Catalyst

by That Colt


Chapter 6: Driest Rede

Chapter 6: Driest Rede

King Sombra did not like to be kept waiting.

It wasn’t that he was opposed to waiting mind you. Patience was one of the many tools a King could, No; needed to leverage. He did not like to be kept waiting. Yet here he was, waiting, pacing back and forth, in the long abandoned room of what was likely a long dead or since departed to parts unknown dragon child, waiting to be summoned like a common work pony by Kalistastradikalament. He stopped his pacing to look over the re-shelved books that adorned the far wall, he had rearranged them several times after Kalistastradikalament had granted the room for his uses. The books, which had originally been in disorder had irked a part of Sombra he rarely got to indulge in…No, now was not the time nor did he have the patience to wax poetic about what once was.

Sombra stormed out of the chambers startling the Changelings he had ordered stationed outside in case he had need of something. These creatures had been asleep, they dare? King Sombra turned to face them, a mass of armored muscle and fury. Normally cruelty was a tool to be applied until a group was broken, loyal, and afraid; of which he was certain these changelings where. Had this been any other time, any other place, had he not need of them; he would have executed the two on the spot.
He would have to have a word with Chrysalis about such lax behavior.

“Insects! Where is your mistress?” he growled allowing only the smallest mote of his power to manifest as a glow behind his eyes.

“She is in the halls below! With the red lizard! My King” They cowered from him their voices thick with fear. Good; the message had been received. Sombra bared his teeth at the creatures one last time before resuming his march from the chambers, he did not like the fact that Chrysalis was with Kalistastradikalament unsupervised. Not that if the dragoness wished to spend time with his servant he could do much about it. Kalistastradikalament was one of the few beings in the world who could demand not only he wait, but demand that he come when beckoned. He continued his mental tirade oblivious to the wondrous architecture surrounding him of stone and bronze. The great windows of immaculately blown glass that gave an unfortunately poor view of the ash and snow swept city as he set to work descending flights of stairs.

Kalistastradikalament had been helpful yes, to some; less aware ponies it would she would have been too helpful. She had granted them the use of this tower, that had from what he understood been set aside for the education of juvenile dragons, she had sent her own magical messages to beings he had only read about in legends clouded with the language of myth and the half-truths wrought by time. Yes, she had been quite helpful; and she was doing it for the sole purpose of being entertained. A purpose that for the time being aligned with his own, he mused with the slightest bit of disgust, as if he were a common jester.

The irritation of his train of thought proved to be more than minor as the magic he used to throw open the two dragon sized iron doors that lay at the end of his half remembered trek from the bed chambers. Before him lay a massive hall; floor tiled with silver filigreed bronze, walls suspended by marble columns every inch etched with heroic imagery no doubt from the once glorious past reached to a ceiling of solid gold inlaid with enough gems to purchase a petty kingdom one thousand times.

All of this, was lost on the narrowed eyes of King Sombra; so focused was he on the two figures in the center of the chamber. Kalistastradikalament of course, given her bulk dominated the chamber even as she lay upon her belly before a low set table of unknown metal. Her right foreclaw was curled into a fist save for a single talon whose tip rested upon Chrysalis’s brow; the changeling eyes closed was wrapped in a warm almost kindly aura of magic.

“What exactly are you doing to my thrall, dragon?” he made no effort to hide the venom in his voice at the scene before him as he made his way to the table; taking a seat opposite of ancient female.

Kalistastradikalament gingerly pulled a massive talon back from where it had previously been resting on Chrysalis’s forehead. Allowing the aura of magic to fade, if the dragoness was clearly amused at his demand; he had not expected much else from the creature. Chrysalis on the other hand, ears splayed and eyes down cast as soon as they had fluttered was clearly intimidated by his reaction. Something was off about her, yes, something had changed. Her focus was clear; her eyes that since his first…exploration had always lacked clarity, that had made it all the more easier to control her. There was more; King Sombra looked her over, making sure his gaze was both perceptible and uncomfortable as possible. She was trembling; good she still feared him, whatever dragoness had been doing was affecting her mind, but compromising his control. Interestingly enough her coat was beginning change; it was growing lighter, brown in color if he had to guess; the change was far from uniform giving her a marbled look in the right light. He also noted, for the first time that Chrysalis possessed a cutie mark; her wing tip obscured most of it; but he could tell it possessed at least one rose.

“What exactly where you doing?” he modified the demand focusing it at Chrysalis as he allowed his tone to adopt a more neutral sound.

“I…I was having trouble thinking. She offered to...help” her eyes still downcast widened “My King” she quickly added, recoiling in expectation of his wrath.

“Oh do forgive the Alicorn, King Sombra; she was indulging an old mother in her habits.” Kalistastradikalament’s voice was sickeningly sweet while remaining flighty indicating she was indeed amused by the situation.

Sombra sighed, placing a hoof below his horn. “Thank you for your generosity Kalistastradikalament; I do not know the extent of what you did to her, but I humbly ask you in the future, please do consult me before….” He thought carefully before continuing. “Manipulating my belongings.” The red dragoness simply smiled and looked towards the east wall, lined with windows just beyond the column work as a third voice answered his demand for her with a question of its own.

“Did…you…ask…before…manipulating…her?” the voice took long pauses between each word; as if everyone was some great struggle. The tone of the voice was pained; the sound of bone on bone rather than fleshy cords vibrating over air. His righteous anger at the indignation of the question to fade when he observed the origin; replaced by cool logic evaluating the source.
Stepping forth from behind a column near one of the windows was a creature, more aptly; what was once a creature. It was tall; standing on two legs and possessed of two arms that ended in hands similar to those of a minotaur; but that is where the similarities ended. This creature wasn't as bulky as a minotaur; it clearly lacked horns, nor was it as top heavy. Rather it’s upper and lower body appeared to be in proportion or at least they had been; was it not clearly dead, as given by the fact that it’s short, round skull sat atop an equally bare neck bone. It was bedecked in ancient plate armor once stained black with the ravages of age. Arrows, broken weapons of various designs and origins; many that he did not recognize lay embedded in the armor and perhaps at one time the flesh that had long since rotted away beneath.

“Trouble…Thinking?” it asked with that same bone on bone rasp; its jaw unmoving as it approached the table with slow deliberate movements. Its skull was missing a large section of its upper left hemisphere, no stranger to combat he recognized the wound as the result of a mace or telekinetic strike of great force from above. The front of the skull was still intact, for the most part; empty eye sockets staring at the assembled party a run of unknown origin faintly pulsing with a sickly green light in the center of what was left of the things brow.

“No, merely evaluating. You are?” King Sombra asked eyes locked the unknown party; though he had his suspicions.
The creature shook, its armor clanking in the cold a popping, the abysmal sound rang forth from somewhere deep within the armor. “Merely…are.” It stated clearly in answer. King Sombra’s eyes narrowed at the mimic; it was laughing, at what? At him?

Kalistastradikalament took this moment to moment to chime in, unable to contain her amusement. “King Sombra, may I introduce you to Gabriel; The Death of Kings. That which may speak for the Necromanus.” She brought a claw up to rest her massive head on, eyes loosing focus as if she was now bored with the situation and desired to be elsewhere. “I have summoned him here with pacts long made between his people and my own.” So his suspicion was correct; he had expected something dying or draped in death based on the name of the species, but he had not expected the Necromanus to be dead themselves. He watched without reaction as the dead thing effected what must have passed for a bow among its kind, before taking its seat at the table. He had not expected this at all; nor had he expected them to have an annoying method of communication.

“I see; thank you for working so fast to bring this meeting together my lady.” He nodded at Gabriel locking his eyes on the two empty sockets, unsure if they were looking back at him or through him.

“Thank…you...for…this…meeting…King…Sombra….I …speak…for…the…Necromanus.” It was clearly intelligent; but its mimicry would provide a challenge for communication. King Sombra would need to choose any responses carefully as to provide Gabriel with the components to coherently answer.

“Far to the south east of this city, lies a land known as Equestria. It is the current hub of the world, home to two celestial avatars and allied with dozens of other nations across the globe. It is also the root of so much suffering in recent history thanks to the incompetence of its rulers” Sombra waited for the dead thing to respond; when none came he continued watching as it moved a gauntlet to what had once been its chin, rubbing a finger back and forth over the bone creating a slight, uncomfortable sound of metal grinding on bone. “ I have no love for its people, it’s lands nor alliances; my goals are to bring order to the chaos that it’s rulers have engendered during their long reign.”

“Equestria…is…known” Gabriel spoke after respectfully waiting for him to finish. “Its….rulers…are…known” It’s hand once scrapping along the jaw bone seemingly gravitated absently to the cavity carved from its skull. “Order…to chaos…much…suffering…” Gabriel nodded at his, well, Sombra’s words. Then made a looping gesture with one of his arms, beckoning the Unicorn to continue.

Sombra was unsure if Gabriel wanted him to continue so that it could keep speaking or if it was interested in more he had to say. “Yes, I will bring more suffering to its people before my task is done. But as I am a pony far out of time, I have need of allies whose goals align to my own.” Come, take the bait dead thing, he mused.

“My…goals…align…” Gabriel creaked, bringing both hands together in a steeple before its skull; where Sombra could only guess its nose had once been. “But…I…have...needs…of…my…own.” Excellent, now we are getting somewhere; come now dead thing tell me of your needs.

“Of course, whatever needs the dead may have, I shall entertain in earnest. No matter what you wish, gems, gold, land or power. Once I sit upon the throne of Equestria; you need but only ask for.” Sombra chided himself, he had gotten excited at such events moving so quickly; his heart sank briefly as he noticed that Chrysalis had witnessed his temporary loss of control. “Gabriel, Death of Kings, that which speaks for the Necromanus. I shall not lie, my goal is nothing short of the world underhoof; this I ask of you now: will you march with me? Or stand against me?” he allowed the final part of his statement to come across a growl, unsure if he could truly instill fear in the dead.

For several painful moments there was only science; the dead thing, Gabriel said nothing. Simply remaining motionless under the eyes of a Dragon, an Alicorn and Sombra himself.

Then the clanking noise returned, Gabriel was laughing...again “I…ask…not…for…power…for…land…for…gems…or gold…I…ask…for…the…dead…for…this...the…Necromanus…will…march.”

Sombra’s features twisted into a grin; as Gabriel continued to clank; his own voice broke into laughter hardly harmonizing with the sound coming from the dead thing.

“Then the dead you shall have.”

***

Twilight’s eyes creaked open slowly exposing themselves to the stabbing pain presented by the noon-day sun stabbing through the tall windows of her castle. She was seated on her throne, book laying pages down on the floor and a small orange filly dozing in her lap, purple tail curled over her nose. The sight was adorable, the reason for it came back as she managed to fully drag herself awake. Scootaloo had wanted to show her what she had learned in school, A frown formed at the realization and further examination of the recent memories leading up to this sight entailed.

Scootaloo wanted to impress her mother.

Even after all these months; after the constant assurances, supportive talks and late nights. The once orphan was still terrified of losing her new family; Twilight gently, tenderly began to stroke Scootaloo’s back eliciting a twitch from her daughters undersized wings. Ever since her ascension, her realization of her purpose; she had been blessed with many gifts, earned many rewards. But nothing, absolutely nothing meant more to her at this moment than the happiness of her daughter and her marefriend.

A low snore shattered the entire sweet reverie, startling the Alicorn and causing her to apply just too much pressure to her daughters back causing her to begin to stir.

Her Marefriend, Rainbow Dash was sitting on her throne, snoring. No, Twilight had to do her best to suppress a laugh as she stared at the cyan Pegasus. Rainbow Dash, her ever vigilant captain of the guard was not sitting on her throne snoring; she was laying, upside down and backwards down its length unleashing a whinny that could topple mountains.

“Mom, how do you sleep next to her?” Scootaloo wearily rubbed her eyes with her fore hooves sitting on her haunches in twilight’s lap. Well, it’s simple really; for two reasons when a Pony’s mind reaches a certain level of exhaustion, a safety mechanism kicks in that isolates the waking mind from external stimuli, secondly… Are you really lecturing yourself right now? Eyes widening at the abrasiveness of the self-accusation; she turned to her daughter who was now staring head cocked at her other mother figure, who still lay, draped, deposited? In the seemingly impossible position.

“When you love somepony very much…”Twilight smiled, then burst out in tandem giggles with her daughter as a bubble of mucus erupted out of Rainbow Dash’s nose. Oh Celestia, it was memories like this she treasured with her new family. “You’d be surprised what you can live with.”

She patted her daughter on the head coaxing an even broader smile from the filly. “So Scootaloo; what’s on the agenda for this afternoon for Equestira’s number one stunt pegasus?” Rainbow Dash thrashed once, half snarling in her sleep as if she in her unconscious state had heard the misappropriation of one of her many titles.

“Well, Applebloom finally has free time again since you and Aunt Cadence arranged those workers to come down and help Applejack, plus even that pony with the blender voice.”

“S.B Worth” Twilight corrected; earning her a irreverent look from her daughter.

Blender voice" Scootaloo repeated. "Is helping out around the farm. Buuuuhhht even with all that; Applebloom does nothing but sleep!” Rainbow Dash snorted in agreement bursting the bubble that had grown from her nostril.

Twlight made a face at her marefriend, the scene had gone from adorably quaint to a little disgusting; at least to her it was. Scootaloo thought it was hilarious given that she had fallen into a fit of giggles. “I’m sure Applebloom is just catching up on lost sleep, you know how hard the Apples are working to feed Ponyville at the moment.” Twilight nuzzled her daughter as Scootaloo vainly, playfully tried to push the affectionate princess away.

“Yeah, yeah enough with the mushy stuff mom! Aaaaaannyway.” Scootaloo hopped down off of the throne as Twilight resettled herself leaning on one of the arm rests with her foreleg; watching her daughter collect the book and place it gingerly back in her saddlebag. “Sweetie Belle and I are going to spend some time in Bon Bon’s shop! She’s going to teach us how to make candies!”

Bon Bon’s shop was open again? I could have sworn Lyra was still in the hospital after the shock of Tirek’s magic drain had hit her so hard. Twilight’s brow was furrowed as she momentarily got lost in thought oblivious to her daughters now splayed ears, large eyes locked on her lavender face. “D…did I say something wrong?” Scootaloo’s voice cracked breaking Twilight out of her internal review.

“Oh no, no not at all sweetheart.” Twilight smiled and placed a hoof under Scootaloo’s chin. Way to go mother of the year, she drilled internally. “Cutie Mark Crusaders Chocolatiers Go?” She relaxed as the purple maned filly perked up.

“Well technically it’s only two of us, but we want to make something for Applebloo…” Scootaloo was cut off by a mighty percussive knock on the throne room door. What in the name of her fellow princesses was that? Rainbow Dash gurgled in her sleep, sliding off her own throne.

Thanks Rainbow, brilliant assumption.

A second knock came jarring her teeth and sending Scootaloo running, then leaping onto Rainbow Dash; jarring Twilight’s love from the sweet, oblivious embrace of sleep into the gasping awareness of a pegasus filly clutching her barrel.

“Wuh, wha? Squirt? What’s the big…” The third knock succeeded in drawing Rainbow Dash completely into the waking world. “Guards!” Rainbow’s rasp cracked as she called for assistance; effortlessly flipping airward with her powerful wings and cradling Scootaloo to her barrel with a forehoof. Twilight stepped down from her seat to stand in the center of the room; part of her, the part that had come to ponyville all those years ago, was panicking. Was this another attack? Another monster? Sunset Shimmer reverting to her old ways, leading a teenaged army of transmuted bipeds armed with snappy fashion and snarky letters on small beepy things?

The door popped open slightly, two earth Pony Guards shuffling in with Spike between them.

Or it could be Spike.

Just Spike.

“Spike! That was you?” she shouted twisting her head to the side, eyes narrowing in exasperation. Well at least was not the small beepy things; she had hated the small beepy things. Not the time! She shook her head at the small dragon. “You nearly gave me a heart attack!”

Spike looked back through the cracked door. “Um, Twilight?”

“You scared Scootaloo! Nearly had Dash sic the guards on you!” her rant continued oblivious to now both doors to the throne room gently swinging open.

“Twilight, we ha...” She cut him off.

“Do you have any idea what the guards could have done!?” her mane was starting to frizzle in places as her voice picked up, her mind racing.

“Um, Twilight?” This time it was Rainbow Dash, now by her side was draping a wing over the lavender mares back.

“What?” Twilight snorted, gaining no reaction from the athlete next to her; but heart wrenchingly a small squeak from her daughter who was hiding behind the Pegasus’s foreleg now that all four of said legs were planted on the floor.

Mother of the bucking year Twilight, oh and good job on acting all princessy, princessish? Princess-Like? Royal, go with that you royal a…

“We have a visitor Twi.” She would have continued to chastise herself had Rainbow not spoken while pointing a forehoof at the now the open door. At first She thought her marefriend was pointing at Spike who was sporting, at least in Twilight’s opinion, one of the most deserved I tried to tell you faces the dragon could muster with his scaly features; but her gaze followed the love of her life’s direction to what was standing behind her number one assistant.

A Minotaur.

Twilight blinked, color rushing from her face as she looked upon the creature; like most Minotaur’s he was twice the height of anypony in Equestria. His coat was greyed with age though still showed some signs of rich black striping that was clearly at one point his main color. He strode forward, stepping over Spike, clearly aware that he had been noticed; One eyed, just off of freshly scared face held into a neutral expression. Color rushed back to Twilght’s face in embarrassment as she recognized thee flowing white toga draped around his once muscled frame and the ceremonial brass breastplate he wore that peeked out over the chest drape.

This minotaur was Akadios, Twilight’s face felt like it would burst into flames, Akadios, the ambassador from the Minoan Republic to Equestria since before Twilight had been born. Akadios, close personal friend of Princess Celestia. Akadios, whom she had been told had been honored by both Luna and Celestia for attempting to halt Tirek’s invasion of the castle by himself, armed with nothing but his age and a ceremonial gladius; the vain act that had left the elder creature with both a lasting limp and his current cyclopean disposition.

“A... Ambassador!” Good job Twilight, only a full minute of awkward silence as you stare at one of the most respected beings on all of Equus. “Ambassador Akadios, this…this is such a surprise, I must have missed the letter informing me of your arrival. If you just give me a…um, a moment! Yes! I can have the town party planner alerted to arrange a proper greeting.” She was now rambling, she knew it, great; not only had she made a complete foal of herself in front of Akadios she had failed to prepare a proper welcome for the dear friend of her beloved mentor!

Breath Twilight, Breath!

No! No breathing! Panic now! Critical life functions later!

Akadios knelt down, with some difficulty, less than a pony length from them. His features remained neutral as the moment he had stepped into the throne room. Twilight felt like she was turning blue! Look! Her foreleg it was blue! Wait, no, that was Rainbow Dash’s foreleg, wrapped around her own in support.

Breath now? Maybe.

Akadios’s face broke into a smile as he extended one arm strait to his side, dangling the pure white drape of his toga in respect. “Princess Twilight Sparkle, please forgive an old bull and his eccentricities. There was no herald to my arrival.” His voice was warm, genuinely warm, something she had always enjoyed listening too when she had watched him in Canterlot addressing the royal court in her younger days. It reminded her of what she imagined a grandfather’s voice would sound like had she known hers.

Definitely ok to breath; Panic in…three minutes, let’s see what he has to say.

“Oh, I, um…well…Welcome to Ponyville?” She smiled sheepishly, unconsciously leaning into Rainbow Dash, interpreted her need for support as a need for protection scowled at the Ambassador.

“What can be we do for you?” Her rasp was level; not threatening, not accusing; it never ceased to amaze Twilight how Rainbow Dash could commit herself to anything so thoroughly, even given that she was the element of loyalty of which commitment was an aspect. In this moment Rainbow Dash was more than just her marefriend, she was her protector, her pegasus in shining armor…And thinking the term from which her brothers name snapped her out of her thoughts mid-swoon; good job Twilight, messing up romantic even in your head.

Akadios was still genuinely smiling, had he noticed what had just occurred in the moment between the statements; he kept it to himself. “Akadios wished to see a palace that grew overnight!” he boomed.
Looks like somepony, rather some minotaur can enjoy the acoustics favoring them; and my palace didn’t grow overnight, it took a minute, maybe a minute in a half at the most

“When Princess Luna told me about it, Akadios accused her of jest! Of trying to pull one over on my last eye!” He continued talking through a small chuckle, before recoiling his outstretched arm. “but my eye does not deceive me.” He turned back to look at the mares before him. “You must be Captain Dash; Akadios is honored. In Canterlot we have heard much about you.” He bowed his horned head to the multicolored mare, coaxing a confused look from her and dispelling any wariness at once. Twilight couldn’t help but giggle, if only for a moment; Rainbow Dash’s ego was the best way to get on her good side. Clearly Akadios was well on his way to that side already.

“Ah, well, geez, I know I’m pretty awesome; but, I guess it’s an honor to meet you too Amabadassador Oggle-day-Ohs.”

“Ambassador Akadios” Twilight corrected her marefriend, now far more relaxed herself; pulling herself free of Rainbow’s partial embrace; to approach the diplomat.

“Akadios is not against her interpretation of my title; though I’m sure it would offend more than a few nobles in Canterlot.” He shifted his weight from the knee he was currently resting it on; to extend a hand to shake Twilight’s extended forehoof. “Thank you for your welcome.”

Twilight nodded and she pulled back from the greeting. “I’m so sorry about my earlier behavior Ambassador; but I have to admit, you’re one of the last individuals I’d expect in Ponyville; did you really come all this way just to look at the palace?” Now that she was in possession of both her hooves, she’d take the opportunity to rub them together nervously as she waited for the Ambassador’s answer.

That wouldn’t come because he was currently riveted; looking at a certain small, orange filly who had recently been brave enough to poke her head out from behind Rainbow Dash. Mother of the bucking year Twilight! Ok; maybe she was getting a bit repetitive with mental self-flagellation, but how could she have forgotten the presence of her own daughter!

“Scootaloo, sweetheart, come here.” Twlight turned her back on Akadios, “I want you to meet a friend of Princess Celestia’s.”

The small filly, pulled back behind Rainbow Dash for a moment, before the cyan mare prodded her forth. “Sometimes, being awesome means doing something that scares you; Squirt.” The filly’s eyes doubled in size as she looked up at her idol and second mother figure. “After all, who’s the most awesome daughter in all of Equestria?”

Scootaloo’s small barrel puffed up as she received the compliment, sparing one more pleading look at Rainbow Dash, she moved slowly at first; but then at her normal pace to Twilight’s side, craning her head, back, Twilight was a little amused by her daughter trying to look the massive creature in the eye, and back her head went again, and still back a little bit more... then back flipping! Scootaloo squeaked. She tumbled backwards, small, ineffective wings fluttering rapidly, legs kicking forward trying to regain her balance.

Twilight quickly moved to place a wing under her daughter before she hit the ground; but the impact never came. Akadios has caught her daughter by an extended forelimb, he held her gently bent backwards with one massive hand.
Then slowly placed her back on all fours.

Akadios smiled; “See there little one? You have nothing to fear from Akadios.”

Scootaloo grinned back, color rushing to her cheeks in embarrassment under Akadios genuine grin. Twilight finally allowed herself to relax fully. Of course a good friend of Celestia’s would be a kind individual, just look at that genuine warm smile! It hasn’t changed since my time in Canterlot, so warm, so honest, so slowly turning mischievous like Celesita’s would at times....wait…. what is he going…

“After all, Akadios has already eaten his weight in Filly’s today!”

***

S.B. Worth was tired, annoyed and hungry; but mostly the second one. Rule 122; never work tired, annoyed and hungry. The source of his annoyance was a certain white unicorn; so in accordance with Plan A, he had honestly excused himself from their biweekly meeting and returned to Sweet Apple Acres where he was currently staying to help with some farm work. That had worked well, the physical labor had tired him out; a bit earlier than he would have liked given his childhood. It had also cleared his head of various mental acts of violence he wished to befall a expertly quaffed purple mane with no real harm to its owner; which is why he had retired to and was currently content on his haunches at this as of yet isolated part of the farm, a rolling hill overlooking what could only be described as a pristine lake. To think, clearly.

His stomach rumbled. So much for thinking clearly.

Hungry, right. He dropped his saddlebags searching for a granola bar he knew was certainly within; S.B. Worth was not a pony of addiction, but he did spend an unreasonable amount of bits of Granola bars for them to simply be passed as a favorite food. He pulled a small notebook out of the bag; one of many he owned, each filled to the brim with ideas, sketches of designs and of pony’s doing things that…really S.B? Going to think of that now? On a farm? What are you? Twelve? He smirked, returning to his search, sticking his tongue out as he sought his quarry within the seemingly cavernous expanse of his saddlebags.

“Ah ha!” Victory! He pulled the bar from its plastic tomb at the bottom of the bag falling backwards into the soft grass as he took the first bite.

His stomach rumbled again. Hush, working on it.

Biting another chuck away seemed to quiet his gut for the time being; he stretched legs and neck popping, wings splaying out over the ground, feathers tickled ever so slightly by the grass. His eyes drifted skyward, the weather teams in a town like Ponyville always had the right idea, not to many clouds, not too few; perfect for just thinking. He had a lot to think about, rule 97; don’t think about thinking just think; unless you have an excellent drink. He grinned and checked his saddlebags once more, horseapples; he had left his flask back in the guest room in the farmhouse. What he did find however; was a pleasant, but not equally pleasant surprise. A small model airship; he flopped back down on his back winding its clockwork engine. The model had been a gift from Princess Luna; nothing special mind you, everypony who had worked on the H.M.A. Selene had received one. It was special for him, it was the first time he’d lead a project; raising a hoof he let the little craft sputter to life, forming a lazy circle around him. If only the launch of the real one had gone so smoothly; memories came flooding back; he absently fished for his notebook with his right wing.

Rule 13, Never leave home without a notebook; Rule 14, never leave home without a pencil.

He drifted back to the large meeting hall in the east wing of the palace in Canterlot, dozens of older ponies with decades of experience on him going back and forth, arguing about what style to build, what drive system to employ, to use the newest and most advanced or fall back on older more archaic designs for the princesses sake.

S.B. shook the pencil from its hiding space in the spine, right into waiting grip of his left wings primaries.
The Princess had been present as well, sitting at the head of the table looking over all the various designs with a great amount of confusion on her face; It had taken him a moment to realize that given her exile, she most likely had never ridden upon, or considered an airship. In fact, if he remembered anything of his history lessons; most likely not, and given the age of the mare in the moon myth—the last bit of technological prowess she had seen would have been the cotton gin.

The scratching of his pencil on the now open book was the only outside sign of a portrait forming within of Princess Luna.

He had during a lull in the yelling, made what he believed to be a stupid suggestion. “Everything is new the Princess, why not make everything about her vessel new?”

Boom, Pop, Swing! Just like that, well more with the booming royal Canterlot voice and the gasps of all the other ponies present; Luna had placed him in charge, why? No idea, was he ready? Not at all, did it turn out well? Princess Luna seemed to think so, and the Selene was still airworthy…most of the time.

He flipped the page, leaving the portrait half finished; returning to the designs he had doodled earlier while having another shouting match, verbal joust as his fellow combatant Rarity would have called it on the soon to be cleared grounds of Ponyville’s soon to be central park.

S.B. was forced to admit, the mare had an eye for design; now only if it was practical design.

The park as Rarity had presented it would not have been out of place in any city; but had been adapted to the scale of Ponyville; their was still the matter of the Town Archives built into a recess underground. They had gone back and forth on that for most of the morning; which other than topic, arcanelectric power lines, plumbing, water pipes…

Sweet Luna at night that mare had no idea how things worked.

He refocused his thoughts taking another bite of the Granola bar still held in his teeth. They had finally agreed that rather than a fully open plaza in the center of the park, there would be a statue; of what, he shuddered, Rarity was designing and would present sketches at the end of the week. He moved his gaze down the page, taking the ketch The Statue’s pedestal would serve as an entry way and cap for the town Applejack.

What?

His sketch had ended unceremoniously with a detailed cross hatch of Applejack in partial profile. She must have been in the room talking with Twilight about the farm hands from the Crystal Empire, she had after all followed him into town in the morning. Smiling he remembered regaling her with stories about his childhood, also spent on a farm. He swallowed the last of the granola bar; they had not made it half way to town before she had asked what kind of farm, as if that detail wasn't important. He couldn't help but chuckle at the look on her face when he told her:

“Rule 61: Leave details out, for good conversation later!”

She had made the most adorable huff, then turned the conversation back to the work being done on Sweet Apple Acres; She was a practical pony, not one to rock the boat unless she had too. He liked that, he liked being back on a farm as well. When Applejack had offered for him to get away from it all on her families farm; he was relieved, that had been four days ago. The Farm pony’s family had welcomed him warmly; her brother Big Mac despite a lack of higher education proved to be in possession of a brilliant mathematical mind making for excellent discourse when the quiet stallion could be coaxed into it.

His pencil was scratching again.

Granny Smith, he hadn’t seen much of her; she spent most of the day sleeping in her rocker or cooking, kind enough mare, set in her ways from what he could tell. Then Applebloom, the youngest; the filly was certainly a handful from the stories shared around the dinner table; but they all had high hopes for her. Like her brother she had a brilliant mind; and like her sister she was more than willing to go to any lengths to get a job done.

He had drawn another picture of Applejack, this one laying across a sofa, napping as he had caught her doing once after a long days haul in the orchards. I wonder what she’d look like with her mane down, or her tail band off…A few alterations to the picture; and now Applejack was half submerged in a pool of her own golden, well grey, it was pencil, locks draped suggestively over what had become a Prench sofa. Eyes half open, giving a look that wasn’t meant outside of a bedroom.

“Mah hips are wider than that Ah reck’on” S.B. Froze.

“Ah’n Ah think ya’ll has a funny idea ‘bout how how my mane behaves when Ah let it down.”

Oh no. He craned his neck, looking into the highly amused emerald eyes of Applejack.

Horseapples.

The grey pegasus righted himself a little too quickly, knocking the buzzing model from its circular path. “Applejack! Uh, I..hmm…” The orange mare gave an relaxed chuckled and trotted past S.B. slowly, giving him a prolonged look at her, indeed wider hips.

“Lemme guess, ya’ll got nothing?” She flicked her hat on the ground next to his saddlebags.

“Yes, Ma’am” he responded; unsure of what was going on as she pulled her maneband loose letting her hair down.

“Yer Staring S.B.” Yes, oh yes he was; he was also convinced he was doing his best impression of an apple now given how warm his cheeks felt.

“Yes, Ma’am” he repeated as Applejack let loose her tail band, giving it a quick flick to scatter it about.

“Yer wings are stand’n strait up S.B.” It was her turn to blush, she stood less than a winglenth from him, hair down, partially obscuring one side of her face; sun glinting off each adamant strand as if it had been cast from the most valued metal in the land as a work of art. Those luminous locks flowed, as if molten down her back, her side; hugging every curve that was in exactly the right place, in exactly the right way while tracing the lines of what he was sure was every muscle she owned.

Brain is on vacation, please try again later. was all that could go through his mind at this moment.

“Yes, Ma’am” was all that came out of his mouth for the third time; pulling an incredibly girlish giggle from Applejack.

“Everything ahl’right sugurcube?” she batted her eyelashes at him.

Plan C! Plan C! Plan C!

“Ah’ve been thinking ‘bout how nice ya’ll where back at yer party.” Applejack’s blush intensified and she played with her hair between her forehooves taking a seat on her haunches. She looked away from S.B.’s gaze.

“Ah’ve been try’n to think of how to thank ya. I saw yer drawin’ of me and ah thought ya’ll would want to sketch the real thing.?” Her voice quivered, wait was she nervous? After all that?

Ok, maybe not Plan C.

“Ah, Ah don’t want ya’ll getting the wrong idea ‘bout me neither. Ah’ ain’t normally the kind to do things like this.” She was nervous; and most likely embarrassed. “I hope ya’ll don’t think less of me or some’thun right ‘bout now. Ah know this was might foolish.”

“I…I don’t…” he managed to stammer out. Smooth S.B., Smooth. She looked at him with those big emerald eyes; filled with worry? fear? confusion?

“I…don’t think…I can think anything right now.”

Brilliant.