//------------------------------//
// Chapter Twelve: Things Set Straight (Part II) 
// Story: Well, This is New... 
// by Dumbgamer99 
//------------------------------//


Chapter Twelve: Things Set Straight (Part II)






Several minutes earlier...





“So, do you have any brothers or sisters?”

The question hung in silence. Storm had frozen upon the words meeting his ears, and at that moment it reflected in the mood of the room. Where there had once been ease, peace, and contentment over filled bellies; now there was a growing, frantic energy fueled by anxiety and apprehension.

Twilight winced over the shift in the air. She should have known better than to go into such a topic. He had stated repeatedly about being--at bare minimum--several millennium old (even if Twilight didn't want to conceive the probability). Of course bringing up his family would be a stupid idea.

‘Great,’ the mare moaned to herself. ‘I just ruined whatever diplomatic relations Equestria could have had with Storm. Stupid, stupid, stupid...’

Storm had yet to answer. He was staring off into space, fleshy claws clinging harshly to the arms of his chair. Celestia voiced concern, but he did not respond. She flashed her Student a confused look, and Twilight could only shrink down in an apologizing manner. The Princess of the Sun gave a look to state clearly that she wasn’t at fault.

Twilight appreciated it. She hoped Celestia would remember that when she was sent back to Magic Kindergarten after annihilating any perceivable chance of having Storm not lash out viciously. What would happen now? Would he attack after the memories were undoubtedly being brought back up? Vanish in thin air, never to be seen again? Rip a hole through the space-time continuum and bask the world in magic rivaling Discord?

Oddly (and thankfully) enough, he did none of those three options.

He did, however, speak up with a significant amount of bite in his tone. “If it’s all the same with you, I’d rather not talk about it.” Abruptly, he stood. Everypony in the room flinched slightly at the sudden movement, but Storm didn’t seem to notice. Or maybe he just didn't care. “If you would kindly excuse me, I must retire. I should be as alert as possible to instruct your Guard tomorrow.” Giving a short, stiff bow, Storm walked out the Dining Hall and deftly shut the door.

For a while, nopony said a word. There seemed to be nothing to say after that. Gradually, though, the aura that Storm had left in the room diminished into a neutral air. Ponies finished their desserts, and retired themselves--with less stiffness than Storm had, of course. By the end, there was only Celestia, the Bearers to the Elements, and Lyra. Luna had retired to attend to the night.

Eight pairs of eyes glanced to one another. None of them had so much as made even an involuntary sound, such as stomach grumbling or exhaling, since Storm’s departure. One didn't have to ponder too hard why they were feeling this way; Storm probably had no remaining family. That was something unfathomable to any of the Element Bearers. Eventually, Twilight stood from her seat. “I’ll go talk to him, Princess.”

Lyra nodded and stood as well. “As will I.”

Twilight looked back to her friend and shook her head. “No, Lyra." The shock in Lyra's eyes didn't stop Twilight from speaking. "This is something I accidentally messed up on. I should be the one to own up, and confront him on my mistake.” She read the questioning look in her other friends’ eyes. “I’m sure he holds no actual anger towards me. But maybe my apologizing being done alone would have more impact.”

Celestia gave a nod of her own, silent but still with her encouraging smile. It was the smile that Twilight was so familiar with over the years; being directed at her multiple times throughout her studies and adventures within Canterlot Castle. It gave Twilight inspiration,  peace, and hope.

With a resolute sigh, Twilight left the room, leaving any source of backup behind.





A knocking upon my chamber door stirred me from my meditation. After the events of dinner, I had departed for my room in a huff. Perhaps from an outside perspective, it could have been conceived as childish. My exit was not supposed to be so aggressive; I was just still riding off the waves of the visions. Ed probably would've berated me if he wasn't analyzing the psychological after-effects with quiet scrutiny and worry.

Raising myself from the cushion I was resting on, I began making my way to the door. Upon arrival and double-checking that the rune from before was still marred, I grabbed the portal of the outside realm by the twist-lock and pulled it open. Greeting me at the doorway was unsurprisingly Twilight, sporting an anxious look. It only amplified itself when she made eye contact with me.

For a while, we merely stood there, staring at each other. Eventually, Twilight spoke. “Uh... hey, Storm.”

I gave a neutral nod to her. “Hi Twilight.” Some moments passed. “Do you need me for something?”

She shook her head. “No, no... not exactly.” Twilight gave a tired sigh. “I... I would like to apologize to you, if you’d let me.” When I shot her a questioning look, she continued. “Asking about your family was rather callous of me. I should have known that I shouldn’t have tried to approach the topic, with your age and all. I’m sorry.”

It was my turn to shake my head. I figured she would arrive at some point in the night with that degree of worry. “It was not your intention. You had no way of knowing, either. In a sense, I should apologize for my abrupt departure and rude tone.” My questioning brow met her. “How could you possibly believe that I’d hold it against you?”

“Well...” I watched with concern as she made small circles with the tip of her hoof. If Twilight was communicating with me as a result of what had occurred, her mentor may take the mare’s inability to talk to me afterwards in a different sense. Last thing I would need is the Princesses believing that I had an issue with one of their most prized citizens. “After you stormed out of the Dining Hall-”

“Oh. I ‘stormed’ out, eh?” As Twilight’s eyes widened in realization, I merely shook my head with a smile. “Look. It really wasn’t your fault. Perhaps I had... overreacted a bit.” A shrug left me. In all honest reality, I overreacted a lot. Admitting that wounded my pride, as silly as that sounds coming from an old fart like myself. “It’s just been some time since the topic of my family has come up.”

Several moments passed, before Twilight nodded with a relieved expression. “Thank you for being understanding. Last thing I would want to do is risk a potential friendship with somepony- er, someone over such a misunderstanding.”

I waved the concern away. My mind made a note on those words ‘potential friendship’. Always nice to have friends in high places. “It is fine. No need to worry about it.” I wasn't lying, really. I repeated to myself many times that Twilight was not the enemy, and she really was--at the end of it all--just an oblivious book-worm. No doubt social cues like that were bound to be lost on the soul.

That didn't stop the almost-gnawing sense of bewilderment. I glanced down the hallway as a thought struck me. Whatever guards that had been assigned to me were nowhere in sight. Looking back down in confusion, I voiced my budding query. “Uh... where are the guards that were here earlier today?”

She made an offhanded motion down the hall. “I used my rank as Bearer of the Element of Magic to have them end their shift early.” Twilight absently bit her lower lip in trepidation. I was surprised; she didn’t seem like someone who would pull rank lightly. “Princess Luna--and possibly Princess Celestia herself--may potentially think you’re a threat waiting to happen, but... I don’t. I think that you are a good individual, even despite what happened given you were propelled into a land with things you've never encountered before.”

A devilish smile appeared on my face, sharp pointy teeth and all. There was no reason to voice that I had several contacts with Pegasi and Unicorns from various Universes before. "Even me paralyzing you?"

Twilight's expression became sheepish as she brought a hoof behind her head. "Maybe. I'm just glad you didn't... you know."

I gave a nod, my face sobering. I didn't wish to discuss what could have happened. The device of Manipulator-origin was gone, and that was enough for me, at that time. “Right. Well, thank you. I was wondering how many Ponies actually forgave me for what happened. At least I know there’s at least one.”

Twilight smiled lightly. “Oh, there’s far more than just me. Fluttershy also shares my thoughts, alongside Pinkie Pie and Lyra. The others are still coming around, though.” My eyebrows knitted briefly at that; maybe I left a better second impression than I thought? “It probably helps that you’re willing to help train Celestia’s Royal Guard.”

“Heh. Probably,” was the only half-hearted response I could think up. My mind was focusing on the results of my visions involving my family that Ed sent to me. Blood pressure and stress had spiked radically, but the Editor was already working to mitigate those effects. After a few seconds passed, I restarted the conversation, though with only minimal interest. “Was there anything else you needed?”

Twilight seemed to be arguing with herself silently for a moment, before a nervous sigh left the mare. “Ah, actually... yes. I want to also apologize on Lyra’s behalf, as well as my own, about how we treated you that night." The genuine agony that seeped into her words caused me to discard the report. "Despite the orders that Princess Celestia gave, we should not have jumped to such a bold means to achieve it. We shouldn't have treated you like... like an animal.” Her ears splayed back. “I’m really sorry.”

Admittedly, I was rather stunned. The last sapient that actually apologized for hostile action taken against me was many millenniums ago. I had grown used to it not happening, almost. Hearing it again left an odd feeling in the pit of my stomach. Somewhere between butterflies and indigestion. “It’s... fine, as well." Ed murmured something about forgive and forget, though in my personal honesty it went ignored. "While I admit I question the logic behind how successful you thought it would be, I do know how much you seem to care for the opinion of Celestia, and pleasing her was the bigger priority to you at that moment.”

Twilight’s eyes widened as she barely flinched. For some reason, she responded like I had slapped her. “Why do you think that?”

I had nearly released an annoyed snort at that, but settled for a carefully-constructed amused exhale. “You are her Student. Of course you would value her opinion of you. It is natural when such a relationship is present over several years with a mentor.” Twilight scratched behind her ears sheepishly once again; she was probably embarrassed that she didn’t reach that obvious conclusion herself. “In the end, let me just say I bode no ill feelings towards you.”

“Not anymore at least, am I right?” Ed's voice reminded me of being scolded by a teacher. How demeaning. Of course I wasn't mad at Twilight. Or any of the other girls. It was Celestia's fault primarily, anyways. If I ever wanted someone to blame--aside from myself--then it would be her.

‘Not anymore,’ I agreed.

The final bout of tension that seemed to be in Twilight vanished at my statement. With a genuine smile, she nodded. “Well. That’s... uh, good." She winced at her awkward stuttering. "I should, ah, let you rest. Night!” She began swiftly cantering down the hall before I could voice a farewell, and waved me a goodbye before hastily disappearing. With a shake of my head in befuddlement, I shut the door.

Standing there, I considered what else to do. I could still afford an hour or so further without the dire requirement of sleep. My eyes slowly swept over the room, absorbing all the finite details of potential entertainment.

While taking a second bath would be luxurious and lovely, my body at the time decided to peruse the small selection of books the room was provided with. They generally pertained to Equestria, but there were several strictly for separate nations. ‘Mist did say this room was commonly used for diplomats,’ I reminded myself. Idly while browsing the covers, I was informed of existing Griffons, Dragons, some race known as Diamond Dogs, Minotaurs, and Zebras.

Apparently, the planet had more than a few sapient species to work with.

A faint sound drew my attention. It was light, airy and soft. Another one joined with the first, mixing and melding with a deeper vibration. From the looks of it--or, I suppose from the sounds of it-- the noise was arising from outside. It took me longer than I’d like to realize that it was muffled music.

I marched quickly to the double doors leading to the balcony my room had the privilege of having, and with little hesitation swung the door open. The symphony hit my eardrums at full force, then. It enveloped me with strings, woodwinds, and other melodic instruments. My curiosity was utterly piqued; it was my first contact with one of the most descriptive aspects of a culture.

Music.

As I reclined against the railing, I began searching for the actual source. The Courtyard where my rampage had taken place a week prior remained motionless, empty save for some patrolling Royal Guards. And the lofting tune was definitely not originating from inside, and then funneling through an exterior exit. So where was it coming from?

Expanding my senses and my search, I looked beyond the confines of the Castle. Towards the actual city of Canterlot itself. And there, illuminated by some light sources that flickered similar to my former cell’s fixture, was the heart. A small, regal band played softly to a decently-sized group of onlookers. It was nigh-impossible to discern any defining physical features from that distance, but at the time I recalled there were no more than four of them.

I let out a content sigh, and by doing such signaled the end of my contentment by rousing Ed. “You should have told them about why you refused to speak during your initial arrival in-depth, or you should have at least apologized yourself for your actions, you know.”

My mind grumbled at that. ‘Those actions are hardly worth an apology in comparison.’

“Oh?” I rolled my eyes at the condescending tone. “Then, by all means; don’t. I mean, it’s not like you subconsciously planted impulses, mental barriers, and violated the sanctums of their thoughts or anything.”

‘I did what I had to do to survive, Ed. And I made sure no harm would come to them. There was no other way.’

The A.I. scoffed at that, but made no further comment. Even I was having a hard time believing my own words, but I set them aside for another day. Upon recollection, I believed Ed was more upset at the predicament we were in rather than my actions taken against the Ponies. If I thought I was stressed at the Lock (which I was, for good reason); all I had to do was look over at Ed’s endless streams of data to realize that my friend was having it much worse than I was.

The slight disturbance in the air brought my attention away from the distant performance. “I did not expect to see you out here, Storm.”

A laugh came from me. “Neither did I, Luna. But I heard the music, and... well, need I say more?” I glanced up at the Princess of the Night to see her shake her head. “Attending to your moon, I presume?”

“Indeed.” With a little bounce, Luna landed on the balcony next to me. Why she felt compelled to stop her rounds to communicate with me at that moment--and from the looks of her landing, to stick around for a good period of time--was unknown. I waited for her to say something, but nothing else arose. In a way, I was appreciative that she wasn’t pestering me with tiresome queries--

“Who are you?”

My mind froze as my eyebrows knitted in befuddlement. “What kind of question is that?” She had turned her body to fully face me, and there was this burning intensity in her eyes. It spoke of an unquenchable, neverending tirade of askings that would inevitably be directed at my being with the equivalent force of her solar body.

I hated those kind of looks.

“What I mean is: who are you, Storm? Truly?”

Ed made some odd noise in the back of my head, but it didn’t seem to evolve into a coherent thought, so I ignored it. In the other hemisphere of my brain, I was musing to myself how to answer. Should I even consider answering? She had done nothing to earn my trust, and therefore the truth. She had assisted her Sister (who no doubt sent her in the first place) in having me detained and prosecuted without evidence that I would harm her citizens. I could have done anything at that moment, honestly. I could have lied, I could have stayed silent. Hell, I could have just told the truth.

Instead, I went an entirely different, more amusing route.

“I will answer your question with another: what is the strongest force you know of?”

My counter-pondering stopped Luna in her tracks. She cocked her head to the side for a time in thought. Eventually, she refocused her attention back to me. “If I were to be frank, it would be my Sister’s Sun. Though, I do not understand the correlation--”

“Tell me,” I interrupted briskly. “Celestia controls the Sun through magic, yes? What would happen if she didn’t?”

The Princess furrowed her brows at my string of thinking. I made sure to keep a straight face. If I could derail her with nonsense, I could get away scott-free from having to answer. “If my Sister were to lose control, and I was unable to take the burden; then I suppose our planet would gravitate into the Sun itsel--”

Again, I cut her off. “You say your dominion is the Moon. How would you take your Sister’s charge if hers’ is the Sun?”

Luna nearly rolled her eyes at that. Did she not realize I had turned the tables and was now milking her for information without really trying? Probably not. “While it would be taxing upon my spirit, such a responsibility would not be impossible. My Sister had been able to do such during my thousand years in exile; so of course I should be able to do the same--”

This time she paused herself, already anticipating my words to intercept her own. “You should, but you do not know for certain, do you?” Her silence beckoned me to continue. “If Celestia had been able to govern the Sun and the Moon simultaneously for a thousand years without your aide...” My eyes squinted at the mare. “Are you still technically the sole ruler of your Moon? Or will she--at the end of it all-- always be the joint-commander of the heavenly bodies, if you were to fall again?”

The complicated words masked the true asking: are you still needed?

Luna made a move to answer, before she stopped short. Her hoof, raised in a manner to debunk my query, slowly lowered itself onto the stone floor of the balcony. At this point, the music had ceased its gentle flowing across the breeze, bringing with it a still silence. I quietly regarded the Princess. For a period of time, we both merely stared at one another; her watching my expectant gaze, me watching her vaguely nervous, self-doubting expression. Luna took off without warning, and abruptly flew off towards one of the far towers.

I merely cracked a grin, and walked back inside.

“You side-tracked Luna’s questioning by questioning her role and purpose in the current times of Equestria, didn’t you?”

‘I thought it would take a bit more than that,’ my mind quipped as I crawled into the bed. It was growing late, and exhaustion was starting to slow my movements and drag my features. ‘I suppose Luna had not asked herself that question, and the answer held more weight with her than I presumed.’

Ed made a disapproving grunt at my tactics, but I paid him no heed. It had been late, and I had not been in the mood to branch down any topics regarding my past and who I truly was. Especially not with one of the rulers that issued an order to have me interrogated. I led her off on a path of self-doubt, and while considered cruel; I preferred it immensely over regaling about my previous exploits.

So, with a heaving sigh, I allowed sleep to claim me. The Editor’s familiar safeguards surrounded my psyche, as I drifted off into the realm of dreams.


-WTIN-


The roaring tides of war met me as my eyes snapped open. The sudden field that was before me was engulfed in flames, the sky above black and heavy with brimstone. I felt the bearing weight of armor upon my person, and clutched deftly in my hands was some sort of energy-pulse rifle.

My eyebrows furrowed. ‘Is this some sort of memory being experienced again? I don’t remember this...’ I quickly took in more of my surroundings; I found myself on a singular hill, with steep slopes meeting the bottom of the plains. It was entirely barren, save for some burnt shrubbery and some sort of shattered device.

In the distance, I could see two large forces colliding against one another. I squinted to see past the smog, but there was too much of it. There was gunfire, though. And clashing of blades against blades. And the incandescent beat of a war drum--though which party owned it, no clue was readily available--echoed across the way.

As the four, quick beats repeated themselves in an endless stream, my eyes gravitated back towards the destroyed bits of machinery some feet away. Whatever conflict that was igniting the dream’s world on fire was nowhere near me, and as such I was free to interact with the tech.

Sparks began lighting and emitting themselves from the fragments as I approached. I examined the surrounding ground for any sort of trap associated with the pieces, before I bent over. Staring profusely at the random hunks of metal, my mind attempted to piece things together.

The destroyed machine was advanced. Very advanced. Beyond most species that I could recall at that moment. But the designs littering the shards were foreign, yet at the same time familiar. Was the current event a precognition of some sorts? It was not unheard of for me to witness potential incidents to occur. The only problem was that there was no assurance when they’d occur. What my spiritual subconscious was experiencing then could happen either in several centuries, or the next day.

I snorted to myself. ‘Maybe this is just insanity creeping into my dreams. Again.’ The musing floated in my head, before the ground lurched under me. Another quickly followed, straining my balance as I quickly assessed the area. The earth was trembling. My first reaction was to place blame on an earthquake, but that soon dissipated. There, rising from the ravaged plateau of war, was a massive, mechanical hand. My eyes registered the threat slowly. What the hell was I witnessing?

Soon, other gloves began emerging, each with their own tremor. Gradually, they turned into arms as they rose in the air. And then, bodies began clawing their way up and out of the rocky crust of the planet. I vaguely noticed the combat in the far-off distance had halted, watching the appearing giants with stifled horror.

The toiling behemoths were soon standing in pairs of four, equaling about twenty in all. Each was the size of a skyscraper. Cracks strewn about their frames were filled with green moss, accumulated dust from apparently eons of slumber. The dogs of this war had risen. And they all began lumbering towards the conflict. As I made a movement to reposition myself, I very quickly noted that there was a distinct shadow looming over my small island. I slowly turned, expecting the worst.

I wasn’t terribly disappointed.

I was met with the size of something truly grand. The particular golem towering over my person was easily three to four times the size of its inferior counterparts. While the metal beasts from before bared no face, this one did; a horribly construed face marred with lenses, and half of its gigantic maw gone. It stared down at me, the crimson light glowing ominously down from the sensors. I froze; I had little doubt that I would not be harmed in this dream, but the potential of the event occurring in reality gave me pause.

Suddenly, I was met with a haunting, gravelly tone. “You will fall, Betrayer.”

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but the opportunity for a rebuttal was soon lost to me as an overtly large cannon extended itself from the shoulder of the mech. The gauss fired its shot instantly, sending sure death down upon me. I couldn’t move. The echo of the voice was still occupying my thoughts. They sounded so familiar. Did I hear those words before?

My ponderings proved to be my downfall. Unable to be able to escape the skyrocketing projectile heading my direction, I could only utter a single phrase before the blast struck me, and evicted me from the mental projection: “Who did I betray?”

Nothing answered.





“Again!”

A reverberating shout met the order.

“Again!”

Another cry responded.

“A-fucking-gain! Come on, ladies! We don’t have all day!”

It was the Bearers’ last day in Canterlot before they had to return to Ponyville. Despite having lived there for most of her childhood, Twilight still couldn’t get enough of the grand city. The few brief days they had were filled with shopping, fine dining, and seeing the sights of the nation’s capital. Twilight even got some free time to chat with both Princess Celestia and her brother, the latter in a constant state of soreness from Storm's training regime.

At the moment, the girls’ final few hours in waiting for the train home was spent watching Storm drill the Royal Guard. It was their first time seeing him in action, and honestly the initial yelling and harsh language threw them for a loop. But they were assured by both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna that Storm needed to do such to, in his own words: “Ensure that they [the Royal Guard] would not piss themselves in the face of danger.”

Screams of aggression echoed out across the packed Courtyard. Scattered all throughout the space were pairs of Guards sparring with one another. Apparently--according to the patterns that Twilight could detect--one member was designated to attack, and the other to defend for every time Storm shouted. The first few times were riddled with the Human constantly Blinking down onto the field to forcibly shake down and physically correct any mistakes that were made.

After about ten minutes, they learned to start functioning like clockwork.

“Alright! Switch roles!”

Obediently, the Guards took a pause and bowed to one another. Rarity had asked why they did that when they were of equal rank, but Storm only muttered a distracted response about ‘mutual ring respect’. With a slight clearing of his throat, Storm quickly took a swig of water.

“Ugh, hell. I think I’m wearing myself out just shouting at them...” he grumbled to himself. Storm glanced over at the Bearers and Princesses in attendance, and raised an eyebrow at the party silently watching him work. It almost appeared to be his trademark for every possible reaction. “When’s your train suppose to arrive?”

“Some time in the next hour or so,” Applejack retorted.

He merely gave an accepting nod at that, and turned back to continue addressing his charges in a biting tone. As he was doing such, Rainbow Dash casually leaned over and began whispering in Twilight’s ear. “Hey, Twi’...” the Unicorn’s ear twitched reflexively to show she was listening. “Have you noticed that since Storm started training the Royal Guard, he’s been... I dunno, more grumpy?”

She could only offer a shrug. “I’m not sure. That may just be his personality.”

“Oi.” Twilight and Rainbow Dash quickly glanced over at Storm, who was regarding them with a mild expression of amusement. “I heard that.” Both of them awkwardly chuckled, and Storm lazily returned his attention for a moment towards the yard. Only to do a double-take and Blink. From a farther distance, everypony in attendance on that balcony clearly heard Storm grilling a Private who took a misstep.

Princess Celestia could only shake her head lightly with a grin. “Poor Private Golden Hoof.” She covered her muzzle with a hoof as she watched the Human order the mentioned stallion to begin doing push-ups as punishment. “That’s the fifth time that Storm has gotten on him about his limp.”

While Storm’s first few days went far from smooth (there were several instances of him openly arguing with Generals on tactics and leadership, which resulted in Storm gaining unprecedented command over the training); there was no doubt in anypony’s mind that results were already beginning to show by that point. The Guard already seemed to be more alert, more professional and fitting of their title.

If one thing was absolute: Storm understood how to organize a fighting force.

After a few minutes of idle chatter on the balcony, it was broken by Storm’s return. Teleporting back into existence with a fizzling pop, he grabbed a fruit on a nearby platter and took a bite. He had offhandedly mentioned that he was an omnivore--a fact that almost went catastrophic, despite Canterlot having hosted several omnivorous diplomats before--and that if meat wasn’t provided for him, he would simply hunt for himself. Princess Celestia assured him that it would eventually be provided, but that in the meantime he would have to settle for fruits and vegetables.

His only response to that was he said something about ‘refusing to go vegan ever again’ under his breath.

“Well, so far so good,” Storm quipped to himself. Casually, he threw a smirk at the diarchy. Twilight had to get used to his cockiness. Rainbow Dash was an ample supply of it, and Storm was bringing in fresh surplus to the table. Especially whenever he talked to the Princesses. “How is my training looking so far?”

Princess Luna gave an approving nod. “There is definitely improvement amongst the Guards. You are doing well, Trainer Storm.” He merely rolled his eyes, though whether it was about Princess Luna's compliment or the formal title granted to him by the Circle was unknown. Luna’s face tightened, if only by a tinge. “Of course, you appear to already know this.”

An airy chuckle left him. “Aye. I’ve been doing this for a while.” Storm tilted his head towards the Sun, and stood there for a few moments. Eventually, he shrugged and did an about-face towards the Courtyard. “Okay, boys. That’s enough for the day session! You have three hours to wash, eat, and nap until the night session begins.” He gave a salute, which admittedly to Twilight looked strange with his fleshy claws. “You’re dismissed.”

All the Royal Guards responded in kind. “Sir, yes sir!”

As the coagulation began to dissipate, Storm calmly addressed his company. “If you will excuse me, I need to use the little Human’s room.” Abruptly, he strolled off and into the Castle, leaving the Princesses and Bearers behind with confused grins and the echo of his cheery whistling.

“He’s so carefree about all this,” Princess Celestia murmured to herself behind Twilight. “I still don’t know if that is a good thing or not...”





It had been a few days since the vision had passed through my dreaming form. The girls I had met in Ponyville returned to their town, and I was left in a barren sea of isolation, and political democracy. With any individuals with a modicum of my trust hundreds of miles away (save Ed), I had no one to truly rely on and communicate with beyond business. The Princesses were dull, and irritated me at every turn. They seemed so arrogant, so sure that their way was the only way. Whenever I brought up a topic of discussion, the co-rulers were quick to write off my plans or divert the conversation.

I doubted they were even listening most of the time. They cared about me training their Guard, not my comments and reforms to fix the rest of their jacked-up society. It was fine, though. Once I fulfilled my moral obligation, I was going to fish out a middle finger for each of the Princesses and hit the road. I mused that the other races probably had better PR, or at least better food.

This musing arose from my first encounter with the incompetence and idiocy of the Ponies’ relations with other sapient races. It happened the same day the Bearers departed; no more than an hour later. A few Griffon diplomats had arrived to discuss some boundaries that needed redefining, and through the ever-slow rate of political sluggishness, the boiling point had finally arrived. After, you know, three years of waiting for an audience, or something.

Thoughts were running rampant as I was reclining against one of the walls in that particular corridor. My eyes were currently at the time perusing a diagram I had written up on the recent modifications to the Guard’s armour. There were several notable weak-points that needed doing away with, and I was never one to half-ass something of this severity. Abruptly, the clicking and stomping of claws interwoven with hooves began ringing down the hall.

I glanced over irritably. Leading the escort walking towards my general direction was one Sergeant Steel Wing. Personally, I didn’t like the bastard, but he was compliant. Which was good enough for me. Behind him were three Griffons flanked by two nondescript Guards. As they walked by, me and the sapient birds shared a stare at one another. I wasn’t too sure if Celestia and her Sister ever said anything about me to those diplomats, but they barely blinked an eye. One looked at me disparagingly, and I raised a middle finger.

It was a habit.

Of course, they nor the Ponies comprehended the meaning of the action. Hell, the Griffons took it for a wave, and offered amiable greetings to me. I just nodded to them, and went back to staring at my document without bursting into laughter. They were ushered off into the Throne Room, and for a time it was silent. However, no more than a dozen minutes later, the three Griffons were angrily marching back out, entourage of Ponies in tow.

“I cannot believe the Equestrians refused His Lordship’s fair borders for the Altai Mountains,” one of them muttered to his compatriot. “He will not be pleased to hear about this.”

“Perhaps ‘Gryphe the Great’ should not have put forth the consideration of Equestria losing territory as a result of this meeting, sir.” My eyes squinted; Sergeant Steel Wing had no fucking authority to be so casual in his speaking. A good soldier would not be opening his mouth like he was. Wing was hardly qualified to even dream of understanding politics, let alone belittle another for it.

One of the Guards had caught my sharp gaze directed towards Steel Wing, and traded places to be on the far side of the patrol. I had half a mind to berate the foolish Sergeant, and another half to question the party about the diplomatic negotiation. I ended up doing neither, and chose instead to watch as the Griffon gave Steel Wing a dirty look as they were escorted down and out the hall. 

“Trainer Storm. A word with you, if I may?”

Lazily, I glanced over at the mare addressing me. Her name at the time escaped me, but I did recognize her to be one of the forge-masters of the Castle. I offered a neutral nod towards the Unicorn garbed in a grease-splotched apron. “Yes? What do you need?”

“Have you been able to draw up the schematics you talked about yesterday? The rest of the armourers are anxious to see what you know of smithing.” As response, I merely rose the parchment I had been browsing. Her eyes widened in surprise. “Oh, is that the plans?” A mere nod was my only reply as she took the paper in her grasp and began to trot off.

“Are you forgetting something?”

An embarrassed intake of air answered as she turned on a dime. Despite not being a rank-and-file trooper, she still gave a nervous salute. I was admittedly surprised that she had called me by my more former title, and that she gave me a salute. She didn’t necessarily have to. “I’m terribly sorry, sir. Thank you immensely for this.”

I gave a bemused smile and waved her off. “It is quite alright, and you are welcome. Now, if you’ll excuse me; I have some vital business to attend to.” The smith gave me a thankful nod, and began briskly trotting down the hall in the opposite direction of the Griffon convoy. I merely snorted, before glancing back the other direction.

‘I wonder if it’s even worth the effort to ask what all that was about with the Griffons.’

“Probably not,” Ed mused. “If it’s worth your notice, Celestia will come to you asking for advice. If not, then you can just keep on directing your efforts to finishing your little service and we can be on our merry way to decoding the Lock and taking a nice. Long. Vacation.”

Another snort left me, though this one with less amusement. ‘I read ya, loud and clear. She hasn’t come to me for advice on any other matters yet, though. I don’t see why she suddenly would no-’

“Storm. There is something I need to discuss with you.”

Before Ed had the opportunity to say ‘I told you so’, I spun on a dime similar to the smithy from before to face Celestia, who had appeared out of the recently-used doors by the Griffons. She seemed tired, and strained. And there were even unkempt strands of hair out of place from the rest of the pristine mane. I blinked to myself. She looked like shit.

“Very well, Cel. Let’s talk.”

The Solar Princess flapped her lips lightly, as if she was going to remark on the nickname, before her rebuttal died on an exhale. She simply did an about-face and trotted back into the Throne Room, with me coolly following behind. Upon entry, the two posted Royal Guards gave standing salutes, which they surprisingly waited to drop until I had passed. Strange. You would have thought there would not be such... respect, after all that had happened.

I guess I could count my lucky stars for mostly smooth sailing, on that front.

As we approached the pair of thrones that each was worth its own settlement, Luna gave me a nod from her perch. “Trainer Storm. It is nice to see you.”

Her tone was the kickstarter to a particular train of thought I had been picking up and abandoning at random intervals since my instruction of the Guard began. Princess Luna’s voice now sounded unforced in the realms of friendliness and respect, which began making me wonder: was I already starting to sway opinions? Was I truly undoing the wrongs I had done during my cursed state? One would say it sounded cheesy, but... it felt, well, kinda good.

Even before my time as an Editor, I did not like having people--especially the good, honest type--be upset or disapproving of me. Despite the milleniums having jaded me to a point where more often than not I cared little for the opinions of mere mortals and lesser Gods, I could not help but... care what the Ponies thought of me. Attitudes of the diarchy notwithstanding, the others from Ponyville proved that the usual innate evil was blatantly and significantly undeveloped in the social structure of their species.

It was strange. I almost didn’t like the sensation. Almost.

“Hello, Lu.”

Unlike her elder sibling, Luna did not let the shortened name go unchecked. “Watch your informality, Storm. I am still the co-ruler of this kingdom, and you’ll address me with respect.” I let the weak threat roll over me like a breeze. There was nothing Luna could genuinely do to stop me from saying the nickname, and even she knew it. The only reason why she opened her mouth was to make a point in front of her Guards.

Still, I obeyed her request. There was no reason to ignite a petty argument, and therefore strain relationships that were starting to improve. “As you wish. I cannot guarantee that I can keep to this in private, but for your public image; I will leave it as Luna.”

She almost seemed ready to push the matter to try and get a ‘Princess’ wedged in there, but Celestia beat her to the punch. “I know you are only entitled to assist us in training our Royal Guard, Storm,” I snorted briefly at the given pause. I technically wasn’t entitled at all (blasted things I have to do to survive...), but I held my tongue. “But I ask that you give your opinion on a more... diplomatic issue.” With a nod from Luna, the two guards exited the Throne Room. Another sign of trust? Interesting.

“You seek my counsel now, after you dismissed all my other opinions outside the realm of militaristic training?”

I wasn’t sure if there had been any bitter spite in my tone, but both the Princesses flinched lightly at my words. Luna adopted a faint look similar to nervous guilt, while Celestia chose a blank slate for her expression. “To be fair, even if we both considered your reforms and backed you one-hundred percent, the Council would never vote in favour. You are still, sadly enough, too much of an unknown for them to lend an ear to your ideas.”

My only body expression I found appropriate to form was an eyeroll. “Sometimes, one has to swallow their pride and ponder what is better for others above themselves.” That was a lesson I had learned countless times throughout my travels, and in a way continued to learn it as the eons dragged by. I let out a small breath. “What is this issue you speak of?”

“Since I found you standing outside, you most likely saw the escort of Griffons that had passed through?” I nodded to Celestia, waving a hand at her to continue. “They had been sent here by their ruler, a brash commander who refers to himself as Gryphe the Great.”

“Yes, I heard some comments in passing. Something about a deal of land, correct?”

I was met with nods. “The Altai Mountains divide the Northern Province from the Frozen North, where much of the Griffon Kingdom resides. Gryphe the Great has been pressing negotiations on us to release some of our territory to him, as recompense.”

Several moments passed in silence. I egged them on by waving my hand. “Recompense for...?”

It seemed that Celestia had spaced out, because she shook her head quickly and reexamined me with slightly-unfocused eyes. She really wasn’t feeling well, was she? Her aura was suddenly off, arcane palpitations that originally weren’t there thrumming frantically. I hoped that it was just stress instead of an illness or something. Diseases contracted from Gods were especially hard for the Editor to recover from. I was once laid up for twelve years fighting off such an disease. It was less than pleasant.

When she began speaking, my brow furrowed at the amount of effort that appeared to be in her speech. “A few hundred years ago, Bertrade the Brilliant commanded her army in an attempt to take part of Equestria’s Northern Province to expand the Griffon Kingdom’s food stores. She was undeniably intelligent, and her strategy knew no bounds. If it wasn’t for my capacity to command the Sun, Equestria would have collapsed in a decade to her cunning.”

She continued, though with even less momentum than before. Which wasn’t much to start with. “I was able to successfully establish a peace treaty where in exchange for control of the Altai Mountain border, I would regularly send cargo consisting of foodstuffs to feed her people for two years.” A drowsy smile played across her lips, and her posture began to wobble. “I guess she figured she wasn’t having any success, and had no other option...”

I blinked as the Equestrian’s ruler, remote-control of the Sun, promptly fell over asleep.

Luna seemed to make a great deal of effort to ignore her elder sister taking a spontaneous nap, and merely took up where Celestia left off. “Now though that the Griffon Kingdom is well-fed, Gryphe the Great feels as if he’s entitled to have the Altai Mountains returned to his possession. He has made vague threats to either relinquish or reach an agreement, but nothing concrete as to initiate any action one way or another.”

My mind was still processing the now loudly-snoring Princess slumped in her throne chair. When I started to point a finger towards the resting mare, Luna simply shook her head. I dropped the asking as well as my finger. “So... you want me to make the decision, basically?”

Another nod. No words. My mind ticked slowly as Luna patiently sat and waited for my judgement on the matter. This wasn’t right. It was a simple scenario with few courses for action, all in all; why did they care about what I thought needed to be done? Perhaps it was a psyche test, and they were examining my problem-solving ability. I considered to try and keep my suggestions inside of pacifist territory.

“What were they offering for this agreement?”

An expression arose on Luna’s face, though whether out of amusement or melancholy was unknown. “Our lives.”

The grim words didn’t stop me from letting out an audible laugh, to which the Princess of the Night could only respond with a shocked stare. I motioned towards her. “To be completely honest, this guy sounds like an idiot. That Bertrade, too. How they--mere mortals, mind you--expect to bully about individuals capable of piloting giant solar bodies is beyond me.” I personally shook my head in pity, although I wouldn’t be surprised if it came off as condescending. “I think the answer here is obvious.”

Stunned eyes were filled with curiosity. “Oh? And what, pray tell, do you have in mind?”

“It’s quite simple, really. Make a... friendly reminder of who exactly this ‘Gryphe the Great’ is threatening. If he doesn’t back down, give him a demonstration. And if somehow even that fails (and he truly is that dense), well...” I brought a thumb across my throat. Silence met me.

“Remember when you said you weren’t going to stray outside of the pacifism realm for your response?”

‘Yeah.’

“Doesn’t this, I dunno... completely and utterly negate that statement?”

I internally shrugged. ‘I quickly decided on the spot not to lie or to mutter my opinions just to make it palpable for the Equestrians. They either accept my advice, or they don’t.’ Ed gave a likewise shrug, and left my logic at that.

Luna blinked almost owlishly at me. “I am not so sure that is the wisest of strategies--”

Before she could even consider speaking further, I cut in. It was starting to get fun doing it; Luna’s expression became rather priceless at the disrespect. Great deal of fun. “You need to stand up, but not jump instantly to violence. Showing you are more than willing to do battle--and better yet, to show the capacity that you would win--is one of the greatest deterrents to war that has ever existed, ever.”

For a few moments, we both contented ourselves to think to ourselves, Celestia’s heavy snoring being the backdrop. Figures that such an obnoxious sound accompanies such obnoxious practices as politics. Eventually, Luna gave up and sighed. “You are correct. A pattern I am not happy to admit,” Luna paused as I gave an amused smirk. Though my miniature grin fell when I took a second to look in her eyes.

While not holding the same lethargic sensation that Celestia’s eyes did, there seemed to be a great deal of pain. She didn’t appear to have any physical injuries, so why did she look like she was going to cry-- “We do not wish for our ponies to be in harm’s way.”

Ah, emotional bonding to others and caring about their well-being. Should’ve guessed.

I blew off her anxiety with the wave of my hand as I used another to shut Celestia’s trap with a bit of a magical flourish. Thankfully, her snoring ceased, and Luna seemed content to let it happen rather than snap at me for using magicks on her sister. I'm sure, given the situation, she would've gotten rather miffed if it had been for anything else. “They won’t be. This Gryphe asshat will curdle like milk once you and Sleeping Beauty over here instill some of your ‘authority’.”

A light tint of rosy red appeared on Luna’s cheeks. “D-did you just call my sister--?”

“Human metaphor.”

I snorted at the relieved sigh that left her. Luna’s gaze however took on a suspicious look. “Why did you sound off-putting when you said ‘authority’?”

My inner self smacked itself for its stupidity. I had a tendency to dislike and scoff at Gods for their influence and power over lesser mortals, and it sometimes reflected in my tone without me thinking about it. Luckily, Ed provided me with some script to save my bacon.

Man, I wish I had some bacon then.

“I meant your authority, as in your responsibilities to raise and lower both the Sun and the Moon.”

Unbelievably, Luna nodded and accepted. Not willing to trust one minute, all too-trusting the next. Such a perplexing conundrum the Equestrians were. Like solving a puzzle. A very fuzzy, annoying, magical puzzle. “Very well. When our sister awakens, we’ll discuss your response in private and vote on the matter.” Luna’s horn lit for a brief moment, and not more than a moment later the doors opened to allow several Guards to march in and resume their usual positions in the Throne Room. “You are dismissed, and may return to whatever you were doing previously, if you so desire.”

I had been tempted to turn and walk, but the sleeping form of Celestia stopped me. I had to ask. “Is she... alright?”

Luna waved me off with a hoof. “It is nothing to worry about. She has been feeling a little under the weather, and has lost a bit of sleep because of it.” I wanted to say that she sounded as if she was in denial, but it wasn't worth the effort. Her voice turned stern. “I will worry about my sister, Trainer Storm. You worry about training the Guard.”

The scalding tone caused me to bite down on my tongue. I was so very close to dipping into the Editor and smiting that little bitch where she sat. But I didn’t. Partially because I knew it wouldn’t get me anywhere, and partially because Ed locked the function away from me as a precaution. Instead, I merely gave a gruff nod, and walked away.

I didn’t miss Luna asking one of the Guards to get a nurse. Nor did I miss the worry in her words.


-WTIN-