The Ties That Bind
By Birdco
"Almost all of our sorrows spring out of our relations with other ponies." - Arthur Schopony.
Chapter 1: Perseus
The crisp autumn air rushed past his wings and tussled his cropped mane, which had lost most of its blue color to the gray of age. The chill of the wind was a welcome contrast to the heat of his exertions. Perseus lazily flapped his wings, keeping a steady cadence and getting as much efficiency as possible out of every wing beat.
Perseus seldom had the pleasure of flying without his armor. Command of the Royal Guard brought him innumerable duties. With spot inspections, court appearances, and advising both Princesses on matters of security, along with the daily routine of running the guard, he frequently went from before dawn to long after dusk wearing the uniform of Celestia's personal guard.
The freedom of flying without the encumbering armor almost made him feel young again. It wouldn’t be long before Perseus would be too weak to fly, and he needed to enjoy every opportunity he was presented.
The sky was nearly cloudless, and the cool air allowed clear sight to the distant horizon. Off ahead of him spread the wild green expanse of the Everfree forest and nestled at its edge, the hamlet of Ponyville, his destination for the day.
Perseus glanced over at his traveling companion. Guardspony Gale was not enjoying the scenery nearly as much as he was. Perseus expected this, considering who Princess Celestia had tasked them with finding. The gray mare would not have been his first choice of traveling companion for this mission. Perseus kept a thorough record of every guard’s family and social connections for task like this. It was why he personally took this task. Winter Gale had an even stronger relationship to the subject of their task. It was a connection based on very public loathing, which could only lead to problems.
The Princess was very clear in her instructions, Guardspony Gale was to accompany him in finding Rhumbline, and accompany Rhumbline afterward. One does not question the Princess when she makes decisions such as this. They are fairly rare, and always done for some greater underlying purpose. It would be nice to sometimes know what that purpose was.
Perseus had not told Guardspony Gale her whole role in this task yet. Her reaction to it would only complicate the search. Autumn Gale would obey, and do her duty to the Princess, but Perseus would not want to be in Rhumbline’s horseshoes.
Perseus could tell from a distance that Rhumbline was not in Ponyville. Rhumbline owned a tramp airship that traded goods throughout the continent. The absence of his airship meant he was likely out on another voyage.
This meant another long flight, something that was becoming increasingly difficult for Perseus. However, Rhumbline was firmly rooted to life in Ponyville by a mare that Perseus still considered a friend. A friend that could direct Perseus’ search.
Perseus rocked his wing to signal to his companion, and began a gentle spiraling decent to the edge of town. Perseus landed heavily, his left wing protesting against the strain of the landing, Guardspony Gale landed silently. She might not be fast, but she flew with agility and grace far beyond the average pegasus. The gray mare shook out her white and blue mane, and glared at Perseus.
"I see no reason why we are landing on the outskirts of town, Sir. We know our destination, this will be over with quicker if we just landed there."
"It's common courtesy, Winter, since we are strangers in this town, plus, I want to see how the repairs are going." Perseus explained, switching to a casual tone. They were here as civilians, not guards, and one needed to keep up appearances. "Rhumbline is likely far from here, so a little extra time spent on pleasantries will not hurt."
Winter Gale snorted, but she did not roll her eyes. She was much too disciplined for that, but it was clear she did not approve. Of course not, Perseus thought, it’s neither efficient or expedient.
Perseus took a moment to stretch out his left wing. His age was catching up to him and he needed to take the time to deal with cramps, or else they would lead to injuries. He looked over at Winter, who was watching with barely suppressed impatience. "Courtesy is part of the core of whom we are as Guardsponies. This is true both in and out of uniform. It helps us endear the trust of the princess' subjects, which makes our duty easier to fulfill."
Perseus could lecture for hours on courtesy, as he could for many subjects, but neither he nor Guardspony Gale was in any mood for it. They were here on a mission, and Perseus was curious about the progress of the repairs to the town and the resident’s demeanor.
Perseus started out at a slow trot, with Winter following at a respectful distance to his side. The progress of the repairs was amazing. Where there had once been torn down roofs and smashed walls, new thatch and fresh paint had been laid.
Perseus shook his head, he really did not understand what made this town tick. This place was the most disaster prone area under the Princess' domain. The combination of the dangerous animals that reside in the nearby Everfree forest, and the destructive tendencies of some of Ponyville’s residents resulted in frequent disasters. The town was poor, yet there was no mass migration from the town. Ponyville was thriving, with new residents coming from all over Equestria.
Maybe I should retire here, Perseus thought, life certainly would be interesting.
The residents who saw them turned to give their greetings to the strange ponies in town. The ponies to Perseus' right gave a warm smile, and words of welcome. The ones to Perseus’ left stared, then suddenly looked away in embarrassment, mumbling their words of welcome. It has been twenty five years since this reaction had bothered Perseus, but it had a certain irony coming from the residents of Ponyville.
"I'm surprised the residents are still putting up with that Dragon." Winter said quietly, pitched so only Perseus could hear.
"Spike is a part of their community," Perseus replied, "Up until last week, he was a very nice baby dragon. I think many of the residents remember Spike for who he was before the incident, and are willing to forgive." Many, but not all, if the reports he had heard were to be believed.
"The Princess knew the danger he posed, why didn't she have him watched more closely?"
Perseus paused for a moment. He knew well why the Princess acted the way she did. However, he could not share much of it. Being commander of the guard made him an advisor to the Princesses on matters of security, conversations that frequently had to be held in the closest confidence. Yet, he felt the need to lecture Winter on this. Her greatest shortcoming as a guard was her coldness; her lack of compassion in personal relationships.
Perseus paused on the bridge over the river that ran through the center of town. On the other side remained a giant footprint from the rampage of the previous week. "Winter, the princess focuses more on who somepony is, vice what they are." Perseus said, settling into the soft, fatherly voice he perfected from decades of counseling young guards. "Spike is a baby dragon with the potential to become a greedy, dangerous beast consumed by his hoarding instinct. However Winter, this is what he is, not who. Her Majesty sees Spike is the faithful companion of her student, whom she helped Twilight Sparkle raise from the time he was hatched. Spike has proven to be loyal and caring, and the Princess trusts he will remain so." He may just need a little help, Perseus thought.
Winter frowned, an expression so common to her now that it seemed natural. The betrayal she felt when her sister left the Guard has darkened her whole outlook on things. Winter had joined the guard a few years ago to follow in her sisters footsteps into service to the Princess. Winter had smiled a lot then, and was very sociable with the other guards.
Her sister’s departure less than a year later to raise a family with an earth pony their father disapproved of had changed all that. Above all things, Winter valued loyalty, and her sisters perceived betrayal not only to her family, but to the Princess as well was more than she could handle. She turned all her efforts to her duties, and withdrew from many of the social relationships she had built in the Guard.
Perseus had spent many hours trying to repair that damage. However, Winter had always been headstrong, and his lectures on the subject, while dutifully listened to, had no real effect.
Perseus resumed his trot. The town's market place was not far, and he had seen enough of the town to be able to report to the Princess.
‘I should check up on Twilight before I leave town’, Perseus thought. ‘She would be working herself ragged helping the town recover from the disaster. Celestia’s letter won’t make her feel any better either.’
Like many of the older members of the royal household, Perseus had a special place in his heart for Twilight. Watching that precocious little filly following the Princess around, soaking up everything she was taught, brought a warm feeling to everypony's heart. The joy the Princess took in teaching Twilight Sparkle was a welcome change to the melancholy loneliness that seemed to fill Celestia’s days before.
Perseus felt a closer tie to Celestia's prized student. Soon after Twilight had arrived, the Princess had given him the task of watching over the filly, and reporting back to Twilight's parents on their child's progress. At the time, it seemed to Perseus like this was a waste of his expertise, but he carried out the Princess’ request with the same fervor as his other duties, exchanging sleep for the extra time he needed.
The experience changed Perseus. The demands on his time forced him to delegate many of his duties to subordinates. This forced him to find subordinates with leadership potential and nurture their development, which in turn strengthened the guard and made Perseus’ job much easier.
Perseus learned much from watching Celestia’s lessons. He had never understood the mechanics of unicorn magic, but little of what the Princess taught was about magic. Her lessons were about confidence, curiosity, and determination. She would demonstrate a particular skill and set a task, and let Twilight figure out for herself how to complete the task, offering guidance only when it was needed. In these lessons, Perseus was not just an observer, but somepony Twilight could turn too for support, somepony who had no expectations of her.
"Of course Princess," Perseus chuckled to himself. "You were just trying to get me ready for retirement."
"Sir?" Winter asked, glancing over at Perseus with a quizzical look.
Perseus smiled at his subordinate. "Just an old pony remembering old times, Winter. You'll experience it yourself in thirty or so years."
The pair had arrived at their destination, a small shop off of Ponyville's main market square. Above it's door was mounted a Zebran festival mask. The sign next to the door read "Rhumbline's Rarities." All around the front wall of the shop were little paintings of far-off lands and exotic creatures. The paintings were simple with a limited range of color, but they were done with precise, smooth brush strokes, showing the care that went into their creation.
Perseus pushed open the front door to the shop, his entrance was announced by the chime of a small bell. The interior of the shop was dim, lit by only the light coming in from the front window. There were a few rows of shelves along one wall, bare except for a few odd items, a few jars of unidentifiable herbs, a few small wood carvings of animals Perseus has never seen, and a giant Zebran totem in the corner.
"Good afternoon!" A cheery voice greeted Perseus' arrival. From behind the counter at the back of the store, the head of a young brown filly popped up, a floppy black beret sitting upon her long yellow bangs. Her wide smile drooped only for a second when she caught a full glimpse of Perseus, but soon resumed its full vigor. "Welcome to Rhumbline's Rarities, is there something..." The filly's voice trailed off as Perseus' traveling companion entered the store.
The little brown filly stood there in stunned silence, looking at disbelief at the gray pegasus that entered the store. Winter Gale gave the filly an icy stare, showing no affection for the young earth pony. Perseus frowned, he was not happy with how this conversation was starting out.
"Umm... hello auntie Winter," the filly said timidly, smile gone, and her eyes averted from Winters piercing glare.
"Palette." Winter demanded gruffly. "Is my sister here?"
"She's upstairs," Palette replied softly. Her ears were folded back, and she was intently examining her hoof.
"We'll head up there in a minute little one," Perseus interjected in his most fatherly voice. There was no need to intimidate the poor little filly. "First, let me get a good look at you Palette, its been a while since I've last seen you."
Perseus approached the counter to get a good look at the filly, who looked questioningly at him with her blue Gale eyes. "Do I know you?" Palette asked uncertainly.
"Not nearly well enough, Palette. You were just a yearling when I saw you last," Perseus replied while smiling. Palette had grown quite a lot since he had last seen her. "Your mother and I were once co-workers... and friends."
"You were in the Guard?" Palette inquired with her ears perked up.
"I still am." Perseus replied with a smile. The young filly was beginning to relax a little, but still stole an occasional glance at Winter. Perseus noted that Palette had gained her cutie mark, a painter’s palette. She was still quite young, so her gaining her cutie mark was notable. "Congratulations on getting your cutie mark, Palette, you must be the only pony your age who has one. I’m not surprised, I remember how much you liked coloring when you were a yearling."
"Thanks! I am the only pony in my kindergarden class with a cutie mark." Palette beamed, blushing. Perseus' ears perked at the sound of hooves clopping down the stairs in the back and he glanced quickly back at Guardspony Gale to see if the warm conversation had changed her demeanor any.
No such luck. Winter still looked like she was facing down a mortal enemy.
"Guard captain," A burgundy Pegasus mare greeted the Perseus as she reached the bottom of the steps, "and Winter. This is a pleasant surprise."
"Sister," Winter replied, glaring at her older sister. “My visit wasn’t voluntary.”
"Autumn, it’s a pleasure to see you again!" Perseus added, directing the conversation in a more cheerful direction. He looked over his former subordinate. She had let her hair grow out. Her orange and yellow tresses bound near the end much in the same fashion as when she was a Guardspony. She carried the weight of her impending motherhood with the same athletic grace that made her such a formidable guard.
The sight of her made Perseus smile widely. He had known Autumn Gale was expecting another foal; it had been the talk of the barracks when one of the unicorn guards had found out. But still, seeing her made him all the more happy. It was proof that there was life after the guard. Autumn had made the adjustment so easily.
"I’m happy to see you again Perseus," Autumn smiled, looking over her guests with her piercing blue Gale eyes. “And you too, sister. You may be here against your will, but you are always welcome in my home.”
"Thanks," Winter replied, her stony gaze warming slightly. "You are looking... large."
"It comes with the territory when you are a becoming a mother," Autumn answered. “Is father well?”
“Well enough, though he still wants nothing to do with you.” Winter replied curtly, breaking her gaze for a moment. “Why did you have to anger him so by having a foal with that earth...”
“Winter, not in front of my daughter.” Autumn interrupted sharply, her eyes narrowing. The change in tone surprised Palette, who had been listening in rapt attention, and she cowered behind the counter. Autumn glanced quickly at her daughter, and turned her attention back to Perseus. "You’re not here for idle chat, Perseus. Let’s take this upstairs.”
"It is true we are here on business, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be civil." Perseus replied, giving Winter a sharp glance. “It would probably best if we continue this somewhere more private.”
Autumn nodded, and moved aside to allow her guests access to the stairs. "Palette, please watch the store for a little longer. We have some business we need to attend to."
"Aww, mom..." The filly whined from behind the counter..
"It will just be a little while, dear." Autumn replied as she turned to follow Perseus and Winter up the stairs. “And no snooping.”
Perseus ducked down when he reached the top of the stairs, and looked around the sparsely furnished, one-room apartment. The few furniture items were old, and were of differing colors and styles. There was no bed or chairs in the room, only a pair of mats rolled up in the corner. In the center of the room were a large, thick pile rug, whose bizarre patterns and bright colors belied it's exotic origins. In the corner of the room, resting on an old dress form, was Autumn’s guard armor, brightly polished and ready for inspection.
Perseus glanced back at Winter, who's frown deepened when she saw the apartment. Perseus imagined that Chinook, Autumn and Winter's father, a powerful pegasus who once ran the Equestrian weather control bureau would have had a very similar reaction. Perseus' attempts to encourage his former classmate to mend the fences with his daughter had always been met with hostility.
"Please make yourselves comfortable." Autumn said, motioning to the exotic carpet as she crested the stairs. "Can I get you anything?"
"Thanks, but no," Perseus said, settling himself down on the rug. "Please, don't bother yourself too much on our account."
Autumn nodded and settled herself gently onto the other side of the rug.
"How do you put up with this Sister?" Winter growled. “It’s bad enough you lost you commission on account of that earth pony, and now he has you living in squalor?”
“It wasn’t his fault, Winter. I understood the risks when I started the relationship.” Autumn sighed. “It does you no good to blame my husband or my daughter for something that was my decision.”
“I will decide what is good for me.” Winter snapped
“Enough!” Perseus snarled, kneading his brow with his hoof. Whatever Princess Celestia wanted Winter to learn, it’s not worth alienating a friend. ”Let’s talk about the task at hand.”
“Alright.” Autumn sighed, looking down at the carpet. “You are looking for Rhumbline, aren’t you”
Perseus nodded. "The Princess has a request for him."
Autumn frowned, looking between her two guests. "I assume this request is dangerous and will take him far from home," Perseus nodded again and Autumn's frown deepened. She began tracing the geometric patterns on the carpet with a forehoof, and sat silent for several moments.
"You are going to tell us Sister, aren't you?" Winter growled, her blue eyes boring into her sister. "You wouldn't think of denying the Princess..." Perseus silenced Winter with a glare.
An uncomfortable silence descended over the room, the only sound was the light clopping of hooves on the stairs.
"Palette, downstairs please," Autumn said, breaking the silence and turning her head to face the stairs.
"But..." the sweet voice pleaded.
"No arguments young lady," Autumn softly, but sternly. "This conversation is not for young ears. I'll explain it to you later." Perseus heard a faint sigh coming from the stairs with the sound of small hooves retreating down the stairs. Autumn turned back to Winter, returning her sisters piercing stare. "I am tempted, sister. My husband left Princess Celestia's service because it kept him away from his family. But I know my husband, he would never refuse a request from the Princess."
"Autumn, The Princess wouldn't ask unless she really needed Rhumbline's services." Perseus replied calmly trying to diffuse the situation.
"I know that Perseus," Autumn growled, turning her hard gaze upon the white stallion. "But why should he pay because the captains of the royal airships are all political appointees?"
“Autumn, your husband was a political appointee too.” Perseus reasoned. A half truth, because while he was politically appointed, it was not because of his political connections. His status as the son of Starline, pioneering navigator and inventor of the magical navigational compass, as well as his own navigational exploits made his elevation to Captain a palatable choice. “However, it is what your husband possesses, vice what the others lack that is important. Rhumbline owns an airship that does not fly the royal colors.”
Autumn dropped her gaze, and she looked at the intricate geometric patterns on the rug for a few moments. "How dangerous is the task?"
"It’s a voyage he has made before, though not as a Captain." Perseus replied. “I will not lie to you and say the task is without risk, but his passengers will be safest on his airship with him at the helm.”
Autumn sighed, and looked up, her hard glare replaced by a concerned look. "I'll help you Perseus, because I trust both you and the Princess. But will you at least tell me about the task?"
"Some things need to remain secret, even from you, Autumn. But I will tell you what I can." Perseus said, shifting into a more comfortable position for what would be a delicate discussion.
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