//------------------------------//
// Verse One 
// Story: Gjallarsong 
// by BlackRoseRaven 
//------------------------------//

Verse One:
~BlackRoseRaven



Harken now to this tale of ages past,


And to the melancholy moral heed;


For all gifts we give have strings attach'd,


The cost we hound our precious to bleed.



The sacrifice our ego demands us


wrest in selfishness from our truest vied;


From even those not blinded by our lust,


Nor blinded by our hubris and our pride.



A Dragon tries to love the maiden fair,


To give to her treasures of no compare,


But his low fickle greed wants pay unfair,


And he must own, not love, her ev'ry hair.



So to the Princess, he granted her long:


The child that she craved, born of Gjallar's Song.



They were pinned down, and there was no way out. There weren't many griffins, but they were keeping high in the air, their glinting armor making them hard to focus on and confusing the eyes of the soldiers. And they couldn't peek out from the wreckage of the carriage for more than a few seconds without being pelted by anti-magic explosives and crossbow bolts.
The griffins were laughing at them, shouting mockeries, trying to get them to come out into the open, telling them they should surrender. But by now the Solar Guard knew that there was no such thing as mercy for the griffins: stallions they would kill outright, mares they would drag back to their base to use as slaves... or worse.
There was no way out of this one. They were three wounded unicorns against four griffins, and thanks to the sparkling dust that coated their bodies, they couldn't even rely on the help of their magic. They were all injured, with no chance of escape: the rest of the caravan was dead, too many of their number killed almost instantly in the vicious ambush.
One of the unicorns coughed blood, then grasped at his throat and shivered weakly, his breaths rasping in and out as the cut deep through his neck. He could feel blood and hot breath from the hole in his throat: he was just fortunate that the griffin's claws had missed the artery. His eyes looked up almost desperately towards one of his comrades, who was cradling an injured leg, the broken bone pushing up through torn hide.
The only thing they could do was die together.
There was a loud clunk on the roof above, and then a tremendous smashing sound: the griffins were done playing, it sounded like, and the Solar Guard struggled to arrange themselves, to keep an eye on the door even while they watched as the roof above began to crack. The griffins were going to open a hole in the carriage, then shoot them like fish in a barrel. Or they would try and drive them out into the open, so they could have their fun using them as target practice until they got bored...
There was another sound of smashing above, and the wooden roof caved in slightly as a glinting axe tore through the thin ceiling. It twisted slightly, then yanked back in a hail of splinters, leaving a hole big enough for a single eye to look down through before a voice mocked: “Look at the little foals! Come out of the crib, little foals! We just want to play!”
Raucous, cruel laughter, and one of the unicorns snarled, trying to charge his magic... but his horn only sparked, and pain tore through his entire body as the sparkling dust glimmered, sucking up the energy he was trying to focus.
The soldier with the broken leg tried to force himself to stand, but then his limbs buckled beneath him, sending him flopping to the ground with a gasp. He gritted his teeth as he hugged his broken ribs, while the remaining Solar Guard tried to stumble into a ready position, trembling fearfully: but this was his first mission, and it was supposed to be nothing but an easy escort... had supposed to be. Instead, they had walked right into a deathtrap...
The private looked over his shoulder, then he turned his eyes back ahead with a whimper as he saw a shadow pass over the ground in front of the doorway: the griffins were getting into position, as there was another hacking sound above, another spray of splinters as the hole was torn wider. They were going to be driven out, and the griffins would be right on top of them, and-
“Here I thought griffins were supposed to be warriors, not bullies.”
Two griffins looked up in surprise from on top of the carriage as the Solar Guard standing at the doorway looked out in shock, his eyes widening in disbelief at what he saw. A single stallion, striding calmly towards them, dressed in golden armor with white trim that had been custom fit to his body. That meant he had to be an officer of some kind... except...
“Hey, earth pony! Why don't you run back to your precious Princess Celestia and tell her this is our territory now, and her poor soldiers forgot to pay the toll!” one of the griffins shouted, and the others laughed loudly.
But the earth pony only continued to approach, unperturbed, his white eyes flicking back and forth. His silver mane and tail were both short, but shaggy and unkempt. And as he walked towards him, the griffins tensed slightly: even if they didn't usually consider earth ponies to be anything but easy prey, this one was confident, tall, athletic, with a metallic blue coat much darker than the average pony's...
“Screw him.” growled one of the griffins, raising his crossbow with a snarl before he fired a single bolt at the stallion.
And a moment later, the dark-coated stallion was holding the bolt in his hoof, examining it meditatively as he held it in front of his eyes. He spun it easily around, then clicked his tongue as the griffins stared in shock, the one who had fired the bolt looking down at his crossbow with disbelief before the stallion said mildly: “Here's your problem. The tailfeathers are loose. And you think you'd griffins know all about tailfeathers.”
One of the griffins snarled, then he pointed at the stallion and shouted: “Let's see how cocky you are after we cut off your legs, mudwalker!”
Two of the griffins perched on the carriage immediately leapt forwards, shooting almost as quickly towards the stallion as the bolt had: in spite of their brashness and bravado, they moved in nearly perfect time together, the griffin with the axe sweeping forwards as the warrior behind him rose his sharp talons, his eyes gleaming-
The stallion fearlessly stepped forwards and intercepted the first griffin with a sharp punch, stunning the creature with a squawk. And before anyone else could react, the earth pony seized the griffin by the beak and body, twisting him around and then slamming him like a club down on top of the warrior behind him.
Both griffins were driven to the ground with tremendous bangs and howls of pain, both knocked senseless from the strength of the slam. One of the remaining griffins gaped in shock as the other stared for a moment, but then snarled and brought up his crossbow, firing off a bolt at the earth pony-
Without even looking, the stallion reached up and caught it in one hoof: but this time, he didn't simply stop the bolt, instead spinning smoothly around on his rear hooves before his foreleg flicked lightly backwards, the bolt shooting free from his hoof and back towards the griffin.
It tore through his wing, knocking him flopping backwards in a hail of feathers with a screech, and the last griffin gaped in shock at this before he snarled and leapt off the top of the carriage, landing on the ground and charging straight at the earth pony's back. But the dark-coated stallion only glanced back over his shoulder, watching with the slightest of smiles even as the hybrid charged with startling speed before suddenly slipping to the side and lunging at the stallion's flank with a roar.
His roar was cut short when the earth pony kicked both rear hooves up and locked his legs around the griffin's throat, the warrior's talons uselessly grabbing the stallion's strong hocks a moment before the earth pony twisted violently, dropping onto his side... and slamming the griffin headfirst into the ground with a resounding crunch.
The griffin on the carriage sat up with a curse, reaching out and yanking the bolt free from his wing before he looked back and forth, scrambling towards a large sack of explosives. He reached into it with one talon, digging madly before he looked up towards where the stallion had been... and stared blankly, halting his rummaging as he saw nothing.
“Hey.” said a mild voice, and the griffin spun around as his beak dropped open, beginning to shout or swear or just yell in panic-
He turned right into a hoof that smashed into his face and knocked him flying off the carriage, landing with a dull thunk on his back in the dirt. He twitched weakly on the ground, blood flowing from his damaged wing and broken beak as he stared disbelievingly up at the sky, then gurgled as the large stallion landed almost soundlessly beside him.
He looked calmly down at the griffin, towering over him, a black shape against the bright sky above. He blotted out the sun, and yet his calm white eyes were still clearly visible even with him caught in sharp profile in the light, as if no shadow could swallow their brightness, no darkness could touch the beacon that burned within this earth pony.
The griffin groaned quietly, then slumped into unconsciousness as two of the remaining Solar Guard hesitantly emerged from the wreckage of the carriage, staring with awe at the earth pony. They stumbled forwards, and then one dropped into a low kneel, whispering: “Prince Thesis...”
“Just Thesis, sergeant. Now come on, colts, there's no time for this. We need to get you on your hooves and get out of here.” the earth pony replied calmly, shaking his head briefly as he strode past the stallions, heading into the ruins of the carriage. He smiled at the last stallion, who looked up at him not just with gratitude... but fear, he thought.
But all the same, Thesis walked over to him, reassuring: “We're going to get you out of here and back to Canterlot. You're going to be okay.”
Thesis gently hefted the unicorn up onto his back, waiting until the soldier secured himself... even if he also felt a shiver, and the Solar Guard was hesitant to grasp into him. But that was okay: Thesis was more concerned about the lives of these troops than his own feelings right now. And he knew that if he wanted to be accepted – hell, if he wanted to even deserve acceptance – he had to be accepting of others as well.
He strode out of the carriage... then frowned a bit as he saw one of the soldiers standing over a griffin, slowly aiming at the eagle-like features of the unconscious warrior. He looked torn... and Thesis whistled sharply, getting his attention before he said quietly: “We don't kill in cold blood.”
The unicorn bit his lip, looking up at Thesis and breathing slowly, his hoof on the trigger, his eyes desperate more than they were angry... and Thesis smiled at him reassuringly, even as the soldier whispered: “They killed my friends and they'll... they'll just kill more ponies if we leave them alive. It's four more soldiers for those bastards when it could be four less!”
“Sure, four less. And four less fathers, brothers, sons. Four funerals, four griffins murdered by the ponies for revenge.” Thesis said quietly, meeting the soldier's eyes calmly. “The griffins are savage and ruthless. But they're fighting for their nation, just like we are, and I respect that. And likewise, I always keep in mind what my mother, Princess Celestia, wants us to be. Not just a people, but a good people. We do not kill in cold blood. We are fighting to defend, not to destroy. And if you want to honor your fallen brothers and the country you serve, you'll do it by proving you're better than a coward and a killer.”
Thesis halted, then gestured quickly with his head, saying quietly: “Now come on. This was a griffin strikesharp. A murder always follows the strikesharp, and we don't want to be here when that clusterflock arrives. We'll get you colts home, then send in a retrieval unit.”
The unicorn looked down at the crossbow in his hooves silently, then he nodded before tossing the weapon off to the side. And Thesis smiled before he turned around, quickly taking the lead to bring these soldiers home.
Behind him, the two Solar Guard fell into step together, supporting each other as they followed the earth pony towards safety. One unicorn walked with his head down and silent, while the other gazed with amazement at Thesis, before he whispered: “Wow. I heard all the stories, but... I never thought he was more than just... you know...”
The other soldier only shrugged slowly, and they fell into silence... but still, the younger stallion gazed at Thesis with something like awe as they followed the prince down the road, away from the ruins of the carriage. He had heard all the stories about Prince Thesis, of course, but he'd never expected to ever actually meet the stallion in person, or that he would be so intelligent, so pleasant...
After all, everypony knew that Prince Thesis was a homunculus.

Thesis strode through the halls of Canterlot, nodding and smiling to the ponies he passed. Some smiled back, and others simply averted their gaze, or even stepped quickly away from him. But it was alright: that was the way it had always been, since he had been a foal growing up in his mother's castle in the Eternal Forest.
He couldn't blame them. And sure, it hurt, but even when he was young, his mother had always been there to love him, cherish him, and teach him right from wrong. And his mother had told him that at first, all the ponies had been very afraid of her, too: after all, she was a pony who possessed both wings and a horn, and had almost deific powers with her ability to move the sun and moon through the sky as she pleased: a feat that in the past had required an entire team of unicorns to accomplish.
And he, well... he had the same shape as them, but while they all had colorful, beautiful coats... his was black, and made him look like he'd taken a roll in hoof polish. He was an earth pony, but he towered over them, and he could move with the silence and speed of lightning, while his hooves crashed like thunder with the strength of dragons.
He knew what he was: his mother had never hidden his origins from him, that he had been born from her, but at the same time... not. He had no father, but instead magic had made him inside her. But he wasn't a golem, and he couldn't bear to think of himself as just some homunculus, a false life. He felt like a pony. He felt like a pony, too, with all these confusing, conflicting emotions, with his sense of right and wrong, his morality, his empathy... his desire to fit in with the rest of the world.
Thesis halted in front of the doors to the throne room, biting his tongue for a moment as he lowered his head forwards, reaching a hoof up to silently stroke along the golden metal. Physically stronger, mentally more adept, and born a Prince of Equestria... and yet he felt like he would always somehow be... less than the ponies, too. Like he would never be entirely... 'real,' for lack of a better word. Like he really was nothing more than a false life, fired in the kiln of his mother's womb, given form and shape from clay instead of... more natural causes.
Then the stallion winced a bit as the doors opened, and several ambassadors strode out of the throne room, giving him a wide berth as one of them looked at him suspiciously. Thesis only did his best to smile back, though, before he looked up as his mother's musical voice asked gently: “Have you rested yet, Thesis?”
“Not yet, Princess Celestia.” Thesis replied calmly, striding into the throne room before he saluted his mother as she stepped down from her throne. She was radiant and beautiful, her horn tall, her wings strong, her coat a gorgeous ivory. Her mane flowed with the colors of the rainbow, ephemeral and ever-shifting like her tail, and her amethyst eyes looked at him with kindness and wisdom and most of all, love.
He sat back and saluted her, keeping his head high and eyes forwards as was protocol... and then Celestia strode forwards and hugged him firmly around the neck, which was not. Thesis blushed a little, then he lamely reached up and hesitantly patted his mother on the back with one hoof as the other quavered in the air beside his head, the stallion mumbling: “Mom. I'm trying to be professional here.”
“You try too hard to be professional.” Celestia replied, slipping away with a smile and studying him before she reached up and gently touched the side of his face, saying softly: “You should take the time to rest while you have it, Thesis. Diplomacy has failed and the griffins have already sent out a warning that they're going to begin attacking peacemaker and retrieval teams as well.”
Thesis nodded briefly, frowning a bit at this as he lowered his head, and Celestia studied him for a few moments before she said softly: “Unfortunately, there's not much we can do. Peacemakers work because of agreements and trust on both sides, and the griffins believe that we have betrayed them and dishonored them. To their warrior society, trust and honor are valued above all else.”
“I know, Mom. I'm doing my best not to hate them blindly. It's hard, but... I know they're not butchers, no matter what it seems like.” Thesis said softly, nodding to her and gazing at her with trust and deference as he lowered his head slightly. “Still, they're bullheaded and stubborn, aren't they?”
“Well, I suppose you would know, Thesis.” Celestia remarked, and Thesis blushed a bit and lowered his head lamely before the Princess of the Sun reached up and gently stroked along his face. “I heard you didn't kill the soldiers you encountered. I was very glad to hear that.”
Thesis shrugged a little, opening his mouth to reply, but he only winced when another voice cut in contemptibly: “Well, I was not. If these feathered felines refuse to understand anything but brute kinetic force, then you should have eliminated them and mounted their heads on poles. Or at the very least, brought one of them back for questioning.”
The stallion turned around, lowering his head humbly as an enormous, bipedal shape strode moodily into the throne room. He towered above them, glaring down with sharply-intelligent amber eyes as he crossed strong arms over a broad chest covered by an expensive, pristine white suit. A suit that was almost as polished and neat as the ivory scales that covered his entire frame.
With the tall, obsidian horns that stood up from his skull, his enormous size, his armor-like hide and the sheer sense of power and arrogance that he radiated, it was clear what he was: a dragon. But at he same time, he was very different from the dragons native to Equestria: not just because his size, while enormous, was far smaller than that of the fully-grown dragons that wandered the nation or because he lacked wings or a tail. It was in something more than the fact that he clothed himself in finery he obviously took very good care of, from his suit to the polished rings on his fingers and the comfortable loafers over his feet.
It was in the way he held himself, how he clipped his words, how his eyes seemed to both glare down at them and marvel over them all at once, like they were the exotic but incredibly stupid main attraction at the local zoo. He was alien to the ponies, to perhaps their entire world, and he was rude and patronizing and unpleasant and just different...
But yet, he was also here. He had been with them for years now, serving as a confidante and adviser to Princess Celestia, helping her watch over the ponies, introducing his incredible ideas and technologies from... wherever he had come from. Thesis still wasn't sure whether he believed it or not, but the dragon was supposedly from another world, a divine world...
Thesis looked uncertainly up at the dragon, and the dragon scowled a little as he looked down at Thesis. There was an awkward silence between the two of them for a few moments as they studied each other until Celestia politely cleared her throat and said gently: “Valthrudnir, sometimes a message is better sent through defeat than death. The more we exercise restraint with the griffins, the more likely they are to show us the same consideration in return.”
“Yes, that is precisely why they have rescinded all ambassadorial privileges from Equestria and they are now attacking your noncombatants and peacemakers. Not to mention the fact that we have moved from your personal abode to this fortified castle.” Valthrudnir replied distastefully, shaking his head and looking with contempt at the ivory mare. “Perhaps you should give some deeper thought to your philos and leave the sophia to me.”
“As long as you promise to introduce her to me at some point, Valthrudnir; I wouldn't want you wasting your time with bad influences.” Celestia replied kindly, and the dragon narrowed his eyes slightly at her, scowling moodily before the mare smiled and looked down at her son, asking softly: “Will you please explain to Lord Valthrudnir why it may make more of an impact that you left the griffins alive?”
Thesis hesitated, then he nodded before turning around and saluting the dragon: the dragon who had taught Celestia the magic that had given him life, the dragon who, in some ways, Thesis couldn't help but think of like... a father. A stern, rarely-pleased,  but omnipresent father... “Sir. The griffins are a warrior race: they do not fear death, and nor do they shy away from it. A griffin who dies fighting is honored and celebrated. But defeat without death forces them to acknowledge the foe as superior. It angers them, but it also humbles them.”
Valthrudnir snorted at this, then he said coldly: “And it does nothing to change the logistics of the situation. Thanks in part to the civil war that damaged this fledgling nation, your army is weak and your defenses are minimal. The griffins have seized this opportunity, manufactured a reason for war, and taken the initiative against you. Negotiations have failed and you have made yourselves look weak by sparing their lives and treating prisoners of war with undeserved 'dignity:' it's a wonder that the nation hasn't turned against you both and your idiotic concept of 'mercy.'”
Thesis shifted uncomfortably, but Celestia looked unfettered, only smiling up at Valthrudnir before she said softly: “And I would argue that the only chance we stand at 'winning' this war is through mercy, and by being willing and ready to make concessions for the greater good. This is a war based on misunderstandings and treachery: when the real enemy is exposed, I have no doubt that the griffins will immediately seek to make reparations for everything that has happened.”
“Not that I value your lives any more than they do, Princess Celestia, but I fail to see how you and your nation will be able to accept a few carts of hay as fair payment for the lives that the griffins have taken.” Valthrudnir retorted moodily, crossing his arms, and Thesis shifted uncomfortably. Admittedly, that was difficult for him to swallow as well...
But Celestia only shook her head, saying softly: “Of course not. You know how much these ponies mean to me, Valthrudnir, but a lesson I learned during the... the unfortunate events with my sister taught me that I have to sometimes do what is in the interest of the nation, not just a single pony. That sometimes we have to make sacrifices in order to achieve the greatest good.”
“And so all those ponies are what, sacrifices for your 'greater good?'” Valthrudnir asked moodily, tilting his head as he tapped a finger slowly against one arm. “I still fail to see how a few apologies from the griffins will make the results of their slaughter all better... unless, of course, you're trying to say that the only soldiers who have died so far are the weak, culled to make your little animal herd all that much stronger-”
“You know that is not what I meant, Valthrudnir.” Celestia interrupted, her voice hardening slightly as she looked up at him fearlessly. The dragon glared back at her... but remained silent, not interrupting as the ivory mare said quietly: “They will listen because the griffins are being used as nothing more than tools by whatever force has pitted us against one another, and likely because this force intends to weaken us before it attacks us outright. We should save our anger and our blame for the true foe. The griffins are merely its means to an end.”
“So you see them as nothing but living weapons. Interesting.” Valthrudnir remarked calmly, giving a thin smile, but this time Celestia refused to be baited, only continuing to look up at him patiently, and the silence spun out between them.
Thesis shifted awkwardly, but then he looked up in surprise as Valthrudnir finally gave a grudging nod, saying moodily: “It's... logical, I suppose. But I doubt your little ponies will appreciate the logic of the situation.”
Celestia only shrugged easily, then replied softly: “You're underestimating them again, Valthrudnir. That's something I thought you were doing your best not to after all the times you've been proven wrong in the past by them.”
“I am not underestimating them, and I have not been proven wrong.” the dragon growled, glowering moodily at Celestia before he snorted and added contemptibly: “As a matter of fact, the only thing that surprises me about your ponies is how inferior they prove themselves time and time again. It's no wonder that you're able to rule over them so efficiently, Princess Celestia, when they cannot even properly police themselves.”
Celestia only smiled up at Valthrudnir, and the dragon narrowed his eyes slightly at her before the mare asked almost curiously: “So if we're all so inferior, why do you continue to help us, to find us so fascinating, and to try and study us? We seem to be teaching you something, even if I'm not entirely sure what it is you're here for. But you've certainly never pretended to be nor presented yourself as a benevolent overseer, Valthrudnir.”
The dragon only scowled at her, apparently not liking what she was inferring before he finally snorted and instead turned his eyes to Thesis, asking almost abruptly: “What was your assessment of the situation regarding the enemy forces?”
Thesis shifted backwards a bit as he glanced over at his mother, and the mare nodded as she became a little more serious herself. The stallion couldn't help but automatically shift so he could better  look at both the dragon and his mother... any more than Celestia or Valthrudnir could stop themselves from shifting a little closer together as they turned to face him.
The dark-coated stallion gazed at the two for a moment as he gathered his thoughts, smiling briefly as he studied the two. One acted so callous and cruel, towering over them both literally and figuratively; the other was patient and kind and compassionate, always treating even the lowest pony as her equal.
And yet they were similar, too: not just because of the strength and confidence they radiated, but because there was such... intellect, and such great depth in both of them. They were focused, passionate, and incredibly astute. They looked at him, and he knew that even before he began to speak, they were both already putting things together in their minds, judging his reactions, analyzing his gestures, the subtle changes in his stance...
“They're getting much more aggressive, but they're also taking us much more seriously. The strikesharp was well-armed and well-coordinated. They got sloppy and brash at the end, but they ambushed with extreme prejudice and violence, and I think they purposefully targeted this unit.” Thesis said calmly, and when Valthrudnir frowned at him and Celestia gestured at her son to explain, the stallion continued: “The unicorns had all been neutralized, and there were no signs of the aerial scouts that would have been sent with them. No bodies, no signs of aerial combat.”
“Yes, because I am certain you can detect the subtle variations in sky and weather pattern that discern the presence, or lack thereof, of aerial engagement.” Valthrudnir said irritably, even though all three of them knew that this wasn't what Thesis was talking about. Aerial combat left distinct signs on the ground below: wide bloodsplatter, feathers, impact marks from any falls – whether accompanied by bodies or not – and debris spread over a wide area.
Celestia only studied Thesis intently, and then she asked softly: “So do you think that we have a mole in our midst?”
Thesis shifted a bit at this, biting his lip for a moment before he finally shook his head hesitantly, saying quietly: “I don't think so. I do think the griffins are keeping an eye on us somehow, but I don't think they have spies in our ranks-”
“Oh, of course they have spies among your subjects.” Valthrudnir snapped, shaking his head and glowering at the two, but both Thesis and Celestia only looked at him curiously, by now used to his... particularities. “You've offered too many griffins asylum, too freely. Furthermore, I imagine that your ponies are pathetically easy to bribe, considering how gullible and materialistic some of them are. A few handfuls of oats and even the 'smartest' of your subjects would bend over backwards for the enemy. And I hope you can hear how loosely I use that term.”
Thesis only bowed his head awkwardly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, while Celestia chuckled quietly before responding gently: “Even if every single griffin I have given asylum to is a spy, none of them are near Canterlot, or any of our major operating bases. I believe that was actually one of your suggestions, Valthrudnir. Just as it was your suggestion that we stay here instead of at Harmony Castle.”
“Yes, because of the concerns that they are all likely to be some form of saboteur or sleeper agents.” the dragon retorted, leaning forwards slightly to glower down at the mare with contempt. And yet beneath that, there was... a strange form of respect, for all his rudeness. “My interest is far from keeping them alive or safe. My interest is in keeping them away from any places of importance. And do not think for a moment that I made that suggestion out of care for your well-being.”
“Well, now we've done both, haven't we? And whether you care about us or not as a people, you all the same have given assistance in protecting us.” Celestia replied easily, giving a slight shrug of her shoulders as she smiled slightly up at him. “Sometimes there's no need to destroy in order to defend, Valthrudnir. And furthermore, I think you know as well as I do that these griffin refugees are anything but spies or saboteurs. That's not the way that the griffins work.”
“It's true. Chapter ten verse twelve of the Creed states clearly that griffins must fight their wars with the honor of the eagle and the ferocity of the lion: through ambush, assault, and sheer force. Using sabotage or spies would be considered dishonorable.” Thesis added, doing his best to keep his head raised and his eyes on the dragon even as Valthrudnir scowled down at him moodily.
But finally, Valthrudnir rolled his eyes and muttered: “Why do I even try to get through to you idiotic dregs? The very fact those griffin refugees have fled here goes to show that those griffins do not follow the same codes and laws as the rest of their culture.”
“Not necessarily. They could have fled for any number of reasons, Valthrudnir.” Celestia said gently, and the dragon only gave her a moody look before the Princess of the Sun lowered her head slightly, giving perhaps the smallest of teasing smiles. “But you're right. Let's drop the subject for now: either way, it's become a subject of academic debate, because we can't predict what the griffins are about to do anyway, now can we?”
“We can bring them in for questioning and force them to tell us the truth.” Valthrudnir said moodily, but Celestia only gave him a pointed look, the dragon rolling his eyes before he made some short, dismissive gesture as he turned around to stride away. “Fine. I'll be in my tower, if any of you happy little savages need me.”
Thesis and Celestia watched as the dragon stormed back out of the throne room, and then the dark-coated stallion couldn't help but remark: “He really does go to pretty great lengths just to see you every day, you know.”
“Oh shush, Thesis.” Celestia smiled down at her son, reaching up to gently rub a hoof along his back before she glanced up, catching a last glimpse of the dragon before he vanished around a corner of the corridor beyond the throne room. “He's just... trying to protect us. It may not always seem like that, but that is what I honestly believe: that he wants to look out for each and every one of us.”
Thesis shifted a little, and then he gave a slight nod as he murmured softly: “I think you're right, mom. Strange as it is... whether he's being cruel or purely logical, he wants what's best for us. Or at least best for you.”
Celestia chuckled quietly, but this time she didn't take the bait as she instead gently pushed him away with one hoof, saying softly: “I think that you should go and pen your report, Thesis. You were the one who told me that you wanted to be professional about this, after all.”
“I know, Princess Celestia. I should.” Thesis stepped back and nodded with a smile in return, saluting his mother and straightening... but it was with the love and affection of a son that he looked at his mother, as much as it was the loyalty and respect of a soldier for his monarch. “Excuse me, in that case. I'll submit my report by tonight to the military council, then get ready for my next mission.”
“I expect I'll have to send you back out sooner than I'd like, Thesis. See that you actually do take some time to relax tonight. You have to take care of yourself as much as you do the new recruits.” replied Celestia softly, and Thesis nodded to her before bowing his head respectfully, and the mare lowered her own in return. “You are dismissed.”
Thesis straightened, then gave his mother one last smile before he turned and left, heading out into the corridor and walking in the direction that the dragon had gone. He slowed his pace, however, knowing better than to try and catch up to the Jötnar: even if it seemed sometimes like Valthrudnir lingered merely so that he could 'enjoy' the company of others – by which he meant, of course, harass and degrade them and brag about his superior intellect – the dragon always acted hostile towards anyone who tried to walk anywhere with him. Not that there wasn't an easy solution, of course: a fourteen foot tall dragon could easily outpace any pony's natural walk, even if he did choose to walk around on two legs instead of four.
The stallion chuckled quietly, shaking his head slowly. Valthrudnir was a lot of things, but he could also behave like any teenage filly, too, with how easily-ruffled he was. Thesis wouldn't precisely call the dragon 'emotional,' but he did seem to love finding reasons to be annoyed... which was funny, considering the fact that the dragon also usually talked about ponies like they were unimportant and he was here as some benevolent god-figure to set them all on the right path. But if they really didn't matter all that much to him, well, Thesis couldn't imagine precisely why it was that Valthrudnir would be upset by the fact that the ponies actually argued with him.
Thesis smiled a little to himself as he made his way through the busy halls, his eyes flicking back and forth as he saw how busy it was, how full of life the castle around him was... except he couldn't help but note the... the fear, the worry, the growing panic in the eyes of the ponies around him as well. The war with the griffins was wearing on everyone's nerves... and with each passing day, as the number of casualties grew and more ponies lost friends, parents, siblings, neighbors, relatives... the weight on the shoulders of the nation grew heavier and harder to bear.
It was something Thesis wrestled with every day himself: he always did his best to smile and put on a strong face, to act like the Prince of Equestria he was supposed to be and as his mother had always taught him to... but there was so much anger in his heart. And there was this cold, logical voice in the back of his mind that never stopped talking to him, that thought of everything as... numbers, and mathematical equations, and biological imperatives...
Thesis shook his head quickly, before he could descend too deep into those thoughts. No, it was better just to push that part of him away, to seal it out, to stop it from coming to the surface. He didn't want to start thinking like that, because it became too easy to rationalize everything away, to start to become... numb to the world around him. To look at other ponies not as real, living people, but instead the way Valthrudnir always talked about them: as figures in equations, as nothing more than zoological and biological subjects.
Strange as it was to think of, in some ways Valthrudnir had raised him just as much as his mother had, teaching him to think in ways that Celestia didn't entirely approve of, but... recognized the value of all the same. And as much as he hated to admit it, the way that Valthrudnir looked at the world, through measurements, and scientific analysis, and cold, hard logic. Sometimes, empathy and love and emotion... just led to more heartache, and more suffering.
There was a place for everything in the world: Thesis believed that wholeheartedly, because it helped make the whole world make sense. Doing his best to remember that helped him get through each and every day, reminded him that just because things seemed terrible, it didn't mean they really were. Yes, when he looked around now, he saw fear, and he saw worry, and he saw pain on the faces of many of the ponies he passed... but for all the terrors and evils this war had brought, he also saw how it had brought all these different ponies together, and unified them beneath one banner.
He wished it had taken something less than a war to bring ponies together... but at the same time, Thesis was determined to celebrate what little there was to be celebrated during these rough and dangerous times. The stallion smiled faintly at this thought, looking back once over his shoulder as he left the crowded halls behind to slip into a side corridor that was trafficked mostly by servants.
Thesis strode quietly along the hardwood floors of this niche corridor that most of the nobles and officers wandering the castle weren't even aware existed. But he had always liked these little places himself: they were quieter, and he got fewer strange looks, and the servants always seemed to like him a little better than most of the 'nobler' ponies did. Even his fellow soldiers sometimes looked at him a little funny, after all... but he knew that was because a lot of them still thought that having the prince among their ranks meant they were either getting a toddler they'd have to protect, or... well, a weapon, for lack of a better word.
Mother always told him that he wasn't a weapon, though. That he was just like any other pony: yes, he had been born by a rather... strange means, and he would never have a cutie mark, and he was stronger, faster, more resilient than any normal pony... but he felt the same way they did, and he ate the same food, and he had the same longings and needs and desires.
Thesis turned a corner... and smiled as he almost bumped into an earth pony in a maid's uniform, who blushed as she stumbled backwards and nearly dropped the blankets on her back. Thesis caught her and steadied her, however, saying easily: “Careful, Songbird.”
“How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that, Prince Thesis?” The pretty, pastel yellow earth pony looked up at him with a slight blush, half-hiding behind her glittering blue mane as radiant sapphire eyes gazed at the stallion affectionately. Thesis only smiled, though, his own ivory eyes warm and teasing as he looked back down at her.
“I guess you'll just have to keep reminding me until it sinks into my big dumb head.” Thesis said softly, and the mare gave a quiet giggle.”But your real name-”
“Singing Lark.” she interrupted, smiling up at him, and Thesis nodded a few times as he waved a hoof airily.
“Singing Lark, right, yeah. It's nice and all but... Songbird is better, I think.” Thesis replied easily, and Singing Lark gave him a pointed look. Thesis innocently looked back at her for a few moments, then reached up and patted her cheek lightly as he explained: “Well, I mean, everypony knows that larks sing, right? I mean, everypony. So that's just redundant. No one wants a redundant name. But Songbird, that's a much prettier name.”
“You're such an idiot.” Songbird said softly, and then she smiled up at him as he shrugged amiably. They studied one-another for a few long moments, and then the mare laughed a little and shook her head slowly before she asked: “Are you being sent out on mission again?”
“Probably. But right now I'm just going to clean up, then head to make my report to the military council. You know how it works: hurry up and wait. I'll get there and they'll make me sit for three hours in the waiting room, then get scolded for not going over right away and waiting for four.” Thesis replied with a shrug, and the mare shook her head slowly as she gave him an amused look, before the stallion said in a softer voice: “Stop in later, huh? I uh... my bed needs changing and I need new towels, and you're really the only mare who does any of those things right.”
Songbird gave him an amused look, smiling slightly before she replied primly: “You really should work on not wetting your bed, Thesis. It's not a very princely thing to do.”
Thesis huffed at this, then he reached up and touched his own breast, saying seriously: “What I do in my own bed is my business, Songbird. And if I can't get up to go to the bathroom after saving all of Equestria, well. That's my problem, not yours.”
“Actually, I think it would be my problem, considering that I'm the one who changes your bed.” Songbird replied pointedly, and Thesis shrugged before the maid smiled a little, saying quietly: “You're always such a troublemaker, aren't you?”
“Yeah, I am.” Thesis admitted with a smile, shrugging a little, and then he reached up and ruffled the mare's mane, making her wince and glare up at him. “See you later tonight, little sister.”
Songbird opened her mouth... then only sighed as Thesis strode past, before the mare called over her shoulder: “It's cheating when you call me that!”
“Then I'm a cheater!” Thesis replied without looking back, smiling slightly as he continued through the corridor, but it took all his effort not to gaze back at Songbird, the mare he honestly thought of as his family. He was pretty sure that most of the castle thought there was some secret affair going on between them, but... even if Thesis loved her, he loved her like family.
He and Songbird had grown up together, even if she was a pauper's daughter and he was a prince: they had played together as foals, and then grown up side-by-side. And between Thesis being trained and groomed for princedom, and Songbird taking on a position at the palace to try and help support her impoverished family, they had spent every free moment learning about the world together.
There was one thing, above all, that was important to Thesis, more than his nation, more than even his honor... and that was his family. Family was everything: his family was why Thesis fought so hard to protect his nation, and why he could smile, even through the deepest of darkness. His family was why he had wanted to become a soldier, and his family was what pushed him to always try and be a better person, to always try and find his way forwards, through even the darkest nights and the cruelest storms.
And with his mother to guide him, and his sister's support and friendship, Thesis knew that no matter what happened, he would never be broken, he would never be unhappy. He knew that he could keep up this fight until they made their peace with the griffin nation and set everything right again.
Thesis smiled to himself, eyes gazing ahead with determination... and so positive, so focused on where he was going in life, that he never registered the dragon in the shadows of a connecting corridor, who watched him with cold amber eyes as he passed. A white-scaled hand silently played with a coin, rolling it back and forth over his knuckles before he flicked it into the air, then caught it and squeezed tightly into the bit for a moment.
His fingers slowly opened, the dragon looking moodily down at the coin and studying the engraving of the prince's face on it before he smiled thinly, his eyes flicking up as he said softly: “No matter what you've convinced yourself, Thesis, the only difference between you and this piece of metal are the moving parts.”
Yes, he would ensure that Thesis was reminded of that later... but for now, the dragon only turned and left, exiting the narrow, cramped corridors to head towards the chambers that housed the military council. He wanted to have a word with them to ensure that they would send his little pet project on a mission that would properly test his potential; after all, there was really no point in continuing this experiment unless he had proof that Thesis was going to live up to everything he had in mind for him.
But the dragon was sure it would all be nothing more than a matter of time until all his projects came to fruition, thanks to how easily both the naive ponies and the prideful griffins allowed themselves to be manipulated. And time was something that he happened to have in excess.