History and Future
1267 Hayington Street
Canterlot
1:00 P.M.
Shining Armor was on his couch in his small house, packing a suitcase. He had been doing so since the night before, but he had long since stopped after finding a picture. It had been tucked away in a pocket of one of his old cadet uniforms he uncovered while hunting for the luggage bag. The picture was of his mother, father, Twilight and himself a week before the incident. For the past hour, he had been staring at the photo, recalling old memories of his past. What finally broke his cycle of thought was a knock on the oak door.
Regaining his sense of his surroundings, Shining stood from the couch, stretched his limbs and trotted to the door. After unlocking it, the unicorn was met by none other than the goddess of the night herself.
“Princess. To what do I owe this pleasure.” Shining greeted as he bowed before the alicorn.
“I’m sorry to intrude on you at such short notice, Shining Armor. However, considering all that has occurred, I thought it would be wise to see how you were doing.” Luna replied. Shining stood from the bow and gestured Luan inside.
“So, were you sent by your sister to see if I was up to anything?” Shining asked as he returned to the couch.
“No, I came by my own means. Tia did mention that you resigned yesterday over the news of the diplomat.” Luna replied, joining the former guard.
“What did she expect? Even if I didn’t have my history, that’s still not right.” Shining scoffed.
“I agree.”
“Don’t talk me out of going- Wait, you agree?” Shining asked, taken aback by the turnaround.
Luna looked to the ground in sorrow. “Yes, especially if the wolf is the Eclipse.”
“Eclipse?” Shining repeated.
“His name is Seth Eclipse. But during the war he was known to the ponies as the Eclipse.” Luna explained, joining Shining on the couch.
“What war? Who is this guy?” Shining demanded.
Luna sighed. “The wolven war was before our time as rulers of Equestria, during Discord’s era. While he was in power, he started a war with the wolves and they invaded Equestria. There are few records of the war, but some important documents were uncovered. One was of an elite team of wolves known as the Wolfpack. This pack was lead by... the Eclipse.”
“Wait, you said that the war was in the Discord era.” Shining protested. “If this Eclipse guy was in it, wouldn’t that make him over a thousand years old?”
“It was said that the wolves had the ability to preserve life over an extended period of time. He must have done so.” Luna explained. “During the war, the Eclipse and his team had been had killed countless ponies as they defended their land. It wasn’t until five years into the war did we manage to defeat the wolf. After the loss of their warrior, the battle turned in favor of Discord ten years passes as the ponies invaded the Wolven Empire. On the summer solstice of the fifteenth year, my sister and I freed the ponies from Discord’s hold and drove the cowered back to Equestria. Ever since, we have lost contact with the devastated nation.”
As Luna finished her explanation of the war, Shining had but one question remaining. “What were their intentions?”
“What?” Luna asked, looking to Armor.
“You said Discord started the war. What was the wolves intentions on being part of it?” Shining said, staring at Luan in return.
“There is little known on the war, much less on why it started.” Luna elaborated, thinking back to her studies of the war “I can’t tell you what their intentions were, but they were experienced hunters.”
At the last comment, Shining Armor stood up. “Well princess, you convinced me.”
“Of what?” Luna asked, concerned with where the guard might be going.
As Shining approached the door, he turned to the lunar goddess. “You convinced me that I should be watching over my sister against the monster your sister sent.”
“For the last time, claiming a diplomat as a pet is not an option.” Twilight explained, as Fluttershy was attempting to show her side of the story. At this time, Seth was attempting to take a much needed nap after waking up before the dawn’s early light. Keyword: attempting. Even with the mares next to Fluttershy’s cottage, Seth couldn’t find peace by the stream.
“But Twilight, it was merely a disguise.” The butter mare rebuttled with pleading eyes. “He even agreed to it. Plus...” Her voice got low, but not low enough that Seth couldn’t overhear the conversation with his canine ears. “He... seems cute.” She admitted.
“Fluttershy!” Twilight yelled.
“Twilight...” Fluttershy begged.
“Guys?” The reptile called from Twilight’s side. He was ignored as the two began to bikker again about Seth and his status as a pet. “Well, if you need me, I’ll be with the wolf.” He walked over to where Seth was lying down in the grass and sat next to him.
Seth had been watching the three of them as they were talking, and during that time was trying to figure out what the reptile was. At the moment, he was settled on a giant lizard. A giant talking lizard. He gave the reptile a curious look as he approached.
“Sup.” The lizard greeted.
“Sup.” Seth replied, slight question in his tone.
“So, you are the wolf Rainbow Dash took down.” The lizard said with a bit of a chuckle. Seth nodded. “So what’s you name?”
Seth gave a slight shrug. He seemed nice enough. A bit cocky, but nice enough. Giving a slight smile towards the lizard, he answered. “Seth Eclipse. Diplomat from the Wolven Empire. And you are?” He returned.
“Spike the dragon.” He said. “I’m with Twilight.”
Dragons do exist. The wolf thought to himself. This is going to drive the techs back home insane with everything here. “Funny, I wouldn’t see Twilight as a ‘dragon’ pony, but what the heart want, the hea-”
“Hold up there wolfy, I’m just her assistant.” The dragon protested, looking defensive.
“Sorry for the misunderstanding.” Seth apologised, turning his attention back to the two mares who were still conversing. “How long do you think this will last?” He asked.
“Well... knowing Twilight... have wolves predicted the end of the world? If you have, it’ll take that long.” Spike replied with a laugh. Seth gave a slight snicker, but nothing beyond that. He was intent to hear what the two were saying.
“Well, I guess I just don’t see any reason why we can’t be friends.” Fluttershy spoke, getting a little more defensive. Funny, it didn’t look like it fit her carrying self Seth saw earlier.
“Really?” Twilight asked, getting annoyed herself. “I highly doubt you were just thinking of being friends. Friends don’t get collars for friends and get so close to put it on.”
“He was struggling.” Fluttershy protested.
As Seth became more and more aware of the nature of the conversation, he looked to Spike. “I’m a bit lost here. What’s the social embodiment of a collar when given to someone?”
Spike giggled at the sophisticated overtone the wolf was trying to create. “What does it mean for a wolf?” Spike asked, trying to hold back tears of laughter.
“Well... it is basically a symbol of degradation. You are lowering your standards to being a... dog.” Seth replied, still very confused. At hearing this, Spike began to roll on the grass, uncontrollably laughing. It was so obvious that even the mares noticed the dragon’s behaviour, but turned back to their debate rather quickly.
“You have got to be kidding me, wolfy.” Spike finally said as he calmed down. “When you give a dog collar to somepony, you sort of claim them as your pet... let that sink in for a sec.” Spike said, turning back to the mares.
Seth’s face scrunched in confusion for a few seconds, then he realised the intent. “Oh...” Seth replied as he stood up. “Well... if you don’t mind, I believe that my diplomatic work has been neglected for some time.”
Spike joined the wolf as they walked to the mares. Their approach was not noticed by the two arguing ponies as they seemed preoccupied. Spike cleared his throat as to get their attention, but to no success. Seth did the same, also getting the same result.
As if the day couldn’t get any more awkward, a familiar rainbow streak was headed towards the cottage. Seth turned towards the sight only to notice that the pegasus known as Rainbow Dash was being followed by a second pony, this one being orange in color. Rainbow landed and trotted over to where Spike and Seth were standing, the second pony doing the same.
“Hey guys,” Rainbow Dash greeted. “So I see you found our wolf fr-”
“Not now!” Twilight and Fluttershy both interrupted, going straight back to their conversation.
“Wow, what’s got their tail in a twist?” The orange mare with the stetson asked. She had a peculiar accent that differed from the others. It was not one Seth had ever heard. “Also, why is there a large dog here? Did Fluttershy find herself a new pet?”
At the question, everyone turned to her, even the two arguing mares.
“What? Wha’d I say?”
“Long story...” Seth replied, looking away from the orange pony and shaking his head slowly in annoyance.
“See? Applejack agrees with me.” Fluttershy continued, trotting over to the stenson pony’s side.
The orange mare in question, Applejack, was staring at Seth. “So... he can talk? You said we were hunting for a dog out here, but you didn’t say it could talk.” She said in confusion.
For Seth, he felt his last shreds of self respect fade away. He was diplomat for his nation, and now he was show and tell for ponies while two of them argued over if he was one of them’s pet. Prefect.
As if Spike could read his mind, the dragon patted the wolf’s shoulder. Then, with a nod towards the gravel road back to town, both he and the Spike walked quietly back to Ponyville. It wasn’t for a good solid half hour of bickering and questions did one of the ponies actually figure out that the topic of conversation had even left.
“Um girls? Where’d the dog go?” Applejack asked.
After walking around the edge of the farming town, Seth and Spike finally made it to the library. They had been having a strong debate over the concept of magic and it’s uses in everyday life.
“Well... couldn’t they just mail it? I know ponies haven't grasped the field of electricity as well as wolves, but... still. A bit of a waist of a talent if you ask me.” The alpha wolf explained as the dragon opened the door.
“I find it rather fun to be able to deliver messages vie fire. If I’m on the go, I can just send a letter at will. That, and I don’t have to worry about Derpy losing the letter on the way.” Spike noted. When he got in, the dragon made his way for the kitchen, as he had promised the wolf some tea for his troubles from the past few days. As he was about to take a seat, Seth noticed a familiar crate of supplies sitting a corner of the room. Going over to it, he found a note addressed to him and a second addressed to Twilight. Taking his, Seth sat on one of the library’s reading couches and unfolded his letter.
To Seth Eclipse
I hope the supplies have arrived undamaged, as the mailmare that delivered them seemed to be rather... uncoordinated. As for the reason of this note, I would like to thank you again for coming this far in preparations for the peace talks. I sent a second letter to the Wolven Empire in saying that everything is going well here and that you would decide how to proceed. They told that they dispatched a transport with more representatives would be dispatched for the drafting of the peace treaty.
The reason I have you staying with my student, Twilight, is to give you a view of what life in Equestria is like. If you feel that it is worth being a part of, then you make the final call on whether or not Equestria and Wolven Empire are united in peace.
In hopes that peace may finally arrive,
Princess Celestia