted Justinian on the back.

"Why?" I asked. "What of Princess Luna?" Our little conversation had gotten Twilight's attention, and she now glanced back at us with the most curious expression.

Justinian rubbed the back of his neck plates in contemplation. "Well," he started. "It's just that... isn't she a lot more serious when it comes to this place's security? That's what Commodus told me, at least."

"What?" I snapped, surprising him and causing us all to stop. "When did you speak to Commodus about this? Moreover, why was I not the one he talked to?"

Justinian recoiled. "Woah, okay, calm down, easy, Andelius, he just told me some stuff that you weren't around to hear, alright? It isn't that ser-"

"It's very serious!" I said as I yanked him closer. I could see the surprise in his eyes. "None of us are ready for an armed confrontation, Justinian! Why, the ponies would be destroyed! How are we supposed to neutralize them if they come for us? What if Celestia is off and her sister is taking care of this place? What then?"

"Andelius," Velian said, relaxed. "Do you forget who is with you? Why, I could probably word my way out of an argument with these people just like I did with the natives of Bactra."

"Yes, and need I remind you that your 'negotiations' nearly got us detained for disrespect to the Bactran king!" I replied harshly, and tossed Justinian off. He nearly tripped backwards from the force. I sighed in frustration and covered my visor with my hand.

"Um..." Twilight hummed, confused. "What exactly is going on here?"

"Well, knowing Andelius and his tendency to overreact, it's probably nothing, but-"  Velian was saying.

"But nothing!" I snapped, to which Velian nodded his head in expectation. I rounded on Justinian. "You should have told us this, Justinian. Now if we get brought to the palace under armed escort, believed to be a threat, then the smoothness of this operation of ours will be severely jeopardized. And if it is, so help me..." I waved a fist at him.

Twilight galloped in front of me and placed both of her forelegs onto my arm, and I lowered it. "Wookay!" she said with a little chuckle. "Don't be paranoid, Andelius. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna aren't hostile, as far as I know. And you did tell me that Celestia had past business with your people, so everything should go fine when you go to meet her."

Then she squealed in excitement, "Ooh, I can't wait to hear what she has to say about your people! It's just SO exciting! So much knowledge!" She squealed again, this time jumping up and down.

I brought a hand over my face in frustration. "That remains to be seen," I grumbled, then sighed, "In any case, there's no point in arguing about it now. We'll just have to hope that this doesn't endanger our mission here. Because if it does, then I believe a good disciplinary session would be in order..." I looked to Justinian, and his eyes widened.

The rest of the walk up the hill went fine, and the fairly calm and picturesque route up served to subdue my frustration. It even came to the point that I almost enjoyed the thought of being on that planet for the next few years. Almost.

Soon we reached the top of the hill, and the sight before me was one of subtle magnificence -- surprising, as after seeing the floating islands in the capital of my home planet, I did not believe anything else would elicit awe.

The road we stood upon cut down the back of the hill in a straight line, curving only to wind around some smaller hills. Behind the trees that stood upon those was a two-story structure of wooden make, painted brightly red and surrounded by barren yet fertile-looking brown soil. Around that structure were more hills going in all directions, upon which more apple trees stood. 

The subtle, peaceful beauty of it -- brought about not by preparations for war or self-gratification -- astounded me. For who, after all, would create such a wide and fruitful land for the mere purpose of providing for oneself and those around them? None other; all such efforts that I have seen were for some ulterior motive.

"That's the Apple family's barn, and around that are their acres of apple trees," Twilight said in a friendly but lecturing tone. "Now, when we get there, try to be at your best behavior. Applejack's had to rebuild the barn more than once, and I'd hate for another incident to occur. Oh, and watch out around Granny Smith -- she might get frightened by you."

Justinian nodded, "As long as they don't willingly get mud or dirt on me as some kind of welcoming rite, I believe I shall enjoy the simple peace of this place." He started walking down the path.

The three of us followed, all of us but me relaxed.

Velian smacked my shoulder lightly, jarring me out of a tense walk filled with anxious thoughts. "Come on, 'delius," he chimed. "Relax. Take some joy in the job. Let things go as they will..." he said soothingly, coaxing me to do the same as he. It wasn't really working; it just disturbed me greatly.

"Please don't do that again," I said simply as I took a few steps from him.

He gave me a look of sagely disapproval -- which I especially didn't like because I was older than him -- and took in a breath to reply. Before he could, though, a resonating chorus of flapping wings filled the air.

"What was...?" Twilight was saying as she looked into the air, and at once her mouth went agape and her eyes widened. We too looked up, and the sight greatly surprised me.

A hundred or so pegasi, all silhouetted against the sun save for those closest to us. They were descending in a wide circle, with the outlines of spears in their hooves. Upon their white coats they wore a set of intricate but highly ceremonial golden armor studded with gems here and there, and atop their heads were helmets of similar make with blue plumes jutting out from the top.

I managed to sweep aside my shock just long enough to grab Justinian's shoulder and say in his ear, "We will discuss the inaccuracy of your reassurances later." 

The circle descended about us, and the faces of the pegasi that landed were grim and hard. Twilight looked to them with the most shocked eyes; clearly she had never expected such an event to occur. Her shock became far more evident when several regular ponies clad in the same armor came trotting down the road from Ponyville, and her eyes widened so much at the sight of one particular pony that they seemed like they would roll out of their sockets. That particular pony was a unicorn like Twilight, and he wore on him armor of purple coloration along with the typical gold.

"Twily!" the unicorn said, and Twilight and he galloped to meet each other halfway. Velian drew his sword but didn't provocatively point it at any of the soldiers -- a major improvement over his behavior on other planets -- while Justinian shuffled around uneasily. I just looked at them all with calculating glares.

"Shining, what is going on?" Twilight asked in a rush. "These people mean us no harm; we could learn from them! They were even assigned to us to keep us safe!"

Shining -- I didn't know if that was his whole name -- sighed and said regretfully, "I wouldn't know Twily. All I know is that Princess Celestia and Luna told us to seek them out and bring them to Canterlot. Said it was important." He sighed again and looked his sister over, then glanced over at us. Clearly he didn't like having to do what he was doing against his sibling's will.

But he was this guard contingent's commander, and being a soldier like him, I understood that orders were orders. His face predictably hardened into an expression of stern resolve as he yelled, "Cease them!"

"Shining, don't-" Twilight was saying, when the guards all around us moved in on us with no hesitation.

My fellow knights were prepared to resist this arrest, but I stopped them. The looks I sent their way made it clear that I knew we needed to see the princesses. After all, Commodus knew them, and so surely his name would ring a bell when we mentioned our identities. 

With looks of hesitation, by fellows sheathed their blades back into their scabbards and let the pegasi troops bind our arms and legs in strange magical cuffs. My suit immediately offered to counteract them, but I rejected it. 'Non-violence towards the locals if you can help it,' Commodus had said.

I sighed and glanced over at Twilight, the distraught unicorn looking pale from disbelief. She looked like she quite simply wasn't used to seeing these sorts of things. The look in her eyes suggested she was more used to... to dealing with relationship problems, or perhaps giving advice; not coping with shows of anything near violence, whatever kind -- verbal or physical.

I didn't get to give her and the situation much thought, when my brethren and I were wrapped in a magical aura of light rose. We were lifted up, and for the first time since I was mutated with temporary wings I felt weightless.

Then two pegasus soldiers held aloft the male unicorn, and without any words spoken we were whisked off into the sky.