Standing Tall

by Retsamoreh

Chapter 3: Campfires

"Um," Edwin said, looking from Celestia to Richard with wary eyes. Richard turned to look at Edwin, and they shared a silent conversation. Celestia pushed herself to her hooves, forcing Richard to step back a few feet to give her space. She was, at full height, just as tall as Richard, and her abnormally long horn extended a foot and a half more. She turned to face him, taking a slight glance at Luna's unconscious form a few feet away.  

Celestia looked at him, chin slightly raised, and Richard stared back in an equal manner for a moment, before taking a deep breath and clapping his hands together. The swift action made Celestia flinch back a little.

"Well!" Richard said in an all-too-happy tone, craning his neck and smiling over at Edwin, "I have no idea what I am doing! Care to help a bit, Edwin?"

"Nope. You're doing a remarkable job on your own," Edwin said, smiling large and crossing his arms. Celestia looked at the two incredulously, and her priceless expression would send Edwin into a fit of giggles, but something told him it wasn't the time for that. He stayed frozen, and just kept on smiling that big fake smile at Richard.

"How long have you two been here?" she asked, and both Richard and Edwin to drop their friendly facade. They stared at her for a long, violently pacific moment, each unblinking. Edwin would have walked over to Richard in order to offer some sort of morale support, but he didn't want to leave Sunrise's side until this was cleared up. Richard coughed, glancing at Edwin before answering the princess. "And more importantly, who are you?"

"I am Sir Richard the-" He caught a very brief, very deadly glare from Edwin, "I'm Sir Richard, and this is my advisor, Edwin Servanne, as for how long we've been here, the same amount of time you've been here." He looked down at Luna before pointing at Edwin and Sunrise. "We found you and your sister in the northeast portion of the Foreverwoods. There was a misunderstanding, I think, and... well, Edwin, you have a better idea of what happened, so why don't you tell the story?" Edwin brushed a stray hair away from his face, biting his lower lip before answering.

"It... erm," Edwin said, scratching the back of his neck, "it was a misunderstanding, definitely... your sister must've misinterpreted our intentions, and, uh lashed out at me. Giles-"

"Town blacksmith and head guard," Richard interjected.

"Yes, Giles. He came to my aid, and was tossed aside by your sister, then... well then I think she, in a panicked self defense, teleported us all here," Edwin finished, spreading his arms out, "which, I'm fairly certain is in the middle of the Star Plains."

"Oh," Celestia said, blinking at Edwin. He smiled, tilted his head, and shrugged. After ten seconds of mind-bogglingly awkward eye contact between the two, she moved to kneel beside Luna. A small breeze picked up, and the tuffs of long grass scattered about the landscape began to dance with it, swaying their stalks to the beat of life. "I'm... so sorry," Celestia whispered, looking back up at Richard. Everyone adopted the same solemn expression in harmony with the other, even the unconscious Sunrise seemed to suddenly get more serious. Celestia looked back at Luna, Richard looked back at Edwin, and Edwin bit his lower lip again. "Luna should not have struck out at you like that, and I apologize for her rash actions." She took a moment to swallow and sigh, eyes drifting across the plains. "But my mind is just wrapping around what happened before that, and her paranoia seems justified.... I don't know if I can trust you two just yet. We will have to wait and see."

"Understandable. I don't trust you either." Edwin said. Richard coughed, and leaned towards his advisor.

"Edwin. These two were brutally dropped at our doorstep, scared for their lives for reasons unknown to us, so much so that they attack us as soon as we show ourselves. They also happen to be alicorns, if you didn't notice."

"I noticed."

"Have a heart, Edwin. Learn to forgive and stuff." Richard's voice dropped to a hiss, and Edwin matched him.

"Have a mind, Richard. We don't know anything about these two beyond that they're alicorns that claim to be princesses and sisters. There really isn't anything to trust. I will admit-"

"We are going to trust them whether you like it or not. I outrank you."

"I will admit that I do want to trust them, simply for their alicorny-...ness - uhg - and their distressed appearance, but those two facts are just not enough to trust them at all." Edwin crossed his arms, glaring just as hard at Richard as Richard was at him. Celestia just continued staring down at Luna, eyes clenched and breaths ragged. There was another long silence as their argument faded into the wind, and they lowered their gazes. Sunrise had not woken up yet; Edwin figured it the long trek through the woods must of taken a lot out of her.

Eventually, Edwin looked at Celestia, and coughed into his hand in order to get her attention. She didn't look away from Luna, but her ears swiveled towards him. "Ahem, err, Princess Celestia. I personally believe it is in both our best interests that, at least until we part ways, we work for each other's mutual benefit. The closest densely populated area should be Neighton if I didn't miscalculate our position. It should take one, maybe two days to get there. We'll have to work together."

"I concur. I can't even imagine how tired Luna is, teleporting that far." Celestia said, eyes still shut. "Yes... it would be best to cooperate with each other for the time being. What are your goals?"

"Get back on the road, find some shelter, get back to our town," Edwin said, holding out a finger to stop Richard from interjecting with a longer, probably more detailed list of goals that they wouldn't be able to accomplish even if all five of them were all-powerful-alicorns. "What are yours?"

"Getting Luna awake for a moment. After that, ours are the same as yours, but we'll be heading in a different direction."

"Kuiper, I assume."

"Indeed," Celestia replied. Edwin bit his lip and tilted his head at Richard, just slight enough for only the young lord to notice. Their eyes spoke volumes to each other.

Richard looked at Edwin, raising an eyebrow. "I know what you're thinking, and we'll discuss that bit later. For now. Let's get a fire going. Care to help me gather some sticks, Edwin? Perhaps by then Luna will have woken up and we can properly apologize to each other."

"Well let's not leave these three alone for long. We've got a lot to do."

"Like getting us some food. You and Luna can eat the grass, right?" Richard said. Celestia looked up at him with a solemn face. She nodded slowly.

"It won't be what we're used to, that is certain. I will make sure Luna does not overreact once she awakens. You may fetch the wood."

"Aye. Let's not waste any more time. Edwin?" Richard began walking in a random direction,  waving at Edwin to follow and give the princesses some peace. Edwin gave a brief bow to Celestia before jogging to Richard's side. Stepping down the hill in unison, the two set off on their quest for wood and stone. Another breeze blew through the hills, and the tall grass swayed around them as they left. All that was missing was the soft music of a flute floating on the wind.

Celestia looked down at Luna again, and gave her a soft nuzzle. "You can open your eyes now, sister. They're gone, and I know you're awake," she whispered. Luna's eyes opened with agonizing slowness, staring into Celestia's. "Why did you do what you did, Luna? I assume you have a reason."

Luna shifted into a more comfortable position, which was laying down next to Celestia with her two front hooves curled under her body. She looked at the two shrinking figures of the young lord and his advisor, studying them for a moment, and sighed.

"On their cloaks. They bear the same stars that those guards in Kuiper did. I acted merely in self defense, I- I was afraid, yes, I know. Did you not recognize them?" Luna looked up at her sister, her eyes narrowed in confusion. Celestia returned the look, her gaze flickering over to the disappearing forms of the two humans.

"I'm afraid they don't have any stars on them, sister. I'm sure you were imagining things. They seem nice, and I doubt they serve that dreadful man. What are the chances we would have teleported right next to his town? Nearly impossible." She straightened out, tilting her chin proudly. "Until we get a plan sorted out, we are going to rely on those two, and maybe their young pegasus friend. I may not look it, but the first spell drained me of almost all my energy.

Luna chuckled and poked at Celestia's disheveled pink mane, which was littered with soggy leaves and dead grass. "You do look it, though, sister. I am sure I look just as bad, but..." she trailed off, looking forward once again, "what will we do when we get to Kuiper? What about mom and dad... and Morning Star?"

Celestia dropped her chin, looking at the ground with blank, emotionless eyes, and Luna watched, eyeing her sister's dirtied white coat. "We'll figure something out. I'm sure Gallant has already had those ruffians arrested. When we get to Kuiper, we'll fix mom and dad if they aren't already. I promise."

"You promise lots of things." Luna muttered. Celestia just leaned on her, smiling.

"And when have I ever broken a promise?"

"Never... I just... I do not want to trust those two, I suppose."

 "We will have to for now, but do not fret. We shall split up at Neighton, and you won't ever have to see them again if you don't want to. They seem like reasonable men, and leaving them in the wilderness just seems wrong, especially with a child."

"We could take her with us, then send an escort back to whichever village these three come from," Luna suggested, and Celestia laughed with all the humor of a dying phoenix.

"Really? Taking a child like that? Have a heart, Luna. It would probably break Edwin's heart. I saw the way he looked at her. I do not want to be a monster that just rips children from where they belong."

"I know, I know. I'm just trying to help, sister. I know you're not a monster." Luna sighed, pressing up against the once white coat of her sister. Celestia did the same, and they both closed their eyes to get, in their minds, a well deserved rest. No more words needed to be spoken between the two.

Meanwhile, a similar conversation was occurring between two humans.

"I just don't want to trust those two," Edwin said, ripping a dead leaf off of a stick before shoving it under his arms with the rest of the wood they'd collected. Richard stood a few meters away, kneeling over and brushing dirt from a rock. Edwin waited for Richard to finish, blowing at a gnat that flew too close to his face. "I mean, I know you want to because they're alicorn princesses or whatever, but think about it for a second. Why did they end up right outside our town, scared or unconscious? Did they do something bad at Kuiper and are being punished? What if they attacked your father?"

"My father is fine. If they did attack him, for whatever reason, he'd be able to handle himself," Richard snapped, placing the rock on a pitiful pile he had collected. Edwin picked up another branch, and for a moment wondered why dead branches would be so far out in the grasslands like this. Some things just can't be explained, he reasoned, and did his best to forget about it. "I wish you were more accepting, Edwin. Those two obviously went through something we can't imagine, and I'm not just going to refuse to trust them because we know nothing about them. That's the point of trust, and it's the point of being the good guy."

"Being the good guy doesn't matter if you're dead," Edwin deadpanned, setting the sticks down next to the rocks. He took a few moments to obsess over the pile, making sure that none of the sticks rolled off or were out of line, and stood up to stretch both arms out. "You need to think things through, and stop rushing into battle with no knowledge of the enemy. It's bound to get you hurt someday."

"It would be worth it if it means helping someone. My decision is that we help those two for as long as they need us. When we get to Neighton, we can ditch them and turn around if you really want to, but otherwise we're sticking with them. We'll hire a messenger pegasi to escort Sunrise back to Retsamoreh and everything," Richard rattled off, stretching his arms in either direction; a dim pop in his spine could be heard. The sun was beginning its final descent, and half of the sky was slowly becoming a pinkish color. The light breeze had been a constant factor since they arrived, but seemed to get stronger as the sun fell.

"Messenger pegasus," Edwin said, adjusting his cloak so it didn't fall over his shoulders. It looked more like a cape that way, and therefore, as Edwin thought, much more intimidating and just a tad bit more comfortable.

"What?"

"You said messenger pegasi, it's messenger pegasus."

"No it isn't."

"Yes it is."

"No, it isn't. Now if you can hold all those rocks in your cloak, we need them for the fire-pit."

"I know what we need them for," Edwin muttered, spinning the cloak around his body. It looked silly, but at the moment he really only cared about getting the entire debacle over with. He glared at the pile of rocks for a second, as if it was their fault he was stuck in the middle of this. Richard coughed,  and stared at the back of Edwin's head until Edwin began to shove the stones into his cloak, holding two corners so it acted as a basket. Richard huffed, and began placing the sticks under his arm.

"So what do we do about food, now that we know the girls are fine with the grass?" Richard asked, moving to walk towards the self-elected camping spot. It was a slow start, since Edwin was weighed down by the rocks. Every step was deliberate and taken carefully.

"We're not going to starve, it's only a two day journey, so stop worry-"

"You can starve in two days though! Oh dear we're going to be twigs at the end of this, or worse, actually go mad and start eating the grass! What a horrible travesty!" Richard cried out, pouring a few lemon seeds of effort into the act. Edwin grunted, and grit his teeth against the weight of the rocks.

"We aren't going to starve. Whatever can go wrong, will. I packed a few strips of dried meat, and it should last us three days if we eat it sparingly... and by sparingly I mean we skip supper tonight and lunch tomorrow. I'm also pretty sure one of those two knows a spell for water, or we could just get them to find some rainclouds." Some of the cloth slipped out of Edwin's hand, and he stopped to regain his hold on it. Richard stared on, pursing his lips impatiently.

Edwin muttered an apology and they continued their slow trek, having not previously realized they had walked so far away from Celestia and Luna. Eventually, Richard turned to look at Edwin, his voice full of whispered wonderment. "They're alicorns, Edwin. They're goddesses in their own rights. They deserve our respect, and our help, and our loyalties."

Edwin stared back and halted, forcing Richard to stop as well. "I know they are, I'm not blind or stupid, but can't you think logically for once? Kuiper is nigh impenetrable to all danger, inside and out. They weren't even scathed during the war."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that either something is very, very wrong in Kuiper, or these two are liars. I know there are two princesses that live in Kuiper, just as you do, but they've always been secretive with the details. We have no way of knowing if these two aren't, as I predicted, dark magic fueled unicorns who attempted to, I don't know, do something bad? I don't like any of this."

"Well I love it. I just met two goddesses, you know, and I'll be traveling with them for the next few days. Have you ever traveled with two goddesses, Edwin?"

"Uh, no, I haven-"

"And, as your superior, I order you to trust them, at least until we part ways. You're to treat them like you'd treat me," Richard said. A long silence followed, the only sound being the soft blowing of the wind. Edwin sighed, staring at the ground.

"I... fine, but I refuse to like it."

"Right, because you'll love it. That's an order."
                    

Another rock fell into place, creating an unpleasant noise as its sides ground against the stones adjacent to it. Edwin stood back, admiring his handiwork. It wasn't a large fire-pit, but it would get the job done. He brushed the dirt off his cloak while Richard moved in to set the sticks and dry grass down. Richard stood up, gave a slight nod to Edwin, and walked off a few meters to remove whatever he wouldn't be wearing during the night. This mostly consisted of him struggling to unhitch his scabbard.

Edwin reached up to his neck and began undoing the clasp for his cloak, staring keenly at Celestia and Luna. The two had been silent since they had woken up from their rest, and blinked in response to his look. Sunrise was still sleeping on Richard's cloak, and the fire-pit had been constructed in the middle of their group.

"Well?" Edwin asked, removing one hand from its task to point at the tangled mass of fire fuel. Consequently, the clasp tightened around his other forefinger and he jerked back, flinching. "You've got magic, use it to start the fire." The two blinked again, and Celestia took a deep breath. A thin, whispery magic aura began to build up on her horn, and Edwin felt his muscles involuntarily tense.

"It may take a second for the spell to catch," Celestia said, causing Edwin to look back up and Richard to pause. "My magic was severely drained, so I am afraid it will take a minute or so to even work simple spells... ah, such as creating fire." Edwin shrugged, and Richard nodded before continuing the battle with the stubborn scabbard.

Luna leaned into her sister, frowning at Edwin. "Which is frightening. My sister's skills in fire magic are exceptional." She paused, glancing sideways at Celestia until the elder of the two nodded and smiled. Luna looked back to Edwin. "Tis an effect caused by her particular talent. She excels at magic relating to fire, light, and earth. Though, she never gets to use them properly."

"That is not my fault, Luna." Celestia chided, her horn glowing slightly brighter now. Luna chuckled. Edwin licked his lips, noting how dry they had gotten. "I neglect practicing the art of fire magic for my own reasons."
"I am aware, sister. Anyway, it is similar to how I am superior with water, air, and darkness." She sighed, looking off into the distance. "Well when you say darkness, it isn't particularly acurrate." Edwin grunted, looking at Celestia's horn as Luna continued. "It's really just shadows."

Three things happened at once. The light leather armor Richard had been wearing fell to the ground, the metal bits clinking together, and he slapped his hands together in victory. Celestia's horn flashed, making Luna flinch back in surprise, immediately following it was a loud cackle of what sounded like thunder. The wood in front of Edwin burst into flames, tendrils flowing out in all directions and coming within an inch of Edwin's face. He barked in fear and jerked backwards a few feet, gasping as his back hit the ground.     
      
Richard, Luna, and Celestia stared partially at the now gently crackling fire and at Edwin's reddening face. Sunrise slowly opened one eye, but it went unnoticed. Richard chuckled, summoning a cheerful grin, and causing both Celestia and Luna to giggle to themselves. Edwin remained stoic, and grunted as he pushed himself back into a cross-legged position. "At least we have a fire going," he muttered, shrugging and doing his best to remain serious. "Sun's going down too, good timing."

The sky was glowing a soft orange, mimicking the colors of the fire. At the mention of the time, everyone stared at the sunset, and a collective sigh ran across the hills. Edwin and Richard shivered at the cold gust, and Edwin tugged at the edges of his cloak. Richard sat cross-legged next to Edwin.

"Lovely sky," Richard grunted, stretching his shoulders. Everyone nodded in agreement, except for Sunrise, who was now staring open mouthed at the two alicorns. Richard and Edwin noticed this, and turned their gaze to the pegasus filly. Celestia and Luna followed their looks, and eventually everyone began giggling at Sunrise's look of pure confusion. That is, until Edwin spoke up, and she turned her attention to him.

"This is Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, Sunrise. Princesses, this is Sunrise Chaser, the daughter of our town's weather pegasus," Edwin said, gesturing to the individual ponies as he named them. Sunrise's mouth still hung open, and he laughed again. Celestia looked to Edwin and Richard.

"May I ask why and how, exactly, did a young filly manage to join us here?" Celestia asked. Richard glared at Edwin, and elbowed him in the side. The advisor winced, and gave a look to Richard that could be described with the opening statement: "if looks could kill."

"Long story. Princess Luna, you did fire off some sort of signaling spell, right?" Edwin asked, turning to look at Luna. She nodded, and he continued. "Well our head guard and blacksmith, Giles, saw it. Not many unicorns pass through our town, so we figured something had to be amiss. Richard, Giles, and I left to check it out, and Sunrise... adventurous as she is, followed us."

"I don't think she realized it would be this much of an 'adventure' though, did she?" Richard quipped, shuffling around to stack his discarded armor and weaponry into an organized pile. Sunrise shrugged off the cloak Richard had tossed on her earlier, and stretched like a stocky cat. Edwin and Richard watched in mild amusement as she seemed to keep one eye on the Princesses as she moved into a comfortable sitting position.

"By the time we realized she was following us, it was too late to turn back. I really don't know how she ended up getting teleported with us... but it happened, so there's no use dwelling on it, right?"

"No," Celestia said flatly, staring at Edwin with an impassive expression. "No, I suppose there is not any real reason dwelling on simple, past mistakes. All that matters is that she is currently in good health. She is in good health, corre-"

"You two are really the princesses?" Sunrise blurted out. Edwin groaned, one hand reaching up to cover his face, and Richard responded only with a chuckle. Celestia and Luna glanced at each other, both smiling with a grim humor that elderly scholars often get when  a child asks him if the sky is really blue.

"Yes. Yes we are," Luna said. Sunrise scrunched up her face, peering curiously at the two. For almost a minute, the only sound was the low rustling of grass and the crackling of the fire. Their impromptu camp was already smelling of smoke, but the light breeze was making sure it didn't linger for too long. Finally, Sunrise straightened out and shook her head.

"You two don't look like princesses to me," she said, "and you don't even have crowns." She raised a hoof, pointing at Celestia's long pink mane, or rather what could be seen of it. Both princesses' turned to look at the other, and chuckled. Celestia's mane and tail were frazzled and dirty, and gave off a very faint scent of dead leaves. Luna wasn't faring any better, though the color of the leaves didn't stick out in her blue mane like they did Celestia's.

"Well, little one, I can assure you we are in fact the princesses," Celestia said, lifting her chin proudly. Luna chuckled, narrowing her eyes at Sunrise.

"And how do you know what a princess looks like?" Luna asked. Sunrise pointed at Edwin, who's eyes widened in realization. His hands whizzed upwards in a defensive posture.

"Haha. Wait. No, I never told you I knew what a princess looked like."

"You gave me a book that one time. The one, uh, Fordwin got from his friend in the city. It had a picture of the two Princesses drawn in it. They had crowns, and were smiling, and looked nothing like these two... even though they have the same colors." Sunrise swallowed, and looked back at Celestia. "You're really the Princesses?"

"Indeed, fair Sunrise," Celestia said, nodding sagely, or at least as sagely as the dirty princess could, which wasn't much.

"Then why are you all dirty?" Sunrise asked. Celestia opened her mouth to respond, but paused, glancing over at Luna for a second. The smaller alicorn shrugged, and they bother looked at Richard. Richard nudged Edwin with an elbow, and the advisor gave an exasperated sigh.

"Because it was raining back in the woods, and they were laying on the ground at the time. So, mud, and leaves, and other stuff I'm sure. Nothing to worry about."

"Sundown," Richard announced, picking at a stain on his shirt. Everyone automatically turned their heads to stare at the sky, which was finally going dark. Richard tilted his neck, cracking it, and laid down next to the fire. "We're going to be walking all day tomorrow. I, for one, am going to sleep."

The group looked back and Richard, who had turned his back to them. His head rested on the pile of leather armor he had previously discarded, and his neck bent at an odd angle. Edwin lifted a finger for a moment, blinked, then lowered it.

"Richard, you're going to be sore in the morning if you sleep-"

"I'll sleep how I want," Richard grunted. Edwin opened his mouth to argue, but shut it after a few long seconds. He turned his head to the other three, all of which stared awkwardly at him. The silence was broken by Sunrise in a long yawn. She blinked tiredly at Edwin.

"I'm tired, mister Servanne," she said. Edwin cringed inwardly at the use of his last name, but nodded sagely at the weary child.

“You don’t have to ask me for permission to sleep, you know. But if you want me to give you a command, I’ll be happy to oblige.” Edwin paused, taking the moment to wet his lips. “Go to bed, Sunrise, because you’ve got a long way to walk in the morning. I’m going to sleep as well, but I’ll give you a head start.” He chuckled dryly, giving a brief glance to the two princesses.

“Mmm. Goodnight mister Fate. Goodnight princesses,” Sunrise slurred out, curling up on Richard’s donated cloak-bed. Edwin stared at her small form until the rise and fall of her chest slowly began steadying, and Celestia gave a low huff. Edwin turned to look at her questionably, and she met him by gesturing at the dying fire. He nodded and placed another bunch of sticks on top.

Edwin turned to attention to Celestia and Luna, and they stared curiously back. Edwin blinked, they blinked back, and their silence was met only with the cackling of the fire and the whistle of the wind rolling over the hills. Their faces were illuminated by the dancing light, casting long, dark shadows across them, and Edwin wondered if it gave the same effect on him. He had to replace the wood a second time before the cold silence was shattered by Luna.

“Who, exactly, are you?” she asked. Edwin looked down at the fire, entranced by the dancing flames. “I’ve deducted that your name is Edwin Servanne, but your name does not decide who you are.”

"It's Edwin Fate Servanne, and really?” Edwin countered, not wanting to share his life story with a stranger just yet, "because every one of your kind has always lived up to their birth name.  Even the ones that were not so obvious could still be interpreted in that manner. Does it only apply to your kind?”

Luna opened her mouth to answer, but was stopped by a raised hoof from Celestia. Luna closed her mouth and nodded silently, and Celestia looked over to Edwin. “Many have sought the answer to that question. The best they have been able to understand of it is that, though my kind isn’t restricted by its name, it holds a special influence over them and they chose to let it decide their path. Our inherent magic may also guide us towards this, as you no doubt have noticed our names often mimic our talents.”

“Understood,” Edwin said, meeting her gaze from the opposite side of the fire, "but that brings up the question, what are you and your sister’s talents? I am merely curious, of course.”

“Would you have me ask you the same question?” Celestia asked.

“Hmm,” Edwin bit his lower lip in thought, arms leaned on his knees as he rocked to the crackling of the fire, "I would suppose not.”

“Servanne,” Luna stated, and Edwin jerked his attention towards her.

“Yes?”

“Why do you act so friendly towards him?” She nodded at Richard’s slumped form. “Is he not your superior?” she asked, peering curiously at him. Edwin glanced over at Celestia, who gave him the same questioning gaze. Is that not the most important question I’ve ever been asked, and that I’ve ever asked myself? He pondered for a moment, his eyes slowly moving from the two Alicorns to the sputtering flames of the dying fire.

“Well,” he finally said, “I grew up with him. We went to a private tutor together, we sparred in the fields as young men, we discovered the harshness of life… together.” He paused, and looked up at the bright stars overhead. “If you and your sister were not of the same blood, would you think any different of her?”

“No.” Luna said.

“Yes” Celestia said. The mood of the campfire swiveled in her direction. The tone the soft light the fire gave off suddenly looked bleak and washed out. The entire feel of the air suddenly grew thicker and humid as the two Princesses stared hard at each other. The smoke from the fire assaulted Edwin’s senses, and he coughed, squinting his eyes and looking away.

When he looked back, the world had returned to normal. Neither held the hard and uncaring gaze of a sibling at war with the other, and both looked softly at him with the same curious eyes they had moments before.

“Is anything the matter?” Celestia asked. Edwin shook his head, his mouth still slightly aching from inhaling the smoke. She smiled, and he responded by coughing into his fist once more.

“I will be honest, fair, and blunt,” Edwin began in a cold tone, licking his lips to consider his next words carefully, “I have never before had the honor of speaking to anyone of your. statuses. It feels odd.”

“You are nervous? You should not be. We are not as arrogant as some make us out to be, and we care for our subjects here in Equestria. Though we are often kept inside Kuiper, we still strive to learn as much as we can about the more common folk, such as yourself.” Luna said, and seeing a warning look from her sister, stuttered. “By common, of course, I mean human, pegasus, unicorn, or earth pony.”

“Not alicorn,” Edwin dryly stated.

“Precisely.”

“Completely understandable,” Edwin said, shuffling his legs to a more comfortable position. “Nevertheless, how many men – human, pony, or otherwise, have been in this same situation? Do you often randomly teleport from Kuiper? Or – ... you said you did not wish to elaborate on your situation. I apologize for my rudeness.”

“Not rude, just curious,” Luna said.

“Curiosity killed the cat,” Celestia said, glancing at Luna before returning her gaze to Edwin. “Thank you for your…  thank you for caring, I suppose. I know you do not want to trust either of us, and I accept that. I would be a liar if I said I trusted you beyond our mutual agreement.”

“Well that’s good. I’m not fond of liars. The truth should always be first, even if it’s a harsh truth, correct?”

“Absolutely,” Celestia whispered, her gaze drifting down to the fire. Naturally, the fire did not have the ability to care that one of the most powerful beings alive had decided to give it attention, and continued cackling and fluttering in the breeze.

Edwin coughed lightly into his fist, staring awkwardly at the ground for what felt like thirty minutes. By the time he looked up, the fire was already in need of wood, and he groggily tossed in the rest of the branches. Celestia had lowered her head, eyes drooping. Luna, however, seemed invigorated. Almost as if it-

Ahhh… Luna. I think I understand, now. Edwin thought to himself, what he had at first considered to be merely ironic naming suddenly coming into focus. Almost instinctively, he began working out a way to exploit it as a weakness. After a few moments, he mentally slapped himself for daring to think such thoughts. Stupid brain.

All the while, he and Luna sat there, staring awkwardly into each other’s eyes.

“I think I’m going to bed now,” Edwin finally said, curling up without waiting for a reply.

“Goodnight, Edwin Servanne,” Luna said in what, to the untrained ear, sounded like a half asleep sort of dreamy tone. She was completely lost in thought, staring up at the stars above, wishing she had her telescope, wishing she could fly though the cosmos and see what lay beyond the stars.
                    

 
Edwin woke to scuttling, or more precisely, something scuttling across his face. His eyes fluttered open, and the feeling was replaced by a slight buzzing noise that faded into the darkness of the sky. He was facing away from the fire. He must not have slept for long, because the fire still crackled behind him; one of the princess' must have kept it going.

“I appreciate his honesty, but the fact he doesn’t trust his princesses is slightly unsettling,” a voice whispered, unmistakably Celestia’s. “I-... I trust our parents' judgment, but... but I cannot help but wonder if their tactics, or rather the price of their tactics, have finally come to pass.”

“B-but what did they do to deserve that? No being, pony or otherwise, deserves to-" Luna stopped abruptly, choking on her words. Edwin knew that tone of voice, it was the voice of someone who had too much stress piled upon their shoulders. His mind raced, and he went through every possible mental record that could help him logically comprehend the matter the two princesses were discussing. Scribes were at the ready to process and furiously jot down any important information that was released during the conversation, and Edwin worked to steady his breathing.

“Indeed. What Morning Star said before I teleported us...” There was a long, drawn out pause. Edwin kept his breathing as normal as possible, eyes darting around the dark hills he faced. The area was still lit by the low yellow flames of the fire, and shadows danced around him. Morning Star must be someone they know. Perhaps a servant, or a teacher. I've never heard of the name before... Edwin's mind raced. Celestia took a deep breath. “There will be much to discuss with them when we arrive at Kuiper.”    
             
“What... what if Gallant hasn't restored order by then? What if the gua-guards failed?" Luna whispered back. Edwin, though he couldn't see them, imagined that Luna was silently shivering against her elder sister, on the verge of tears. Whatever had happened, it was bad. And if it was bad enough to drive one of the most powerful beings alive to tears...

“Let us discuss these matters... later, dear sister. I-I don't want to think about what happened right now,” Celestia said, and Edwin could tell that the mere mention of the events was taking an emotional toll on the stoic white princess. So, basically, Edwin thought to himself, whatever happened was really, really bad. Brilliant. Celestia took a deep breath, and made a swallowing noise. She spoke again, and her voice resumed its normal tone. "Sister. What is your opinion of our... unique companions?"

Luna stirred, righting herself. After several shuddering breaths, she answered. Edwin concentrated on their whispered words, more muffled by the crackling of the fire. “They are about as mysterious as, I’m sure, w-we appear to them. The difference is that they know we are princesses and we have no knowledge of who, or what, they are." There was a long pause, and Edwin could hear a quick ruffling of grass. Luna quickly added a last thing, as if it were poisonous. "The child appears normal.”

“Children... they are never normal.”

“I, ah, of course not, you know what I meant.”

“Ye-yes. I think I understand. It's one of those 'feelings' you get, isn't it? I don't have it."

“It.... I- I just. I don't know. It all just feels... ominous. Something tells me that Edwin and Richard either know something, or are in some way connected to - to what happened at Kuiper."

“I did not have a destination in mind when I tele-teleported us away, and magic works in... mysterious ways. You know that. They may not have anything to do with what happened... but that does not mean they cannot be important to the future, whatever it may be."

“Yes, I sup-suppose.“

“I worry for mother and father. I know Gallant has most likely apprehended those thugs from Retsamoreh… and Morning Star as well.” Celestia paused to take a ragged breath. Edwin could feel the emotions rising again. Thugs… Retsamoreh…. Oh no. Richard is not going to like this. Edwin thought to himself, feeling his heart beating fast as he continued eavesdropping. He desperately tried to control his breathing.

“W-what do you suppose h-he used to… to do what he did?” Luna asked, her voice strained.

“From my studies with Morning Star, I know there are only three things capable of that kind of magic. A-a unicorn who’s natural talent gives them the ability to use that... horrible spell, I doubt it's possible, but as it… ah, yes. Then there are the Elements-“ Celestia's voiced cracked, and Edwin imagined that she lowered her head in defeat, silent tears dripping down her face.

“W-what about d-dark... magic..." Luna stifled a sob, obviously not wanting to wake the rest of the camp. She is obviously distressed, so why is she attempting to contemplate such an emotionally fueled matter at this time? Perhaps it is not something logic can decipher... For a long while, the only sound was soft crying, and Edwin found himself trying not to rush and offer the two princesses his condolences and a bear-hug. Finally, Celestia took a deep breath.

"L-Luna?”
               
“Y-ye... yes?"

“Good... goodnight."

“Go-goodnight."

Edwin shut his eyes and tried to sleep, willing his brain to shut down for just this one night.
                    

                    
"There 'yah are, Lewris. I've been a looking all over the tower for 'yah."

"Lawrence. For the last time... 'tis Lawrence." The dark, thin silhouette of a man leaned against the balcony railing. In front of him shone the moon in all its glory, casting an unearthly blue glow on one half of the great tower. The city itself was coated in an oppressive darkness, and Lawrence stared down into it. Simon's stout form trudged over to him, and they turned to frown at one another.

"What's got 'ya down, friend?" Simon asked. His voice had lost that sincere sort of joy it normally held, and it sounded foreign to both of them. Lawrence took one last longing glance at the city below, and turned to face the moon. It seemed closer than normal tonight, as if it was readying to crush them for their insolence against its masters. Lawrence chuckled dryly at the thought.

"We just changed the world, Simon. For the better, maybe... but things won't be the same after this. We've only just gotten Kuiper under our control with the help of Morning Star's guards. Even though we managed it without any casualties or major injuries, there's going to be a massive backlash," Lawrence said, and a cold breeze buffeted the balcony in response. Both men drew their cloaks around them and shivered in unison.

"I know. I know, friend. I was there. We knew what we were getting into when Theobald asked us to help," Simon said, shifting uncomfortably. "Jus' roll with it, 'ah say. Not much to do about it now tha' deed's done. Best perk up." Simon slapped a hairy hand against Lawrence's back. The taller man jerked from the blow, and turned to narrow his eyes at Simon.

"Simon, friend, sometimes your lack of concern is... concerning." A shadow of a smile crossed over Lawrence's face, and he patted Simon's back in return. "I wouldn't have it any other way, though, pal."

Simon chuckled, and turned to face the door. "Anyway, Morning Star an' Theobald agreed to combine forces, an' the others an' some'utha Kuiper guard are meeting with Morning Star right now. Theobald told me to fetch you, though. Said he had 'ah job for us to do as soon as we could. I think we should head to find him, considerin' he probably's gone somewhere different now... err, I'sposeI'mrambling."

"You are," Lawrence quipped, and the two spun on the heels to face the door, the wind whispering around them. Simon jerked in an awkward stumble, and grinned foolishly. "If you don't know where Theobald is, Simon. I'll ask one of the pegasus guards. They always seem to have an infinite capacity of observation, you know. Took a while for me to notice."

The inside of the tower was lit by magical lanterns hanging off the wall at various intervals. This light was just as oppressive and sharp as the darkness in the city. It blanketed Lawrence in accusations, and burned his eyes. Unlike the serenity that had cascaded over the rest of Kuiper, the tower was booming with sound. Orders being shouted, armored hooves stampeding across a walkway. Each step rang up and down the tower, making Lawrence feel as if he were a bug inside a giant piece of clockwork.

Simon was oblivious to the world; it showed on his face, and they ascended a flight of stairs to the left of the balcony doors. The dwarfish man tapped at the scabbard at his side to a tune Lawrence didn't recognize, and could only narrow his eyes in annoyance at.

"Oi! Guard!" Lawrence called across the walkway. A grey, silver-clad unicorn looked back at them, blinking in that slow, patient manner only veteran guards can master.

"Yes, my liege?" it called back. Lawrence took a moment to drink in the satisfaction of the title, a shadowy grin sliding across his lips.

"Do you have knowledge on the whereabouts of Lord Theobald?"

"I saw him in the throne room a few minutes ago. Downstairs." The unicorn nodded, and turned back to continue his tasks for the day. Lawrence grimaced. He hadn't expected Theobald to be down there with them just yet. He looked down at the red-bearded man next to him. He sported the same expression of concern.

"Well...." Simon coughed into his hand. "I guess thas' it. Let'see what he wanted, eh, Law-rance?" The archer's eyes looked up for a moment, wishing that a chunk of the ceiling would just fall down and end it right then and there. He huffed, and turned to walk for the throne room. "So - uh, 'bout yesterday-"

"No apology needed, friend," Lawrence deadpanned. The scabbards at their sides bounded as they walked down the stairs, the tips clanking against each step. "I don't know how we got split up during all that chaos, but what happened, happened. We work best as a team, but we both have our specialties."

"I know, I know, Law-rance," Simon drawled out, chucking afterward. "I just feel a tad bad 'cause 'ya didn't get to go head-tah-horn with that Gallant fell'er and the Kuiper guard."

"I did, actually."

"O'really? I never saw 'ya."

"I was trapped with two of Morning Star's guards on one of the rooftops. We helped cover you as you pushed him out of the city. Never saw you fight directly, but I know I saw Gallant, and took a few potshots at him when I could. Stars above, that pony moved fast. No wonder he made captain."

"Ran like 'ah coward, though," Simon laughed, and Lawrence shot him a glare. It continued until Simon's piglike eyes gazed up at them, and he balked, a thin frown appearing. "Huh?"

"Coward? I didn't think so." Lawrence looked back at the stairs, and leaned over the railing to check on their progress. "He was losing, and he retreated to preserve lives and his honor; no surrendering. I would be more offended if he had chosen to fight to the death. It was, if anything, an honorable move on his part, and I respect him for making such a quick and smart decision."

Simon gaped, and sputtered. "But he's the enemy, Lewris! He's just a scumb-"

"Lawrence. It's Lawrence."

"-no respect!"

A sigh escaped Lawrence's lips, and one hand rubbed at his temples, a practiced movement. "Simon. We can discuss your warped philosophy on respect and battle later. For now, we need to focus on more pressing issues."

"Like?"

"Well, for one, this week we'll be attending the ceremony for Theobald and Morning Star. We'll have to have some better clothes fashioned for us, which means measurements will need to be taken. I, um, nothing to really worry about, though, because unicorn seamstresses are renown for being the best. Then we've got to pull some guard together - we're technically Royal Guards now, you know."

"Well 'yah, but we serve Theobald, not Morning Star. Wouldn't tha' be 'personal guard', hm?" Simon had begun tapping at his scabbard again, the little clicks shattering Lawrence's concentration, driving into his skull like pecks from a raven. Tap. Tap. Tap.

"Yes, yes, friend. I know. I was alerted to the fact that he and Morning Star would be working together. Hm - 'scuse us, friend." The two moved to either side of the stairs as a thin unicorn guard passed by, sparing them a glance and nod of the head. A breath caught in Lawrence's throat, and he stayed still until the rhythmic clopping of hooves faded up the winding stairs. The unicorn guards were the equivalent of juggernauts, one-pony-armies, depending on what spells they knew. Better to have them on your side. They never smiled. Relief flooded into Lawrence as the tension dispersed, and the two moved back together.

Tap. Tap. Tap tap tap.

"Well. All of this is certainly exciting. We'll probably have to move to Kuiper, Clarice and I. Stars above, maybe we can all just leave Retsamoreh and come here! Wouldn't that be fantastic, Simon? All our friends wouldn't want to stay in that dusty town, right? Theobald would surely show some favoritism. And his son! His son will be a full prince soon. Oooh... Fordwin will be the head scholar, perhaps Stephan would take some position with him, considering... ah... I digress. What do you think about all of this, friend?"

"Oh..." Simon glanced at the ceiling for a moment, his mind far away as he herded his thoughts into something moderately comprehendible. Never the sharpest sword in the armory, but perhaps the heaviest hammer, Giles used to say. Lawrence felt his mind drifting as he waited for an answer. A quick glance at their progress showed they were nearly at the bottom floor, the throne room. Theobald wasn't visible, but the backs of the two massive gold thrones stood out like sentinels.

"Gosh. I really dunno, mate. I 'spose... well it's nice. I feels like I've gone and finally done something big 'n important, 'yunno?" Simon awkwardly flung his hands up, stretched out to the ceiling so far away. "I mean, finally! I'll be able to tell me future kids 'Oh yea, you bet kiddo, I helped overthrow some of the worst tyrants this world's ever seen'. Tha's not somethin' a lotta men can say!"

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"I can say it," Lawrence said, sporting a wide, mocking grin. They chuckled in unison, stopping as their footsteps were abruptly muffled by carpet. Their smiles dropped off their lips like terrible mountain climbers, and a sincere fear for the future suddenly welled up in Lawrence's chest. All the others had been briefed by Morning Star while Theobald handled things in the city, meaning that whatever he had in store for him and Simon had to be important. As in, very, very important. Lawrence shivered ever so slightly as they rounded around the room, Theobald gradually coming into view.

The lord was looking past them, at the two great figures stuck fast upon their thrones. He had taken off his cloak, now adorned in simple traveling clothes, worn from hard usage they'd seen in the past weeks. Lines of grey mixed in his auburn hair, beard included, gave him a withered, ancient look. His left hand tapped at the hilt of his sword, and his right held the strap of a simple blacksmith's hammer, swaying back and forth next to his leg, making not a sound as it swished through the air. Lawrence could swear it was staring at him.

"Salutations, Lawrence. It is good to see you are faring well," he said in a dead voice, eyes locked on the statues. "They're going to name this hammer someday; it's going to go into a museum, so I'm pondering what to call it. Godkiller? Godslayer? Ender of Tyrants, perhaps?"

Lawrence and Simon silently strode to their master's side, Simon looking nervously between the hammer and the figures on the throne. Lawrence coughed into his bare fist, licking his lips. "Um. Perhaps, sir, you could weigh that responsibility on the people. It was-"       
  
"Um. Did we do the right thing, you think, Lawrence? I ask you this as a friend." Theobald craned his neck to look at them. "It's too late for regrets, I guess. But I've wondered if we could have settled this peacefully. Talked them down, maybe," Theobald muttered, looking back to face the ex-rulers. "I don't think it would have worked. It wouldn't have hurt to try, though. Good job on the battle yesterday, Lawrence, Simon. It must've taken a remarkable amount of self-restraint, considering both sides ended up with about two casualties each, never mind the injured."

Lawrence nodded, and Simon mimicked the gesture. "I... ah, there's always another way, but we chose this one, my liege. It's in the past and we can't ever undo it, so we have to live with the consequences. We've just freed an entire nation from immortal tyrant-gods who would manipulate them for their own greed, as they have been doing for so long. We're heroes. I've known you long enough to know you know the old saying 'bad people always get what's coming to them,' and, maybe, we're what was coming to these two."
            
"Mmm, yes..." Theobald's gloved hand rose up to scratch at his beard. "We will go down in history as heroes, my Lawrence. Our names will be immortalized, revered. I will make it so when I am crowned, and we will start a new era of peace. No longer will our lands cower under the griffons, or the dragons. We'll open up trade with the southern nations. I'll see to it that every village gets enough food and water. The poor will be invited to vast feasts at Kuiper. We will be the rulers Equestria both wants and needs. Thank you for reinvigorating my faith, Lawrence."

"Is that what you needed of us, sire?"

"No." Theobald turned, his demeanor staling like weeks old bread. His words sounded like the slamming of a heavy coffin. "The two fledging gods and the captain escaped. Our forces will easily catch the captain and his ilk, but the whereabouts of the princesses are unknown."

"You want us to find them and... kill... them?" Lawrence asked he caught on, crossing his arms in contemplation. "That is quite a task you ask of us, sire. We are guards and warriors, good ones, but we are not capable of meeting two gods in battle and surviving, let alone killing them. The plan was to take them by surprise in the tower, and even that didn't work."

"No," Theobald said, tapping the hilt of his sword as Simon had done so minutes before. "I will make sure you have any forces you need at your disposal. Every town, city, village, they will lend you any men you require, and you will be considered above the law. But, I, ah, I strongly suggest you abide it still. As for the killing, I would prefer you take them alive. Perhaps a public execution, or we could find some way to cut off their horns and disable their magic. I do not want anyone, pony, human, god, or otherwise to suffer." He stopped, mouth snapping shut, then creaking open once more. "If you must kill them, make it quick."

Tap. Tap.

Lawrence blinked and Simon staggered back as if he had found himself stuck in a strong gale. "Whoa," Simon whispered.

"That, milord," Lawrence said, a sly grin spreading across his face. "May make the task much, much easier. I, for one, accept this order whole-heartedly. I will bear your request of taking them alive and make it a priority."

"Aye! Count me in as well, m'lord!" Simon smiled ear-to-ear, his armor rattling as he apparently attempted to dance in it.

"Good. Good. For starters, I've requested Morning Star lend you five of his superior unicorn guards. Alard will also be accompanying you, as he's currently on the edge of the Foreverwoods, watching Kuiper and waiting for our signal. A shame he didn't get to come in with us, but we had to stick to the plan." Theobald turned around to face the thrones again. "They and the rest of your things will be waiting at the gate, and your hawk is no doubt out searching for you, Lawrence. Ah... time is of the essence, Lawrence, Simon. I bid you good luck on your assignment."

"Of course, m'lord. You'll get 'yer princesses. Alive, too."

"Indeed. You will not be disappointed in us, my lord," Lawrence said, backing up with Simon towards the two massive oak doors leading out of the throne room. Their footsteps echoed in the chamber.

Theobald turned to face them, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. "Of course you won't, Lawrence. You've never failed me before. Now go! May the stars guide you on your hunt!" Lawrence and Simon both grinned viciously as they turned around to take their leave. Theobald swiveled to face the blank-faced gods with agonizing slowness; their manes, normally flowing in a magical wind that many scholars fought over to explain, were frozen in time.

The chaotic patter of footsteps slowly drifted away, and the echoes faded as they rebounded through the massive white and red hall. The lone lord, soon to be king, caressed the hilt of a pony blacksmith's hammer, and his other hand tapped at his sword. He smiled a smile for the ages.

Tap. Tap. Tap.