What does a Hero Truly Need?
By: Zelkova48
Chapter 22: Drafted- Part 1
Yesterday, despite all the progress that our favorite mares and heroes have made on the the wedding, was pretty hectic after Rubick and the others experienced some mild prejudice towards their new diamond dog acquaintance. Thankfully no one ended up getting hurt at the end of the day, physically at least. Some things were said and a couple of hollow threats were made but other than that the guards weren’t involved and nothing catastrophic happened.
Unfortunately, Aiushtha had to spend the rest of her day speaking with and assuring almost every single member of the castle staff that Jackal wasn’t some prison escapee or spy that wished to caused anarchy in an otherwise harmonious society. It took a couple of hours for the Enchantress’s words to sink into the populace but once it did ponies were able to stand around Jackal without hyperventilating and passing out from lack of oxygen.
Rubick continued to mentor Twilight again in the finer points of magic, albeit a little less enthusiastic than he was previously before. Ever since he and Sven found out about several books with some rather discriminate information regarding the diamond dog species he found himself questioning the legitimacy of the pony’s supposed society that was built upon the foundation of friendship and harmony. Because of that he was left in a state of extreme thought that almost gave him a migraine.
Eventually he managed to power through his headache and see through another night of teaching and eventual failure. Now his teaching method’s weren’t bad per se. It’s just that Twilight kept trying to do things her way from a logical standpoint and that always made her fall flat on her face when it came to something as simple as an entry level telekinesis practice. Time after time he kept telling her to stop treating magic like a feral beast that needed to be control but she kept doing it regardless.
Twilight begrudgedly argued again about the concept of magic being some sort of separate being but Rubick just went and told her that she was being too forward and dense with her thinking. She raised a hoof to perform a counter argument but she stopped when she realized that Rubick would probably have some witty retort about her strict personality, even when it wasn’t. After another couple hours of repeated effort and failure they had decided to call it a night.
Even if all the heroes did was prepare for perhaps the biggest wedding in all of Equestria, everything that happened afterwards built up some unwanted stress that no one wanted. Hopefully the next day would be more relaxing. Maybe the princesses could shed some light on the tension between ponies and the diamond dogs and maybe Twilight will be one step closer to finding them all a way back home.
But for now, some sleep was in order for everyone. A restful night of sleep is all that is required to reinvigorated the body and the mind to prepare them for another day of work. Although everyone in Canterlot managed to sleep soundly and peacefully thanks to Luna and her abilities to enter dreams, the princess of the night was drawn to one particular individual who appeared to be suffering a horrendous nightmare of sorts...
* * *
“Hmm, how odd. I never would’ve thought that him of all ponies would be suffering from a nightmare. Perhaps his occupation is getting to him” Luna said as entered the realm of Gondar’s subconscious. Like she had done a thousand time before, she lifted up the veil that separated Gondar’s mind from everypony else. As she stepped into his mind she immediately took notice of how dark the area was. His nightmare must’ve ended but something felt off. What kind of pony dreamt of oblivion?
She kept her distance from Gondar but keenly observed him, her deep blue eyes never leaving Gondar once. He looked much more calmer than he was went Luna spotted him writhing in pain from across the dreamscape. He was much more reserved and focused, like when he was when he was during their first meeting. She was about to approach him but a bright flash of light froze her in place.
When Luna finally opened her eyes, she was speechless at what she was seeing. Some sort of alicorn... griffon... well, she didn’t know what the heck it was. All she knew was that it was a quadruped but it had two other arms to hold it’s oblong staff. It’s skin was reminiscent of black obsidian which had an eerie green glow through the cracks of it’s form. Who or what entered felt physical. Gondar wasn’t dreaming him, he was real and he was inside Gondar’s head.
From the look of thing, both Gondar and the foreboding entity were having a little chat. Luna was interested in eavesdropping upon the conversation but as she tried to move she felt her face collide some kind of invisible wall. She rubbed her nose from the pain and cursed inwardly, some powerful magic was blocking her from listening in on the two. But as she mulled around the thought of magic, she realized that she missed the obvious question. Who in Equestria, aside from Luna and her sister and to some extent, Discord, could be strong enough to enter the mind?
She was confused, very confused. The world of dreams was her domain and yet there was an unwanted intruder mucking about in her territory. She tried to used her own magic to remove the unseen barrier but she was met with a light fizzle that didn’t do anything productive. She cursed again, something was amiss and she was hellbent on finding out what. But for now, all she could do was watch.
* * *
“What the hell was that? I thought I heard some kind of noise” said Gondar as he looked around the dark room of his mind. He thought he had heard something, which was strange considering the fact that he could’ve thought that he heard something, which in and of itself was incredibly confusing “Huh, guess it was nothing. By the way, why are you here again, Harbinger? Did you get bored of the battlegrounds already?” he asked
“That is irrelevant” Harbinger simply stated with his spine tingling voice “But you have noticed that they have disappeared, correct?”
“What, the visions?’ said Gondar “It was strange. One moment I was trapped in the middle of a burning field, and then the next, nothing at all. It all just faded away. I guess you know something about that then, right?”
“Correct. The reason why the visions have stopped is because of you and the others” said Harbinger.
“And why is that? What makes us so special other than the fact that we don’t belong in this sugarcoated continent?” Gondar asked with an annoyed tone laced in his voice.
“Your presence here has altered the course of this world’s future. What you saw was the eventual fate of this world had it not been for your arrival” said Harbinger.
“So... what about everything else? The prophecy that you told me. Are they just going to disappear now that we screwed up whatever was suppose to happen?” Gondar asked with a raised eyebrow.
“No” said Harbinger “Your being here may be purely coincidental but the destruction that awaits the inhabitants of this world will still occur” Harbinger settled down on all fours and gazed at Gondar with his ethereal eyes “You have a choice to make. You may choose to leave this world when the opportunity arises or you can prevent the premonitions from coming true”
“But why should I care what happens here? I had nothing to do with this place up until a few days ago” Gondar replied coldly “So what if this world burns. Right now, I’m more relieved of the fact that those damned visions are gone” he gave a relieved sigh behind his mask
“What you decide to do is out of my jurisdiction” said Harbinger “However, I do know that you do have some sort of personal stake in this world regardless of what you say, Bounty Hunter” Gondar winced at his words as an image of Rarity flashed into his mind for a split second. Harbinger knew about that but he didn’t elaborate on that. The Outworld Devourer chuckled before the flustered hunter, something that Harbinger rarely did unless he was destroying some lesser being.
“The choice is yours; resign this world to it’s fate or avert cataclysm” said Harbinger with his bone chilling voice “Choose wisely, for one choice shall forever doom the other”
Gondar took a moment to think absorb everything that they had just talked about. It was dizzying trying to choose between something that was world shattering, literally. He mulled the choices around in his head. He thought back to what he had said about how he didn’t care if the world burned. He felt disgusted at his choice in words. For the time being until there was a way home he was technically a citizen of Equestria, whether he liked it or not.
He was Equestria’s Bounty Hunter now, and even though he had been drafted into the elite royal guards he will continue to see the deserving caught and/or killed for their crimes. Even though the princesses don't particularly agree with his methods, simply ticking them off with whatever he did would make his stay here much more satisfying.
“I won’t say anything yet, Harbinger” said Gondar with his head lowered “It’s too soon to tell and I need to know what the others might think too”
“Understandable” Harbinger replied “If that is what you think then I am done for the time being. I have to leave now, someone has been watching us” he said which caused Gondar’s crimson eyes to widen like dinner plates. Gondar looked around the dark room trying to look for the intruder. It was hard to see in the darkness but his trained eyes adapted to the light and he could see a dark blue outline off the edge of the room. he knew who it was all too well.
“Her?” Gondar exclaimed “What is she doing here?”
“Trying to understand things that she cannot comprehend” said Harbinger as he began to take flight with the each beat of his wings “It will be a long time until we meet like this again, but for now, I shall take care of her” he raised his staff up high as the green glow around him brighten until he disappeared from the recesses of Gondar’s mind.
Gondar didn’t know whether to feel relaxed or terrified that Harbinger was going to handle the spying princess. Relaxed for the fact that he could breathe easy knowing that his secret could still be intact, but terrified for what Harbinger could do to Luna. Luna may have control over the moon but to Harbinger the moon was nothing more than a spec of dust to him. He could destroy her mind with a single wave of his staff, leaving her to become nothing more than a magical vegetable.
Although a part of him was fearful for the possible outcomes, he smiled on the inside knowing that the almighty princess of the night is going to be in for the surprise of her life.
“Heh, I’m sure she’ll be fine. Harbinger wouldn’t go that far here, not yet at least” said Gondar as his mind began to harmonize itself back with his own physical body. Slowly but surely his consciousness was back to the way it was suppose to be as he returned his restful slumber.
* * *
“Huh? What just happened? Where did that creature go?” Luna asked herself as she gazed around Gondar’s consciousness, trying to find the enigmatic intruder to her realm. She spied all around but found nothing of interest, aside from Gondar dreaming naturally. She wanted to enter his dream again to get some answers but she just found herself slamming into the invisible barrier over and over again “Gah! Who is doing this!”
“Me....” a deep and haunting voice spoke from behind Luna as she received her answer, although now she regretted actually asking it in the first place. Luna felt herself lock up out of fear, the cold voice that spoke to her caused her muscles to tense up and an uneasy feeling of dread washed over her like a tidal wave. She audibly gulped as she steeled herself to turn around to face the perpetrator. As she slowly turned her head she almost immediately came face to face with Harbinger himself. His deep bluish green orbs of eyes bored directly into her soul.
“It is rude to spy on others while they are talking” the stone like being spoke again. The fear that Luna felt earlier was gone, in it’s stead was the resolute personality that Luna also held whenever she was dealing with something that could very well threaten the well being of her subjects.
“Silence!” Luna shouted with the royal Canterlot voice “Explain thyself creature! Who are you and what are your intentions!” she demanded. Harbinger however kept his burning glare upon her, It was like two stars were trying to break Luna down. But she remained steadfast, she wasn’t about to be intimidated by some mysterious stranger on the dreamscape “I will not speak a third time creature. Explain yourself!”
“You hold no business for something that you are clearly too blind to see” Harbinger shot back “Your peaceful world is but a facade, you believe that violence and destruction can be avoided permanently. But in the end, it will be your own subjects that will burn the world for a better tomorrow. The ones who pride themselves on pacifism and friendship will serve as the catalyst for destruction” Luna was taken aback by the creature’s words. He practically insulted her and her subjects, calling them monster. She was getting incredibly irritated by the creature’s arrogance.
“How dare you speak about me and my ponies in such a manner! Give me a reason not to smite you from existence!” Luna threatened Harbinger, but the outworld devourer was not fazed even in the slightest. If anything, the same glare that he was giving her intensified ten fold. With a raise of his staff, he brought it down upon Luna when the edge barely touched the tip of her horn. He didn’t make contact with Luna, but the bright glow from his staff spelled trouble.
“My mind, blots yours out...” said Harbinger as Luna felt her body go numb. The bright flash of light that ensued afterwards sent Luna flying across the dreamscape at the speed of thought. She barreled across almost every dream in sight as she felt herself forcibly returned to the physical realm, like being stretched far too thin into a taffy puller and then spat out by a hippopotamus.
Luna didn’t even have time to scream in terror as she got violently slingshotted from one realm to the next.
* * *
“Aaaaaah!” Luna screamed at the top of her lungs as she tossed and tumbled out of her plushed bed. It took her almost five minutes to unravel herself from the messy blankets and back out into the air. She was sweating as she nervously peered around her own room, trying to look for something that didn’t exist. She calmed her nerves down when she finally realized that everything was okay. When her heart finally stopped beating so fast her personal guards bursted through the from door before assuming a protective circle around Luna.
“Princess!? Is something the matter?” one of her guards spoke “We heard you screaming and we thought something bad happened to you”
“I-I’m fine, just a bad dream... that’s all” said Luna. She was alright but her mind felt fuzzy. She didn’t know how or why but for some strange reason something was missing, something important, like she was suppose to remember a very important detail. But whenever she tried to remember she only drew a blank, nothing but a void in place of where a supposed memory should be. She did however remember something else important when she looked at the location of the sun in the sky.
“Oh my goodness! I’m late!” she shouted as she scrambled back to all four “Guards, return to the barracks. I shall be attending to you and the others shortly once I have prepared myself” the guards saluted their princess and complied with her command. Each of the guards exited the room and returned back to their quarters.
* * *
It was early in the morning, around eight o'clock at the very least. The sun had just barely made itself above the horizon but everypony was out and about with their business. Wedding preparations continued like normal but there was something special planned today, a prelude of sorts. It was quite exciting to say the least, a lot of ponies had showed up to visit the event that the princesses and suddenly planned for them and were ecstatic to be there.
The event were held at the barracks by the castle and there were guards as far as the eye could see. Nothing but matching white and gold armor in the sea of guards, save for the signature dark blue uniform of the Princess Luna night guards. There was a large crowd forming at the middle of the training grounds and everypony was curious about what was all the hubbub.
The princesses were the first to step onto the stage, followed by their respective guards and some fancy looking officials. The crowd was still chattering about but when three specific ponies walked onto the stage all fell silent to the point where you could hear a pin drop on soft soil.
Gondar, Sven, and Rubick were all on stage and were nervously shifting about from the looks that they were getting from their peers. All the ponies eyes were wide in disbelief with a slacked jawed expression to boot when they found out that the entire event was for the welcoming of the three troublemakers into the elite royal guards.
The reception was mixed. Half were glad that criminals had turned over a new leaf for the better of everypony while the other half exclaimed their shock and protested against drafting criminals into such a prestigious position. But as the both Princess Celestia and Luna voice their reasons the crowd couldn’t help but lean towards the more positive side of things.
After a couple of demonstrations by the newly inducted guards, some fancy knife throwing practice with Gondar, an illusion spell with Rubick, and Sven’s show of strength, the ponies outlook quickly changed exponentially.
It’s really amazing how quickly the trust of the ponies change whenever the princesses speak, like listening to a fretful mother telling her children what is safe and what is dangerous. Demonstrations aside in an unanimous decision everypony enjoyed the fact that bad ponies and change for the better. Oh, if only that were true. At the drop of a hat everyones trust with the new guards was solidified almost immediately and the heroes received a standing ovation in return.
At least now the heroes won’t have to worry about getting the stink eye each and every time they step out into the streets of Canterlot, that shall prove to be very helpful in the near future if they don’t screw it up first. Although the main populace was now accepting and even idolizing the heroes, there was still a few ponies that found the recent induction to be distasteful. Namely, most of the regular guards themselves, and the night guard, which was basically Luna’s version of the elites.
“Your majesty, I don’t mean to intrude but I must voice my opinion on the matter at hoof” said Dark Wing, a bat pony commander “But do you really think that it’s the best to enlist these... assassins into the elite guards? They did after all tried to kill you!” said Dark Wing with a scowl towards Sven and the rest.
“Fear not, Dark Wing. We’ve come to a compromise, there should be nothing to fear” Luna replied coolly “Besides, with the elites incapacitated we need all the help we can get”
“But they were the ones who destroyed them in the first place!” Dark Wing exclaimed “They should be in a cell right about now, not parading around in the open! What if they just use this as an attempt to flee the country? What with the threat made to Canterlot and all, they’ll probably abandon their post and skipped the city when they get the chance to”
“Please, calm yourself commander. Like I said, there is nothing to fear, these fine ponies have earned their place in the guards” said Luna which only served to irk Dark Wing.
“Earned!? They were the ones who destroyed the guards in the first place!” shouted Dark Wing as her apparent anger began to boil over, in front of the princesses no less “I knew ponies in elites, they had to work to the bone to get to where they were today and that all came crashing down when that yellow freak showed up!” he pointed to Gondar “Why in the name of Faust did they automatically become elites just like that!”
“That is enough out of you commander!” shouted Luna “They are staying and that is final, or perhaps you would like for me to have you demoted for insubordination?” she threatened. Dark Wing couldn’t say anything else, he submitted and went back to his post.
“No, your majesty. I apologize for my outburst” he said.
“Good, now pay attention, you might learn a thing or two from these three” Luna stated as Dark Wing could feel her anger boiling again. She didn’t like the heroes, not one bit. But she digressed, hopefully there will come a time when she could show up the heroes to prove that they didn’t belong in the elite. But that, is for another time.
* * *
Rubick fell onto his haunches somewhere around the training grounds of the barracks. He was beat, exhausted. The event lasted far longer than it should’ve and Rubick wasn’t exactly the athletic type to begin with, so after three hours of swearing to some code of honor and waiting in the hot sun he broke down once all was said and done. He let out a sigh as he rubbed his arms and legs to relieve them from soreness.
“Good heavens, how do soldiers do this all day?” Rubick asked as he cooled himself down with a variation of Ancient Apparition’s ice vortex “You would have to be insane standing out in the sun all day in full suit of metal armor” he said as the cool breeze from the vortex began to chill the area around him.
“Then I guess you can say that my brother and everyone under his command are insane as well” a voice spoke out to him. Rubick turned his head to see that Twilight was standing next to him, with a warm smile on her face.
“Hello, Twilight. I take it you saw that outrageous event that they had planned for us?” Rubick said as he returned her smile. He motioned to her to sit by her and to enjoy the quaint breeze that he had going.
“If you thought that was outrageous just wait until you see the wedding” said Twilight with a giggle as she sat beside Rubick, she could feel the gentle breeze of the little ice vortex flowing through her mane.
“It’s too bad that I won’t be there to see, miss best mare” Rubick joked “I was stationed with Sven at the gates of the city, I won’t be able to see anything except for passing ponies”
“Oh, I see...” Twilight said as her head began to droop a little “You’re... not still angry about yesterday, are you?” she asked. Rubick’s ear twitched a little, he felt guilty about spouting nonsense that peaceful ponies probably couldn’t understand yet. He was angry, but not at Twilight, not at Celestia or Luna, not at the writers of the distasteful books that he read, but at himself.
“No, I’m not angry” said Rubick but he didn’t sound convincing about it “Okay, so I am angry but not at anyone except for myself” he said “I might have gone overboard yesterday, about what I said. I had no right to speak about my own worlds ideals against yours, and I’m sorry for that. Sven was right about me, I was out of line when yesterday” Twilight let out a loud sigh, she accepted his apology but she needed to talk about something else.
“It’s alright Rubick, It’s as much my fault as it is yours. After all, you didn’t know much about them being here for only three days” said Twilight “Those books, you were... right about them”
“I am?” Rubick said, sounding a bit surprised “Um... I mean, yes, I am”
“As much as I hate admitting things about books, the information is very, very dated” said Twilight with a grimace on her face “I did my research and learned that they were true... only because I believed it was. My only experience with the diamond dogs and everything that I ever thought I knew about the dogs have cemented this idea in my head that they’re all bad”
“Well, what did you do then?” Rubick asked, sounding interested about Twilight initiative.
“The one thing that I never thought I’d do, have a normal conversation with a diamond dog” said Twilight, sounding particularly proud about what she did.
“I see, so I assumed that you went to see the only diamond dog on the premises” Rubick replied.
“I did. I was actually surprised at what I had learned” said Twilight “He wasn’t like the ones that I met, in fact, he was very mannered for a diamond dog. He apologized about what he had said earlier that day and so did I. We talked for a spell before our lesson last night”
“Interesting, what did you learn?” Rubick asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Lots of things, actually. Perhaps too much. Jackal kept some details to himself but... I could see it in his eyes, the pain that he had felt, the things that he had lost” Twilight replied “As it turns out, diamond dogs weren’t violent creatures to begin with, they never were” she said with a sigh “All this time I believed that diamond dogs were nothing but savages, but I was blind to and by the truth that was in front of me the whole time” her head drooped even lower as she found herself caught in a funk “
“Ponies have always told me that I’m the smartest they know, turns out that I wasn’t smart enough to look past the dog’s shaggy exterior” she sighed even more “And then there was the things that Sven had told us, and the things that he had done”
“You’re talking about him slaying that dragon in that arena he mentioned?” Rubick asked.
“I-I still don’t know much about that but... I don’t know how to cope with those thoughts. It’s... it’s just so... unlike us” she felt a shiver run down her spine “I can understand how you and the others take it so... casually. You’ve actually done it, you’ve fought, you’ve killed, yet you retain your morals and drives and you can move on like nothing had happened. How do you do it, isn’t it hard taking a life like that?” she asked.
“That’s the thing, isn’t it?” said Rubick as a stern look formed on his face “You would be hard pressed to find out how easy it is”
“E-e-easy?” Twilight stammered, sounding particularly horrified.
“Yes, killing is far too easy” Rubick spoke with seriousness “Have you ever stopped and wondered to yourself how easy it would be to take a life. Maybe a simple fire spell, or tipping them off of a building with a forceful push, or even plunging a dagger into their chest. So simple, a child could do it” he told her as she shrank from his hard gaze.
“But” he said as his demeanor lighten up “You must be strong to hold yourself back, you will learn that it’s very hard to do so if you give into the bloodlust. Even the most noble and innocent of the Radiants aren’t incapable of performing such acts without some reason, just or not. Aiushtha, for example. She’s plunged that javelin into my chest cavity more times than I can count before trampling me into the dirt with her powerful hooves” he chuckled at how dark the joke was.
“I guess all the violence grows on you” Twilight said in a fearful but understanding tone.
“Logically speaking, yes, it would. But to the heroes of the Radiant and Dire it is not about violence and the effects on our mind overall, some of us enjoy the killing. Some might even argue that slaughtering countless lives can be very... therapeutic” Twilight visibly cringed at the thought of murder for relaxation. It only served to make the talk a whole lot harder.
“You are just as capable of taking a life as me, only you are unused to the feeling, you know that it’s wrong and will not do so” Rubick replied “You haven’t been desensitized yet, unlike me for better or worse, but in your case, it is for the better. You can see know why I wanted to leave for home so quickly, I didn’t want to involve a world like this with my notions of destruction insanity”
“I...I understand” Twilight replied with a sigh “I’m glad that you're at least honest about that”
“Well, you’re taking this rather well, perhaps I didn’t go far into detail enough at creative killings” Rubick joked darkly “Why I remember a time when I stole Leviathan’s ravage right when our team's Magnus used his reverse polar-”
“No, no. It’s alright. You don’t have to go into such graphic detail about your favorite moments on the field” Twilight shot back defensively, hoping to avoid another stomach churning story from Rubick.
“If you say so dear” Rubick replied with a light chuckle. As he was laughing he noticed that Twilight’s gloomy expression. She took a deep breath before speaking again.
“Rubick, the dogs, the killing, hidden arenas. I just don’t know what to think anymore. I always think that I do, I know I am in control with tense situations but I think saving Equestria twice and being the element of magic had gone to my head and I didn’t even know about it. I’ve become some sort of ignorant self righteous bully instead of a protector to those in need”
“Twilight, don’t say that” Rubick said in a reassuring tone as he lifted her head up “You’re not a bully. You... are Twilight Sparkle” he simply stated as Twilight’s smile returned “I don’t need to say anything more, you know it, I know it, your loving friends know it, heck, the whole world knows it. You know that you love to learn, to better yourself, and you learned something new, something groundbreaking, something that the whole world had been ignorant to for a thousand years now”
Twilight felt better now, all the guilt and fear that she felt, about something that she thought that was insignificant left her system. She felt like a new mare, stronger, wiser, more... understanding. Her eyes widen in surprise as her thoughts went back to what Sven had told her, perhaps that was what he meant. But that was only one of his words, there were more that she had yet to learn.
“Okay, so I learned that the diamond dog race aren’t bad but what should I do with this information? It’s still a little hard for me to take everything in so suddenly” she said, unsure of herself even after her little epiphany.
“You’re a bright mare, young Twilight. You’ll know what to do about it, just keep an open mind about it” said Rubick “By the way, are there any other sentient species that I should know about just so we don’t have a little repeat of yesterday?” he asked. Twilight furrowed her brow as she racked her brain trying to come up with the answers.
“Not many that are considered hostile by us, at least” she quickly added that last part “There’s the griffons, you heard about them. Then there’s the zebras and the horses from Saddle Arabia. There are dragons but we’re on a level of mutual respect with them, they don’t wish to harm us and we promise not to try and probe them with questions about their kind”
“What about the bugs?” Rubick asked.
“Excuse me?” Twilight asked with a confused tone.
“The black shelled insects that Rhasta mentioned. We were briefed about some kind of planned attack on Canterlot, that’s why your ruler asked us to stay for the time being, and I deduced that they could be the cause. It only seemed to make sense given his precognitive abilities” said Rubick
“Well, a planned attack would explain the abnormal influx of guards around here but you can’t honestly believe that Rhasta is right about some ravenous insects?” Twilight asked with skepticism laced in her voice “And besides, we have nothing to fear about an attack. We have you guys, my brother and his shield and the princesses themselves. Those nonexistent bugs Rhasta prophesied are probably just a figment of his imagination”
“Hmm, I doubt that. The Shadow Shaman’s connection with the spiritual world is anything but superstition” said Rubick “Just remember, keep an open mind” he said as something important clicked in his head “Speaking of minds, what about your friends? Things got out of hand yesterday when they all met Jackal”
“I tried talking to all of them last night about Jackal. Some of them were reluctant to believe but they eventually came around, mostly” said Twilight “Pinkie Pie is Pinkie Pie, she didn’t really feel threatened by Jackal, if anything she wanted to befriend him. That’s why she was so quiet during our unpleasant outburst. As for Rarity, she took it surprisingly well given her experience with diamond dogs as well. I think her time with Gondar made her look the other way”
“What about the others?” Rubick asked.
“Well, Rainbow Dash and Applejack can be as stubborn as a mule sometimes. No offense” Twilight turned to an mule that was idly standing next to her.
“None taken” the mule replied with a smile before trotting off into the sunset.
“Ahem, as I was saying. Those two can be stubborn as a mule sometime, but it’s only because they don’t want to see anyone get hurt, even if things got thrown way out of context” said Twilight “Applejack’s the most dependable pony I know and Rainbow wouldn’t leave anyone behind. It took a bit of convincing but they warmed up to Jackal, sort of. They still keep their eye on him but I’d say after a week they’ll be acquaintances at the very least”
“What of Fluttershy?” Rubick asked “She seemed to take it the hardest”
“Not to worry, she may be frail on the outside but she is strong at heart” a warm voice spoke from behind the two. Both Twilight and Rubick turned around to see the beautiful Aiushtha standing before them and gracing the two with a warm smile and Sven with his armor and all.
“Ah, Aiushtha, Sven. How nice of you to join us” Rubick exclaimed as the two other heroes sat beside Twilight and himself “What brings you two here?”
“We needed to get away from the crowd. They were asking too many questions and I was starting to feel a might claustrophobic” Said Sven as he set his massive sword down onto the grass “We overheard you talking about Fluttershy, we just wanted to tell you that she’s alright, albeit she is still suffering from the shock of it all but she is recovering nonetheless”
“Yes, as it turns out, Sven went to apologize to her after you all left the library. It made things a bit more bearable for her” said Aiushtha “Who would’ve thought that the big and tough Rogue Knight had a great big heart behind all that armor of his” Aiushtha teased causing the other two to laugh.
“I was merely correcting my mistake. Nothing more. Treating someone like her in that manner goes against my code” Sven crudely defended himself “She is scared, she doesn’t know of the horrors that we face everyday on the battlegrounds and she doesn’t know how to react to it. I calmed her down as best I could and did my best in showing that Jackal wasn’t a some sort of thug. It was tough, even for me”
“Wow, I’m impressed, Sven. When I tried to talk to Fluttershy last night she wouldn’t let me or the others into the room, she practically locked herself inside. How did you do it?” Twilight asked.
“The only way I know how, with subtle force” Sven said with a chuckle.
“Excuse me?” Twilight and Rubick asked at the same time.
“He meant that he broke through the door” Aiushtha explained which made Twilight and Rubick go wide eye “To be honest, I was entirely against breaking the door down but someway, somehow, he made it work. Who knew Sven was such a gentle giant for someone who can destroy the other team with a few swings of his sword”
“Heh heh, such is the way of the Rogue Knight” said Sven with another chuckle “Do not worry, I fixed the door before anyone else noticed”
“Well that explains why there were so many wood chips all over the floor this morning” Rubick said with a confused look on his face “So, it seems that everything has calmed down for the time being. Hopefully this won’t affect your trust in us in any negative manner”
“Far from it, if anything we can converse with you without freaking out about the big stuff now” said Twilight “We’ll just have to get used to it I guess. It might be a little hard at first but, like you said, keep an open mind” she said which caused a warm smile to creep it’s way onto Rubick’s face.
“Glad to hear” said Rubick “By the way, where are the others? I haven’t seen Rhasta or Gondar after the induction ceremony”
“I think I saw them head over to the armory along with Rainbow Dash and Applejack” Twilight said “Gondar said something about feeling naked without his tools, so he asked the princesses to guide him to the armory to stock up. If we go now we should meet them right at the armory”
“Well, let’s go now then” said Aiushtha as she hopped back onto all fours and sproinked her way to the armory “Sproink!” she giggled gleefully as she breezed across the courtyard.
“Sproink? What does that mean” Twilight asked both Sven and Rubick, but they simply shook their heads and shrugged their shoulders at her.
“I dunno” they both said as they all walked towards the armory while pondering the mystery of the word sproink.
Chapter 22 end