//------------------------------// // Chapter 11 : Duty and Fidelity // Story: Branded by Friendship // by redstone //------------------------------// The sun was rising above Canterlot castle when an anxious looking white unicorn crossed the front gates, his purple and gold armor gleaming superbly. Shining Armor hesitated between walking calmly, as was expected of a pony in his position, or running wildly, as his frustration demanded. Morning had found him sleepless, nerves rubbed raw after such a nightmarish evening. He had been in high spirits as he returned from Spike’s favorite doughnut shop, even if his excursion had been a failure. He had invited the little dragon to a brotherly outing, hoping to get him to talk. Shining Armor knew Spike was hiding something; anytime he asked about Twilight’s well being the dragon changed the subject abruptly, never wanting to breach the matter. Many scenarios had played in his mind: maybe an experimentation gone bad, a dispute with one of her friends or, the most likely explanation, a book emergency. When his father had told him that his sister was home with a friend, he had cantered happily to the living room, but the things he heard behind the door almost made him slam head first into a wall. “Well, I do live with her, so...” The unicorn had barged into the room, ready to confront the sleazeball of a stallion that dared to move in with his little sis without his approval. He had not been ready to find Twilight lying in the arms of a strange creature, the embrace much too close for his taste. The creature, as it turned out, was infuriating. He had to control himself not to charge him, if only to wipe his smug smile as he held his precious sister. If Twilight had not teleported them both, he may have done just that; he would never know for sure. What he did know was that after her departure, his mother had declared that a proper supper was in order. She had sent Night Light to the kitchen, requested Spike to set the table for six in the dining room, and she had asked him to fetch a good vintage wine from their cave. He had not protested -- only a fool would contradict Velvet -- but her insistence on preparing a feast for Twilight’s friend made him grit his teeth. “When they come back, I want them to find the house ready to celebrate her return and her special friend,” she had decreed. Shining armor had browsed through the wide family reserve and selected a very fine bottle. He wanted to give the creature named Mès the worst cheap wine they had, usually reserved for unwanted guests, but he knew better. Even if she would not drink it, Twilight could spot a bad wine just by looking at the coloration; it was one of her secret talents. She often compared the science behind bottling and aging wine to the act of magic casting. Personally Shining didn’t see the link, but his sister represented magic itself, so what did he know? The table had been prepped and the food ready for some time before Twilight had reappeared in the same spot she had disappeared from, and at first she had been too distracted to see the whole family staring at her. She and Mès were locked in a fierce debate over the usefulness of offensive spells against defensive spells. They did not even break sentence as they reappeared, the man holding her hoof. To Shining’s great displeasure it seemed that the two of them got along very well, for he knew only good friends could yell at each other in such a manner without hating each other. And the way they joked when everyone sat down to eat made it clear they enjoyed the other’s company. Despite Twilight’s assurance that they were just friends, Shining Armor could not help but be suspicious about their ostensible fondness. To his dismay, Mès engaged in very easy banter with Velvet, the man seeming to be comfortable with her abrasive personality. He even joked around with his father, and Spike seemed to already like him. From what the little dragon said, it seemed that Mès had changed drastically since he had last seen him, and the white unicorn felt his fur stick out as the man explained that he owed his change to Twilight. During the meal, Velvet had remarked a strange tattoo on Mès’s right paw. The man had hesitated, then showed the emblem clearly. At first the unicorn family had been merely surprised to recognize Twilight’s cutie mark, and Velvet had even joked around asking if this was some sort of betrothal ritual in his species, but Twilight had been quick to explain. She had told the truth urgently, stammering as the gazes of her parents became shocked. After she had finished they had been too stunned to speak, Mès filling the void by explaining how the spell had been triggered, although he stayed quite unclear as to why he carried a curse for enslavement. Now Shining knew what Spike’s secret had been, and the seriousness of the situation had dawned on him: Twilight was bound to Mès for life, the thought making his fur crawl. The meal had been awkward after that revelation, and even Velvet had been quiet. She had only spoken again when saying goodnight to Twilight. The older mare had assured her daughter that she was still proud of her, that she still loved her. She only needed some time to accept what had happened. Night Light didn’t speak at all; he just hugged his daughter fiercely before retreating upstairs, visibly shaken. Shining Armor knew how serious the Familiar Spell was, but, contrary to his parents, he was more worried about Mès than his sister’s crime. That worry had increased dramatically as he got in touch with his subordinates earlier this morning, hearing the reports of Mès’s violent attack on three royal guards, the way he had overpowered them so easily. Shining Armor knew the three guards, knew they were well trained and very strong, but the man had knocked them out with a single surge of magic. The stallion was angry at his little sister for hiding these facts: the attack, the man’s magical capabilities, his apparent madness. The stallion resolved to go into a gallop to discharge his anger. His powerful limbs brought him to the throne room quicker than he liked, but his frustration evaporated when he found his little sister waiting to the side of the massive golden door. She had a book in her telekinetic grasp, and she had not seen him yet. Her concentration was much too deep to hear his hooves. Shining wiped his head around, trying to locate the subject of his concerns, but Mès was nowhere to be seen. He could not be very far, but the stallion was glad to be free of the man for now. He approached the lavender unicorn, eying the book she was reading: The Night Guard: Historical Account of the Lost Order. “Hi sis.” he called. Twilight looked up with a smile. She put her book down and moved in to give her brother a hug. “You are here to congratulate the new captain of the Night’s Watch?” He asked, pointing to the book cover. “Well, sort of.” she answered, biting her lip. “Why did you come? The ceremony is private.” “I am the captain of Celestia’s guards, I wish to pay my respect to the captain of Luna’s guards.” He explained. “It would be good to start with a good relationship, I don’t want to renew with the old rivalry between the two orders. I hope I can be friends with the other captain.” “I hope that too.” Twilight whispered, looking at him sadly. “I don’t want you two to hate each other.” “Do you know the new captain?” Shining asked, surprised. “Who is it? A mare or a stallion? Or is it a griffon? I heard princess Luna liked to choose very peculiar captains for her personal guard, even a minotaur once. I wonder if it’s true?” “It is, he was one of the last captains before... her fall.” Twilight said, shuffling the pages in her book. “Apparently Luna always prefered a captain with a lot of ferocity. Her Guard was always more combat prone.” “For all the good it did them.” Shining said darkly. “But that’s in the past. So tell me, who is this new captain? Do you know him from Ponyville?” “Hmmm, not exactly.” Something in her shifting gaze made Shining suspicious. “Then how...” Something occurred to him, but the thought was too crazy to be true. “No... It can’t be. Not him.” Just as he uttered those words the great double door opened, and Mès stood before him, clad in the ceremonial armor of the Night’s Watch. The armor pieces had been refitted for his body, and he had to admit that he looked very imposing in his uniform. His body was covered in a thick shirt, the sleeves going almost to his elbows, his legs garbed in a legging full of utility pockets. The cloth was black as night, and Shining realized with a start that they were made of real leather, but he could not tell from which beast it came. His greaves were made of the same material, polished and slick. On top of his leather garments the armor of the Night’s Watch shone, deep blue with silver edges. Mès had two armored shoulder pads, a light helmet that covered only the sides of his face, bracers protected his forearms, his shins covered in the same way. The final piece of his armor was a short breastplate, covering only his chest. The design seemed to follow his rib cage. The light reflected on his uniform, catching Luna’s cutie mark on his plastron. As the pieces of armor sparkled as the night sky, the white unicorn realized what they were made of: dragon scale. “You dare...” Shining Armor spluttered, unable to contain his shock. “The material you are wearing is highly illegal...” “I am the one who made his clothes, are you going to arrest us?” Luna asked, appearing behind Mès. She was looking very satisfied with herself. The little princess grinned at Celestia’s captain. “Don’t fret, my young champion of the sun! I only used the leftover stock from my old personal armory. My sister warned me that real leather and dragon skin is considered contraband in Equestria now, this was the occasion to get rid of what little I had left.” She circled around Mès, eyeing her work. “As a result, the armor is quite light, but it seems that my new captain prefers it that way.” She looked up at Mès, tilting her head. “Are you sure you don’t want to put on your cape?” “No, I look ridiculous with it.” Mès responded, adjusting his bracers. He saw Luna frowning at him and added quickly. “But I will wear it whenever I am on royal duty, my princess. I just don’t like the idea of looking like a centurion too much.” “Very well.” Luna levitated a black piece of fabric rolled into a bundle, and Shining armor recognized a dark pelt. He didn’t want to know what animal it came from. “I am sure you will find use for it: winter is coming. You’ll find some spare shirts and leggings in this pack.” Shining knew that in Luna’s time, the trade of these materials was permitted, if not commonplace. He could not blame the little princess, even if the idea of wearing dead skin disgusted him. Instead he focused on Mès, standing as tall as he could but still not able to be level with his eyes. “Don’t think that this honorary position changes anything!” he said, trying to stay calm and failing. “You attacked my subordinates, I won’t forget that.” Mès was taken aback by the comment, he had not given this white stallion much attention the previous day, but now he saw the dislike in his eyes. That glare stirred something dark inside him, and a voice started whispering in his ears. Before he knew it he heard himself respond with anger. “So you are responsible for those fools? It must take a very special kind of incompetence, to train your men so badly.” He tried to stop himself, but the voice had taken control. Shining Armor snorted steam and advanced on the human. “Don’t insult them!” he warned. Mès didn’t back down, instead he took a step forward, smiling. Twilight jumped between them, trying to bring peace between them. “Please stop! You don’t have to do this! Mès, you told wanted to be friends with my brother, remember? Shining, what happened to your wish for peace between the orders?” Her words seemed not to reach them. “I didn’t even have to break a sweat to bring them down.” Mès hissed nastily. With a start Twilight recognised the hateful tone Mès had used in the prison, when he was still consumed by anger. “Wearin the fallen princess’s colors won’t protect you,” Shining Armor replied, anger blinding him. “That is quite enough,” Luna said sternly. She was looking from Mès to Shining Armor sadly, thinking that once again history repeated itself. She had hoped that having Twilight as a link would bridge the gap between the two orders. She could feel the white unicorn’s emotions quite clearly, and knew that he was beyond reason at that point. She was aware of his sentiment of betrayal, his fear for his sister, his distrust for Mès — and his burning jealousy. “Mès has already paid for his crimes by swearing loyalty to Equestria. He is under my command, questioning his colors is insulting your princess...” “You are not my princess,” Shining Armor interrupted abruptly the little alicorn. As soon as the words had crossed his lips he regretted them. Luna had nothing to do with his quarrel with Mès, and he owed her his respect. He felt ashamed for his conduct, but before he could apologize he was hit by a wave of power, making him stagger backwards. He looked at the source of the magical outburst. Mès’s eyes were lit with green energy, his nasty smile gone, replaced by a frightful grimace of rage. A terrible sound came from his fanged mouth, it sounded like an incantation in an unknown language mixed with a snarl. Shining Armor prepared to fight for his life, but Twilight called the man’s name, her voice tight with anguish. He seemed to hear her, and blinked with confusion. Slowly, his expression softened, turning into a mere scowl. He took a shaky breath before addressing the stallion. “I don’t want to hurt Twilight’s brother, but you are making it very hard for me.” He spoke slowly, each words seemed to pain him. He shot a glance at the lavender unicorn in front of him. “I am not totally in control Tali...” His face twitched, the wicked expression appearing for an instant. Shining Armor righted himself, looking at the shaking man with alarm. “You really are unstable,” he whispered, before addressing his sister. “How can you hope that I would be his friend? He puts your life in danger just by being near you! You have to use your orders on him.” “I won’t,” Twilight answered. To her brother’s dismay, she inched closer to the man, Mès’s body radiating power now. She grabbed his hand and brought it slowly to her mane. His hand spasmed, before relaxing and brushing her head gently. Little by little his power leaked out, his eyes losing their brightness. Shining Armor looked on astonished as Mès’s fury was extinguished, the contact with Twilight bringing his sanity back. The stallion heard movement to his side, and he discovered that Luna was beside him, looking at the display. “You need not worry, I was ready to intervene anytime. Mès’s powers are nothing compared to mine.” She smiled when Mès lost strength in his legs, Twilight having to support him to prevent his fall. “Not that I needed to. Trust your sister, Sir Armor, she knows what she is doing.” “Your majesty, please forgive my words, I spoke without thinking.” Shining Armor saw the nod from the little princess, but he felt she would not forget what he had said. “I was just sick with fear for my sister your grace, you have to agree that Mès is dangerous...” “I would never hurt her.” Mès interjected, his legs still uncertain, his hand resting on Twilight’s head. “You already did.” Shining contradicted, speaking in a measured tone. “My subordinates told me she had to be healed when they arrested you.” “I regret that, but a cut lip is not what I would call a serious injury.” The man stood upright, his face grim. “How can you say that?” the stallion asked, unbelieving. “She was bleeding, they told me so!” “I forgot I was in a world where pricking your skin with a needle is considered like the worst thing ever.” Mès joked, there was contempt in his voice. “I won’t let you make light of her wound!” “You don’t know anything about real pain.” “And you don’t know how a brother feels for his sister!” Shining Armor barked, voice shaking with restrained anger. “You don’t know how it feels to be helpless, to see your family under threat, and being unable to do anything about it.” Mès expression became dark, and there was sadness in his voice as he spoke. “You are wrong. I know that sensation very well.” His eyes became haunted as he went on. “When I was little I had a sister, she was older than me, she raised me when we were separated from our parents.” He declared, his voice low and rumbling. “Why were you separated from your parents?” Shining Armor asked, intrigued despite his dislike for the man. “In my world, people like me are treated like livestock. My parents were bought right after my birth, their master was not interested in their offspring. We were left behind.” His casual tone was more disturbing than his words. “My sister was proud, her spirit hard to break. She protected me, fed me, tried to teach me how to control my powers once they appeared. She was the only thing I had, and I loved her more than my life. She did not accept to be treated like a slave, and on my seventh birthday she struck an imperial for touching her body. Do you know what happens to unruly cattle in my world?” He asked, his eyes clouded. Shining Armor gulped hard. “Was she punished?” The man stared hard at the stallion, the weight of his memories crushing him. “She was left to die, chained on top of a roof top. They made me watch day after day, as the sun burned her skin, the heat made her delirious.” Mès tried to ignore Twilight’s gasp. He had to gulp down hard to continue talking. “On the last day she cried out to me, her voice broken by thirst, and all I could do is curse the sun that was roasting her alive. I begged, ‘Please don’t hurt her, please don’t hurt her...’, but no sun god ever heard my pleas. After that I was completely broken, I became the most peaceful slave there was, completely docile.” Mès seemed disgusted by his old self. “Don’t try to give me lessons on fearing for your sister’s life. You are the one who doesn’t know what it feels like to lose her.” His voice broke, and the mask of casualness he had tried to maintain began to crack, showing his distress. “Oh Mès...” Twilight approached the man and nuzzled his tights. He understood the message and knelt, accepting her hug. He hid his face in her mane, so Shining Armor could not tell if he had shed tears as they stayed together, Twilight rubbing his back. “So this is why you won’t let Celestia get close to your friends without gritting your teeth?” Luna asked after giving the man time to collect himself. “You are afraid she will hurt those you care for?” Mès straightened, looking ashamed by his display of weakness. “In part, yes. After what happened to my sister, I could not help but become overprotective of the things I love. I had nothing until I met my beloved, and now I am fearful. I know Celestia doesn’t deserve my grudge...” “But some scars run deeper than reason.” Luna completed wisely. He gave her a small crooked smile, before turning to Shining Armor. The stallion didn’t know what to say after this revelation, but he was cut short as Mès took several quick paces towards him, stopping at arms length. “You have my word, I will never hurt Twilight in any way.” He said seriously, holding the unicorn’s gaze. “I hope you can forgive me for what I have done.” Mès held out his hand, wondering if the stallion would take it. Shining Armor was conflicted. He still thought that he was a danger to his sister’s life, but he decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, if only to spare Twilight a constant feud between her brother and her special somepony. The stallion’s suspicions had been confirmed as Mès had just called her his beloved, or at least that’s what he had heard. “I will hold you to your word.” He announced, shaking his hand with a firm hoof. “And If you do hurt my sister, I will hunt you down and wear your skin on my back,” he added, half joking. Mès laughed out loud, slapping Shining Armor’s shoulder with his other hand. “I like you, you can stay.” He declared with a toothy crooked grin. “But I hope you can fight better than your pegasi, I am a nasty beast to slay.” “I am captain of Celestia’s royal guard, I would bring you down in a flash.” Mès’s rough attitude and cockyness reminded the unicorn of the way guards talked between themselves, he was comfortable with this type of banter. “Big talk coming from a guy who almost falls just from me powering up.” “Do you want to talk about your feelings once more? Maybe you need another shoulder to cry on?” “Be careful, I could tell your mother about this. She could send you to your room.” “You’ll be hard pressed to talk at all, with all of your teeth knocked out.” “I see you have a saddle in your uniform, does that mean I can ride you? Your sister was happy enough to let me...” “You son of a...!” Luna rolled her eyes as the two males began to exchange increasingly vulgar insults. She trotted next to Twilight and spoke in a hushed tone. “Your sentencing will take place this afternoon, and I must warn you: once the trial begins, I will be obliged by tradition to see you as any other criminal. You won’t find any mercy in me if you are found guilty.” The unicorn gulped, but the princess’s gaze was kind as she continued. “For now the courtroom will resume its usual schedule. I would go upstairs if I were you, this place will be filled with ponies bringing their supplications to Celestia in no time.” Twilight nodded, then looked at her brother and her friend. One was gesticulating and the other rearing in the air. “Will they be okay?” “Have no fear, if there is one thing that hasn’t changed in all these years, it’s the way males will jump at each other throat one minute, before sharing a drink in the other. Especially those in the military.” She yawned, her tiny eyes filling with tears. “Now please excuse me, but I must go to sleep. I spent the afternoon, night and morning smithing Mès’s armor; I am exhausted. Good day, Twilight Sparkle.” ---ΩΩΩ--- Aurora sneezed, holding the book on top of her head to protect it from being sullied. Celestia’s personal library was not used by many, and, despite regular cleaning, some books were full of dust, the particles making her nose itch. The princess had left the merchant to deal with her royal duties for the day, but Aurora didn’t mind. As far as she was concerned she was in heaven. No matter where she rolled her wheelchair, she would find a bookshelf; she could only imagine how many books were contained in the secluded room. She had first moved around the chamber, mapping the area with her touch. Every so often she would pass her hand on the spine of a book or two, just to have an idea of the way the library was organized. This way she knew roughly what each section contained, all thanks to Celestia’s invention. She had spent the previous afternoon training with the alicorn, trying on the magical glove the princess had made for her. Aurora’s eyes were irremediably lost, Celestia speaking of damaged nerves and destroyed synapses. The woman knew nothing about such things, so the first book she had tried to read was a tome on Equestrian medicine. The glove was made to circumvent her insensitivity to magic: every time she brushed her gloved hand on a page, she could feel the words on her finger tips, the glove’s internal structure changing with each line. The letters were translated in a code made out of bumps, their disposition corresponding to letters in the alphabet. Some letters she didn’t know, as it seemed that Equestrian alphabet was composed of 26 letters, contrary to the one she knew that only had 23. She had discussed at length with the alicorn on the subject of their common tongue, Aurora insisting that they were speaking Latin and Celestia saying that it was Equestrian. Aurora didn’t like to leave such an amazing mystery unexplained, but the more she thought about it, the more her head hurt. At some point Celestia had told her with alarm that her nose had started bleeding. After that incident they had dropped the subject, the similarities and discrepancies between the two different worlds’ idioms confusing and inexplicable. She had learned to associate the bumps to the right letters very quickly, the new letters only giving her some minor problems. Even now she still thought that ‘J’, ‘W’ and ‘U’ were strange superfluous letters, but at least she could understand the words. It was strangely relaxing to be able to read in complete darkness, the words forming images in her mind each time she read something interesting, it was like there was nothing in the world but her and the book she was reading. There were enough bookcases for her not to worry about running out of books to read, even if she could only get to the lower shelves, but she still felt lonely after some time. She knew that a couple of unicorn guards were posted outside of the library, ready to help her get anywhere she needed, but the thing she wanted they could not provide. She wished Mès was here with her. As if answering her prayer, she heard the library door open, the voice of her husband echoing in the vast chamber. “I’m telling you, having fingers is much more practical than your magic,” the man said, his stubborn voice making Aurora’s heart soar with happiness. “My magic can make anything happen,” a voice responded. It was male; the merchant had not heard it before. “You rely too much on your hands, and your magical capabilities suffer from it.” “I have to agree,” a third voice said. Aurora grumbled. Twilight, of course. The unicorn was always with her husband. The woman knew that they could not be separated because of a spell, but still her constant proximity was grating. The worst thing was that she truly appreciated the mare: she knew Twilight was smart and kind. The few times she had spoken to the unicorn Aurora had felt attracted to her cleverness, in other circumstances the merchant would have loved nothing more than to befriend the unicorn. Celestia’s stories about her student had cemented that opinion. She truly liked Twilight. But knowing that Mès liked her too made her stomach twist with jealousy. She knew she was often overly possessive, so she had done her best not to appear too aggressive with the unicorn. She had been hard pressed to obey her resolution the previous night; she had been informed that Mès and Twilight had to share a room, almost a bed, because of the damned spell. Nonetheless she had smiled, assuring the unicorn that her repeated apologies were not necessary. She trusted her husband; she would endure the thought of sleeping less than two feet away from another female, their beds only separated by a shallow divide. During the night she had been awakened by a sharp pain in her stomach, and she had discovered that Mès was gone. She had found the mattress they shared empty and heard his light snoring coming from Twilight’s cot. Her husband had rolled towards the unicorn, choosing her warmth over his wife’s. Aurora had tried not to roar too loudly, but Twilight had been terrified nonetheless. “From what you told me you can’t even use levitation spells easily,” the unicorn went on. “You have a lot of power, but you lack focus. The spells you can use are only centered around weaving energy around objects, giving them a tougher structural integrity, flinging them or setting them on fire. If you want I can teach you to control your powers, I’m sure you can be a very respectable magician after we are done. You could be my personal student!” Aurora had heard enough. She emerged from the aisle she was hiding in, rolling towards the three of them. She heard Twilight squeak and the unknown stallion take a sharp breath, no doubt surprised by her appearance. No matter how much her husband told her she was still beautiful, Aurora knew her skin was dreadfully scarred. She could feel the uneasiness of every pony that came close to her, expect Celestia. It hurt her more than she liked to admit. “There you are, Aurora,” Mès called. He walked towards her, and Aurora realized he sounded different. “Are you wearing shoes?” she asked. His steps were sharp, maybe he was wearing sandals? “Come here, let me see what Luna’s armor looks like!” She was surprised not to hear the clinking of metal, as armors were usually noisy. Mès bent over to give her a kiss, then stood before her, ready to be scrutinized. Aurora’s hands ran along his body, finding the tunic covering his torso and the trousers on his legs, made from the same leather. It felt supple and strong, comfortable but resistant. His feet were clad with hardened leather, the toe caps solid as rock. She marveled at the touch of his armor pieces; they were light but felt hard as iron, smooth and warm. It was no metal. “What is this material?” She asked, gently caressing Mès’s breastplate. “Dunno, but apparently it’s illegal,” Mès responded with humor. “Hey Shiny, what is this armor made of?” “Dragon scale,” the unknown voice answered, sounding uneasy. She heard his heavy hoofsteps coming closer. He sounded huge. “My name is Shining Armor, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, lady Aurora.” The merchant tilted her head curiously. “‘Lady’? No one ever called me lady. Mès, you might want to take lessons in gallantry from this fine stallion. Twilight’s dream of becoming a teacher can wait.” “Why not both?” Mès joked, knowing that his wife would tease the unicorn endlessly if Aurora had her way. “Mès, I’m sorry to ask, but I thought your sister had died from her burns?” Shining Armor questioned, sounding confused. “You told them about your sister?” Aurora was astonished. It had taken her a lot of patience for Mès to open up about his past. “I didn’t tell them everything,” the man mumbled. He cleared his throat and addressed the stallion. “Shiny...” “Stop calling me that!” “Nope. As I was saying. Shiny, this is my wife, she was injured in the trip that brought us to Equestria.” “Wife? But... then...” Shining Armor stammered. Aurora heard his hooves shuffling, like he had turned away. She heard Twilight mumble incoherently, and the merchant guessed that the stallion was probably staring at the young female unicorn. “It seems you had the wrong idea about Mès and Twilight,” Aurora said nicely, hiding her resentment. “Apparently so,” the stallion said uncertainly. “They seemed so close that I assumed...” “Yes, Mès can be very expressive with his affections,” the woman interrupted with a smile, while screaming curses in her mind. She decided that she needed to make things clear with the unicorn. “Mès, why don’t you stay here with Shining Armor, I want to show something to my dear friend Twilight,” she said sweetly, her tone excluding any refusal. She pushed her wheelchair towards the heart of the library, where she had found a private study that would be perfect to hold a personal discussion with the unicorn. As she advanced in the row of shelves, she heard the canter of hooves announcing that Twilight was following her, alone. They trotted and rolled in silence, until they got to the study. Aurora gestured for Twilight to enter, and she closed the door behind her as she followed the unicorn. The woman could feel that she was tense, maybe afraid, so she decided to stay calm. She didn’t want to spook the young mare any more than was necessary. “So,” she began, reclining against her chair. “This Shining Armor, he seems to know you very well.” “He is my brother,” Twilight said with a small voice. She still had some trepidation when looking at Aurora’s ruined body, and the woman was intimidating. “Oh, now I understand,” the merchant said, snapping her fingers. “He and Mès met yesterday, when you went to your parent’s house, am I correct?” “Yes.” “Interesting.” Aurora nodded, feigning deep reflection. “Very interesting.” “What is it?” Twilight could not help but ask, she was unnerved by the merchant’s calm demeanor. “It’s interesting that you and Mès would spend an evening with Shining Armor, but never mention me at all.” Her voice grew cold, her frustration seeping out. “And now it seems that your brother had the crazy idea that you and my husband were together. I wonder how he got that impression.” Twilight steeled herself. “I didn’t do anything with your husband, if that’s what you are implying.” She found courage in her innocence. “He is my friend, and nothing else. Shining Armor would not have thought otherwise if Mès had not decided to tease me in front of my family. You have nothing to worry about.” “But I do, I really do.” Aurora advanced slowly, cornering Twilight as she spoke. “You don’t understand. If you were only trying to seduce him, I would have nothing to fear, I trust my husband. But what I do fear is the way he acts around you; I have no problems believing you when you tell me that you were not the one to act out of bounds yesterday. I know that Mès will often show his affections at the least opportune moments.” The woman had backed the unicorn against a wall, she stopped in front of her and brought her hands to Twilight’s face, caressing her cheeks. “Don’t you see? I’m not afraid that you are trying to seduce him. I’m afraid because you already succeeded.” She strained to keep the anguish from her words, but her voice still broke when she confessed her fears. “I… I was so sure that Mès could never love another while he had me.” Aurora knew she was being petty and selfish, but in the end, Mès was the only treasure she had left. She had chosen him over all the wealth she had accumulated over the years. She had abandoned her life as a traveling merchant, sold all of her books and liquidated her merchandise stocks to try and start a secret life with him. She had never regretted her investment, until now. Now she was afraid because of this small unicorn she held in her hands; she was afraid that she did not know her husband as well as she thought. She shuddered, and Twilight must have felt it, as the mare got closer and nuzzled her scarred face. For the first time she had initiated contact with Aurora, and the merchant felt instantly calmer. Aurora sighed and embraced the unicorn. “You are the first pony to willingly touch my face. My injuries scare you, don’t they?” “Not anymore,” Twilight said in her ear. Aurora let go of her but kept one hand on the side of her face. “I should have told you everything as soon as I met you, but I was afraid.” “Understandable, after what I did to Mès. And the way I attacked you.” “I have to ask,” the unicorn said with a touch of humor. “Would you have really stabbed me?” “If you were any other female, messing around with my husband, then yes,” Aurora chuckled. “But Mès chose to protect you, I would not risk losing his love for this. He obviously likes you a lot, now I just want to understand how much, and how you managed to gain his affections so quickly.” She smiled and ruffled Twilight’s mane. “And I swear I won’t get angry at you.” “What about Mès?” the unicorn asked, giggling. “I’ll deal with him depending on what you tell me.” Aurora mimicked the act of crushing something in her fist, and they both shared a relaxed laughter. In the next moments Twilight explained how Mès had lost his memories, how he didn’t remember his life with Aurora, how he had grown closer to the unicorn in the same way he had attached himself to the woman years before. They talked about the way he acted, and Aurora remembered with nostalgia the way he was before all the killing started. For the first time the woman and the unicorn spoke like friends, sharing their experiences with the shy peaceful slave that had been Mès, a boy they had both lost to the hardened man he was now. They laughed and mourned, and before long they were both comfortable with each other’s company, enough to speak of their hidden feelings. Merchant and librarian decided to call a truce, with Mès hanging on the balance. “Thank you for telling me all this, Twilight,” Aurora murmured, holding a hand on the unicorns shoulder. They were facing the only window in the study; she could feel the sunlight on her gown. Morning was coming to an end. “I know it was not easy for you, losing the man you knew, seeing the monster he became.” “You experienced it too.” Twilight responded earnestly. “I had months to get used to his increasing violent temper; you on the other hand got blindsided by his transformation. Quite literally.” “It was scary,” she admitted. “But now he’s himself again.” “I don’t really know what ‘himself’ means. I’m not even sure even Mès know it. He’s changed so much in such a small amount of time...” “He is still Mès, and he has us.” She sighed, she knew what she had to do to bring peace between her and the merchant. “I won’t let my feelings for him bring discord into your couple. I will let him go.” She had not read many books on romance, but one theme was generally accepted: time healed these types of wounds. She hoped that was true, as her decision seemed to pierce her heart. “If anything happens, we’ll always be there to help him. You as his wife, and me as a friend.” Twilight said resolutely. “Always... that could be a problem.” Aurora whispered, almost more to herself than to Twilight. Before the unicorn could ask what the merchant meant, the door shook. Mès’s voice rang behind it. “Hey, are you alright in there? It’s been two hours.” He listened to the stunned silence. “Twilight, squeak three times if you are held hostage!” Aurora chuckled and withdrew her hand from Twilight’s shoulder. “Stop being silly, I could never hurt my dear friend.” She said, meaning every word. Mès caught on to her tone, and the man’s voice became preoccupied. “Okay, now I’m really worried...” “What’s going on?” Shining’s voice joined him, muffled by the door. “I think my wife might have killed your sister,” Mès declared seriously. “WHAT!” “Yeah. You should have seen what she did to that one girl who grabbed my ass once. There was blood everywhe...” The door burst open with a wood splintering ‘bang’, and Aurora guessed that Shining Armor had rammed the door down. She heard Twilight's cry out, outraged by the damage. “This is Celestia’s private library!” the unicorn hissed. “Twily, you’re okay!” “Twily? Are you copying my nickname?” Mès asked, sounding a little mad. “It’s Tali. Ta-li.” “That sounds stupid. Twily is better.” “Don’t I get a say in this?” Twilight asked tiredly. “NO.” Both stallion and man responded at the same time, before arguing once more. Aurora bursted laughing, patting the unicorn’s head. “Seems like you lose this one, but you will get your chance another time.” She meant more than Twilight could guess, but for now Aurora was content in sharing everyone’s good humor. Her eventual demise could wait. She did not even mind when Mès loaded Twilight on her lap and pushed her wheelchair at top speed, yelling that Shining Armor had gone mental and was destroying the library. The woman didn’t know if the guards standing at the door believed him, but the stallion didn’t catch up to them, to Mès’s great delight. They kept running, Twilight hugging Aurora tightly, begging Mès to slow down. Both humans laughed together, wreaking havoc in the corridors of the castle. ---ΩΩΩ--- Hours later, Twilight shuffled uneasily, awaiting her sentencing. The day had gone faster than she thought was theoretically possible. First she had endured an endless cavalcade of doom. Mès had pushed her and Aurora around the castle until a squad of royal guards had chased them down, led by a furious Shining Armor. History would remember that the first captain of the Night’s Watch after Luna’s return had spent his first day in active duty destroying half of the castle's decorations, ruining the rugs, breaking vases and running over unsuspecting royal guards. Really, in comparison to the previous Night’s Watch captains, Mès seemed almost tame. She then had brought Aurora to meet her parents for lunch, and the way the woman and her mother instantly became best friends should have been a reason to celebrate.... if you forgot about the fact that together, the two female formed the most fearsome duo of wicked tricksters Equestria had ever seen. Night Light, Mès and Shining Armor would remember that meal for the rest of their life. ‘I’ve never felt so emasculated.’ Mès had commented afterwards. At least her parents had been as inviting as ever, their uneasiness about the familiar spell forgotten. Even Shining Armor seemed more accepting of her human friend. It had been a fun morning, and the time had flown by. She and the man were now waiting before the great double doors of the throne room, the usual lines of ponies dispersed for the solemn occasion. Twilight had insisted in receiving her judgment in the most official way possible, so a full tribunal had been called. The thought made her stomach twist with fear. The type of trial she had asked for was ancient, and the accused had no right to a lawyer like modern tribunals. The judges would examine all sides to the story, deliberate then decide on a sentence once a consensus was reached. This type of tribunal was perfect since she wanted to serve as an example, but it was also known for being less forgiving than popular juries. The Royal Tribunal had not been gathered for centuries, and it had exiled the last pony to be judged. Once again she resumed pacing around. “Will you stop that?” Mès shot at her, annoyed. He was sitting, leaning against the far wall in the corridor. The black cape on his back was thick enough to be comfortable. “I can’t help it.” she said, panicking. “What’s taking them so long?” “Princess Luna and Celestia are debating your punishment, and since you wanted the full jury, all the matriarchs in your government are going to participate.” Mès sniffed unhappily. He still felt weird about the fact that the equivalent of a consul in this world was female. In the Empire, consuls were clever men who spoke directly to the Caesar, influenced all his decisions and were the second most powerful men in the world. Equestria had matriarchs instead: old mares reputed for being the wisest of all. They advised the princesses for the rest of their lives. “What if they choose to banish me?” Twilight whispered, revolving around the corridor. “Princess Luna won’t let them do that,” Mès answered with confidence. “What if they want to lock me up forever?” she said, her pacing bringing her closer to the man. “Celestia already broke you out once, she could do it again,” he joked, trying to calm her down. “But what if...” Mès suddenly leaped on top of her as she paced in front of him, his cloak flapping wildly. She squeaked in surprise but he was too quick for her to avoid. The man dragged her towards his resting spot like a trapdoor spider bringing its prey to its lair. He snared his arms around her chest and sat cross legged, placing the unicorn between his thighs. “There.” he said in her ear. The armor was warm against her back; she wished she could feel his calm heartbeat like before. “You stay put and try to calm down. If you even think about moving I’ll bite your neck.” Twilight shuddered at the thought, but she started to relax. The armor didn’t have any sharp edges, so she was nestled snugly in his arms. Soon enough Mès’s calm breathing lulled her into a sense of serenity. They stayed in a comfortable silence, the man cradling her like a foal. She was even about to nod off when the double doors opened, a fully armored Shining Armor stepping out to call them in. He stared at them without a word, and only signaled for them to enter. Fear gripping her throat, Twilight disengaged herself from her cozy resting place. Mès followed her as he readjusted his dark cape. They crossed the great doors together. It was like stepping into a furnace. The red curtains had been drawn down, giving the room a fiery aura that made her shiver. She could feel the eyes of the dozens of old mares piercing her as she passed in front of them. The matriarchs were seated in rows of soft benches, their frail bodies a contrast with their intense gazes. Their ancient wrinkled faces reflected mostly curiosity, some were sad and a few were openly hostile. Twilight tried not to look at them, instead she stared ahead. At the end of the throne room sat Celestia and Luna, side by side in great chairs of white marble for one and black obsidian for the other. The thrones were elevated on a platform, the marble steps leading to the princesses covered in a red carpet. Twilight trotted uncertainly towards the two alicorns, their faces were unreadable. Her legs felt heavy and sluggish. She was glad Shining Armor and Mès were not at her sides, and she drew strength from their proximity. That was one of the perks for choosing the Royal Tribunal: the sentence was always carried out by the captains from the two orders of royal guard. Finally the three of them reached the steps leading to the thrones, and Twilight sat down on the carpet, keeping her head high to look at the princesses. Mès and Shining Armor stood at attention just behind her. She was ready to receive her judgment. A feverish tension descended upon the assembly. The matriarchs seemed to be holding their breaths, and by an unseen signal the two alicorns stood up, their wings flaring out in perfect synchronization. “Twilight Sparkle,” Luna began, her voice grave and powerful despite her little body. “You have been brought before this tribunal to answer for your crimes.” “You stand accused of using the Familiar Spell...” Celestia continued, her voice softer than her sister’s, “and hiding your deeds, which resulted in the injury of three royal guards.” Twilight heard Mès shifting behind her, no doubt about to protest that it wasn’t her fault, but an imperial stare from Luna shut him up. “After careful deliberation, it is the judgment of this tribunal that you are guilty of all crimes and must face the consequences for your acts.” “Do you have anything to say before we announce your sentence?” Celestia asked gently. “No.” Twilight answered simply. She was ready. She wanted to be done with it. “It is the decision of this assembly that the punishment for using the Familiar Spell must teach unicorns to be mindful of their misuse of magic,” the night princess explained. She stared coldly at the lavender mare. “We cannot risk anypony to think that the use of this spell will be tolerated,” the princess of the day added. “To this effect, we decree that the sentence will be most severe: the offending unicorn’s magic will be taken away, the criminal will be stripped of any powers.” Luna’s voice filled Twilight with ice. Her heart stopped beating. “The sentenced with be forbidden to use magic. Forever.” A hole seemed to open under her hooves, and Twilight was falling, falling, falling to depths unknown. Magic was everything to her, what would she do without it? The throne room dissolved, darkness filling her vision. From the deep pits of despair, she barely heard Celestia talking. “But in this case you used the spell unknowingly; we have proof that your familiar carried a curse that triggered the spell.” Twilight stared at her mentor, not daring to hope. The white alicorn gave her a motherly smile. “Furthermore, Equestria owes you a great debt for what you did for my sister. For these reasons we have agreed to grant you leniency.” “Regardless, you will have to carry a magic nullifying ring for a short period of time,” Luna interjected gravely. “You will have to learn to depend on your friends until your magic is released.” “Know that we wished we could absolve you completely...” Celestia began sadly. “But we cannot let you go unpunished, that would not be fair,” Luna completed darkly. Her horn lit up, and she levitated a small box from her side. She set the case before Twilight, and commanded imperiously to the two captains. “Sirs, you know your duty.” Shining Armor and Mès advanced. The stallion levitated the lid open, the golden ring inside sparkling with energy. He hesitated, took a feeble step forward, but then hung his head. Even for a limited time, removing a unicorn’s magic was a terrible thing to do, and he could not bring himself to subject his own sister to this fate. Twilight looked at Mès. The man was gazing at Shining’s lack of resolve with disgust. He took several deliberate steps towards the box, grabbed the ring with a quick jab and turned towards the unicorn he cared-for so much, his face grim and determined. The man would not allow her ordeal to last any longer. Luna stared at her captain’s back with pride, and in that instant Twilight understood why the princess of the night had always chosen ferocious champions for her guard. Even in times of peace you needed someone to carry the burden of executing a sentence, and most ponies, if not all, were too soft hearted for such a task. Especially when you considered that in her time, Luna had dispensed far more severe punishments. Mès stood in front of Twilight, looking fearsome with his dark armor. He held the ring out in his palm, the gold contrasting with his brand. They locked eyes, and in their gazes they shared all their emotions; there was nothing that needed to be said. Twilight inclined her head towards the man, presenting her horn. He could not have been gentler as he put the ring on her, the golden metal shining brightly as soon as it reached the base of her horn. The magic nullifying spell was triggered instantly, Twilight’s powers locked away. She gasped as a great part of herself vanished. It felt like she a limb had been torn away, and even if it didn’t hurt the loss terrified her. Without magic, she felt naked and vulnerable, even her physical strength seemed impaired. She shivered, the shock making her eyes start to tear up. Her legs started to shake, and she realized she was about to lose consciousness. The ring had taken too much out of her. Before she could break down entirely Mès knelt before her and grabbed her shoulders bracingly. She could see the concern in his eyes as he leaned towards her, and in the next moment he began to hug her. Then, it happened. She did not know how, she could not explain why, and she didn’t care. Without warning, Mès’s lips found hers, the kiss surprising them both. Maybe he was aiming for her cheek but had missed, maybe Twilight’s exhausted body had jerked at the most inopportune moment, maybe there had been an earthquake and she had not felt it. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was the fact that Mès did not take his lips away, but rather pressed further after a few seconds of shock. Twilight had neither the strength, nor the will to push him away. The last thing she remembered before she fainted was thinking about Aurora, and the pang of guilt sent her over the edge.