//------------------------------//
// Foal's Errand 
// Story: The Breaking of the Storm 
// by moguera 
//------------------------------//

A Knight's Tale: Foal's Errand

The night was eerily silent along the wooded path that ran just outside of Trottingham.  In the wilderness, silence is an aberration.  Even during the darkest hours of night, there is always some source of noise, the rustling of leaves in the breeze, the creaking of trees, the sounds of various nocturnal animals as they go about their business.  Even at this hour, the forest should have been filled with countless small noises.  That it was completely silent was a subtle, but sure, indicator that something was terribly wrong.
A sound broke the silence; a rustling of cloth as it brushed across the ground.  Another sound joined it; the slow clop of hooves stepping forward at an almost glacial pace.  Paradoxically, the noise made by the traveler only seemed to make the silence around him deepen as he went upon his slow, ponderous way along the path.  There was little need for worry or concern.  This forest was no Everfree, but one of the tamer forests that had grown up amidst pony cities, almost as cultivated as any earth pony farm.  It was a clear, moonless night, the darkest kind of night.  Such a night suited him perfectly.
Over a thousand years and I am reduced to this, thought the traveler as he continued upon his way, his sights set upon the town beyond the forest edge, shuffling through the woods like a worthless vagrant.  If I hadn't happened upon those fools, it would have been much worse.
He had gotten lucky after all.  He'd stumbled across a small merchant caravan a ways up the road...or rather...they had stumbled upon him.  Pony compassion was a wonderful thing.  They had lowered their guard so easily at the sight of a cloaked figure collapsed upon the road's edge.  The unicorn mare who'd tried to treat him had been his first victim.  Her magic, which had started as a healing spell tasted deliciously sweet as he drew it out of her, leaving her limp and almost lifeless upon the ground.
Her companions had immediately sprung to her defense, but they were but mites.  Even in his present state, the traveler was not one to be trifled with.  He had swatted aside pegasus and earth pony alike.  There had been other unicorns in the caravan, carelessly casting their spells at him, which he simply consumed along with their magic as he caught them.  The last unicorn had foolishly tried to run, only to be snared and sent to join his brethren lying on the ground.
Considering the situation, he would have been well within his rights to kill them.  But, in his present state, the traveler couldn't afford to waste his strength.  He'd simply decided to leave his victims where they had fallen.  If they died there, then that was what they deserved.  He would need his strength for the city and what lay beyond, where resistance would undoubtedly be stauncher.  He would have to be subtle at first, a few unicorns here and there.  Their magic was the easiest to draw, seeing as it was closest in essence to his.  Eventually, he could work his way up to pegasi, then earth ponies.  He wouldn't be able to stay in one place very long.  Once he began his work in earnest, Princess Celestia was sure to find out about him and would begin seeking him out.  He could not confront her until he was ready.
At least he was making better time, now that he had more magic.  Before, his pace had been a literal crawl and his legs had barely been able to support his weight.  But now, it was possible to manage a walk.  At this pace, he would be at the city sooner than he'd originally planned.  The sooner I begin, the sooner I can take what belongs to me.
Beneath the cowl, two eyes, sparks of yellow swimming in pools of black, narrowed as the traveler looked down the path.  Something...No!...Someone had moved.  A short distance down the path, a pony wearing a cloak not unlike the traveler's own was examining something on the side of the road.  The traveler's eyes widened and a rope of viscous drool leaked out of his mouth to dangle from his chin as he saw the glimmer of magic from a horn hidden beneath the hood.
Thin lips curled into a savage smile and the traveler began to pick up his pace, just a little.  To be able to feed again so soon after the last batch of fools was truly a wonderful happenstance.  As the traveler drew within hearing distance of the unicorn, he enacted his plan, slowing his gait once again to a shuffling crawl, bending down and lowering his posture, his movements becoming irregular...pained.  Ponies are such bleeding hearts.  The instant he sees another in pain, he will drop his guard.
Sure enough, at the sound of the traveler's approach, the unicorn looked up.  His eyes weren't visible from the traveler's angle, but the pony's mouth opened in a silent "oh" as he turned to face the traveler.  Beneath the pony's robes, the traveler could make out some sort of garment of black cloth that hung loosely about the pony's body.  However, that was of no interest to the traveler, whose eyes were fixed upon the light-brown spike of the unicorn's horn protruding out from under the hood's edge.
"Who are you?" asked the pony, "You aren't hurt, are you?"
"Who is he, the pony asks," said the traveler in a faint, wheezy voice, "Is he friend or is he foe?"
"Hold on," said the unicorn, drawing nearer, "I'll help you."
"I am most certainly not your friend...little pony..."  The traveler's lips curled back in a grin as began to inhale, as though he were sucking on a straw.  Streams of magical energy began to flow from the pony's horn and into his mouth.  Beneath the pony's hood, two narrow eyes widened as he watched the traveler drain his magic away.  "However," said the traveler in a mocking tone, "Just as you said, you shall indeed help me."
He needed more.  From beneath the hood, a red hand, attached to a spindly arm, snaked out at the pony, who was rooted in his spot.  Before he could react, the hand reached his horn, fingers curling about the shaft.  "Yes...you shall help me."
Then, the expression of fear and surprise on the pony's face melted away, the eyes narrowing once again and his mouth stretching into a victorious grin.  "Nah, just lying."
The pony jerked once, yanking away from the traveler's hold.  To the traveler's shock, the horn came away from the pony's head with a faint click.  Instead of falling to the ground in agony, the pony instead became a blur as he leaped back away from the traveler.  His cloak fell to the ground, revealing an earth pony stallion with a khaki-colored coat.  In the darkness of the night, his spiky white mane stood out sharply, along with his tail, which looked strangely fox-like as it stretched out behind him.  Wrapped around the stallion's midsection was a broad, white sash, with two ends trailing off behind him like an extra pair of tails.
He grinned playfully at the traveler.  "You were a lot easier to track down than I thought.  I can't believe you fell for the old Fake Horn Gag though."
The traveler glanced down at the replica of a unicorn horn in his hand before glaring back at the stallion.  As he did so, he straightened his legs and raised himself all the way upright.  "You dare to make a fool of the almighty Lord Tirek?"
"Well...not so much 'dare' as 'did,'" replied the stallion blithely, "I figured that you haven't consumed all that much magic yet, so you couldn't have gone too far.  I also figured that you'd jump at any chance to suck up some more magic like the greedyguts you are.  One false horn with a charged crystal inserted into it later and...Viola!...one escaped denizen of Tartarus apprehended."
With a low growl, the traveler doffed his robe, letting it fall to the side, revealing the figure of a creature completely alien in this realm.  Four thin and wiry legs held up a body that was unquestionably equine.  However, where the shoulders and neck of a pony would normally be, the traveler instead sported a second torso, sprouting up perpendicularly from his hindquarters, all of it covered in pitch-black fur.  The second torso was not dissimilar from a minotaur's in nature, two thin, spindly red arms stretching out from equally red shoulders.  His head sported a dangling, gray beard, which served to frame a mouth pulled back in an angry grimace.  Those terrible eyes, bright-yellow irises floating in pools of black, glared balefully at the pony in front of him.  From the top of his head, a pair of wickedly-curved horns jutted upward out of a shaggy gray mane that hung down his second back.
"You believe you have captured me...little pony...?" snarled Tirek, thrusting out the hand holding the detached horn, "...with this paltry parlor trick?"  His fingers tightened their grip around the horn as Tirek glared at the stallion, who seemed unfazed and continued to grin impishly.  "Do not dare to think that you've captured me simply by luring me to you with this bauble."
"Oh...yeah..." said the stallion, still grinning, "About that...I was lying about the horn."
"What?"  Tirek looked again at the object clenched in his fist.
"Oh...it does have a crystal loaded with unicorn magic in it." said the stallion, "But that's not the only thing...It's also packed to the brim with black powder.”
Tirek opened his mouth to answer, but a faint hiss, accompanied by a whiff of smoke coming from the object in his hand drew his attention downward…just as it blew up in his face.
The monstrous centaur’s bellow of pain was eclipsed by the thunderous clap of the explosion and Tirek briefly vanished in a ball of fire and smoke that send dirt and rocks flying in all directions.  Tirek himself was launched backwards, slamming into the ground and skidding across it.  His body, reinforced with his recently acquired magic, endured the blows, but it had been a near thing.  As Tirek struggled back up to his hooves he noticed that his hand was now blackened and burned.
“By the way,” said the stallion, now smirking as he approached, pushing right through the column of smoke that lingered from the blast and coming out the other side, “I figure I should introduce myself.  I’m Swift Stride, Knight of the Celestial Order.  How’s that for an introduction?”
“Knights…?” growled Tirek, “The Princesses have been busy.  But still…It was rather foolish of them to send a mere earth pony after me.”
“Hey now,” said Swift, drawing himself up, “I’ll have you know I’m the strongest of the knights.  You think that the Princess would send anypony less than her best to take you down?”
In spite of the burning sensation on his hand, which was lessening as Tirek channeled his magic to heal it, the centaur laughed derisively.  “The strongest!  Hah!  Do you honestly expect me to believe such tripe?  A mere earth pony could not possibly be Princess Celestia’s greatest champion…and certainly not one who relies on gimmicks and toys to fight me.”
To Tirek’s surprise, Swift laughed and raised his hooves.  “All right!  You’ve got me!  I was lying about being the strongest Knight.  I’m actually the weakest.  But you don’t think the Princess is crazy or stupid enough to send a unicorn after you, do you?”  His grin widened.  “Besides…it’s not as though she needs to send her absolute best.  Given how scrawny you look, I’d be surprised if you could put up any kind of fight at all.”
It began as a speck of light, sparking into being in the space between Tirek’s horns.  With each passing second, it grew in size and brightness until a miniature sun the size of a small apple hung there.  With an angry roar from Tirek, a bolt of burning, molten energy lanced out from the orb, aiming straight for Swift.
“Whoa!” exclaimed the stallion as he dodged to the side, the beam passing by him and drawing a glowing line in the ground, “Watch it!  Somepony could get hurt if you do that.”
Tirek didn’t even acknowledge Swift’s taunt, instead launching another attack.  The stallion ducked under this one, which struck a tree behind him and exploding it into matchwood.  Tirek fired a third beam, aiming lower this time.  Swift jumped over it.  Hanging in the air as he was, the earth pony stallion was an easy target for the next shot.  But, as Swift hung in the air mid-jump, he reached a forehoof under his sash and pulled out a small cylinder, which he then threw to the ground below him.  The cylinder exploded with a loud hiss, filling the air with white smoke that completely obscured the area for several meters, including the space where Tirek was standing.
Tirek fired anyway, aiming for the place he’d last seen Swift Stride.  But the beam simply sliced through empty air.
“Can’t hit what you can’t see,” taunted Swift from somewhere in the smoke as Tirek looked around for him.
The smoke was slowly starting to disperse, but Tirek was noticing something else.  His limbs were starting to feel heavy.  His eyelids began to droop and the world around him, despite the fact that the haze was clearing, was starting to get hazy all over again.  This isn’t just smoke…
From above, Swift watched as he perched on a tree branch that shouldn’t have been able to hold his weight, smirking as he stared at Tirek’s silhouette in the smoke, watching as the grotesque creature began to slump.  It’s working.  I was worried that he might not be affected by any of my compounds.  But he seems to be susceptible to this one at least.
Crimson nostrils flared and Tirek let out an enraged snort.  The glowing sphere of energy between his horns flared, then launched a blaze of energy out in all directions, pushing the smoke away from him.  At the same time, Tirek sent a stream of tingling magic down through his own body, sweeping away all traces of the drug that had been taken into his bloodstream.
“Did you really think you could defeat me with such a cowardly trick?” he yelled, looking this way and that as he sought his adversary.
“Eh…it was worth a try,” said Swift, before freezing as Tirek’s gaze zeroed in on him immediately, “Whoops!”
Tirek fired again, sending lances of fiery power punching through the forest canopy.  Moving like a squirrel, Swift bounded from one tree branch to another, landing on one and using it as a springboard to fuel his jump to the next, twisting and flipping to avoid Tirek’s shots with each jump as his path inscribed a circle around the centaur.  Abruptly, Swift changed directions, launching off at a sharp angle that sent him flying directly above Tirek’s head.  Tirek moved to track the motion, but was too slow as Swift landed and immediately pushed off of the trunk of another tree, his next jump sending him to land directly on Tirek’s equine hindquarters.
If he’s channeling magic through his horns, then maybe they’re as vulnerable as a unicorn’s is mid-cast, thought Swift, raising a foreleg.  A slim, triangular blade slid out from beneath his sleeve.  Moving quickly, Swift slashed at one of Tirek’s horns.  The blade actually sparked as its edge made contact and skipped off.  However, instead of screaming in agony, Tirek growled and whirled around, moving so sharply that Swift was knocked off his hooves as Tirek’s hindquarters whipped themselves out from under him.  But before Swift could fall all the way to the ground, Tirek’s uninjured hand snapped out, moving with the speed of a striking snake and closing around Swift’s throat.
I guess that’s a no then, thought Swift as he struggled to breathe, dangling from Tirek’s grip, which was surprisingly strong, given how skinny the centaur’s arms were right now.
“I have had enough of your mockery,” growled Tirek, “I will make your death slow.”
“Th-that doesn’t really w-work for me,” said Swift as he struggled to remain breathing in Tirek’s grip.  At least the monster wasn’t trying to actively choke him yet.
“You presume you have a choice in the matter,” hissed Tirek.
“Well…if I can’t beat you,” said Swift, his grin coming back, “I need to at least make sure I take you with me.”  From somewhere within his black clothes, he produced a grapefruit-sized sphere with some sort of string dangling out of it.  Gripping it in the fetlock of one foreleg, he smacked it against something hidden in the sleeve of his other foreleg, creating a spark that caught on the fuse and set it into sparking life.
“This is the b-biggest bomb I’ve g-got,” said Swift, raising it so that Tirek could see.  Already, the fuse was burning past the halfway point, “This’ll take out everything in a fifty-meter radius.  Let’s see you s-stand up t-to that.”
“Fool!” snapped Tirek, tossing Swift away from him.  However, Swift had already dropped the bomb, which landed right at Tirek’s hooves.  His eyes widening in a panic, Tirek scampered backward, the orb of magical energy hanging between his horns blazing to life once again, creating a glowing barrier between him and the bomb.
On the other side of the barrier, Swift didn’t move, giving his opponent a mocking grin.  The fuse burned all the way down and vanished into the interior of the bomb…which then let out a little puff and hissed slightly.
“Sorry,” said Swift, laughing again, “I was lying about the bomb.  It’s a total dud.  You didn’t really think I was stupid enough to try and kill both of us like that, did you?”
“You cowardly little…”  Tirek dropped his barrier and strode forward, fully intent on twisting Swift’s grinning head off with his bare hands.
“Oh!” said Swift suddenly, sitting down, “Sorry!  I was lying about lying.  Did you know that blowing stuff up isn’t the only thing you can do with bombs?”  He raised a hoof and pointed at the still-smoking device.  “Look more closely.”
Tirek’s eyes automatically followed Swift’s hoof and fixated on the bomb, just as it burst.  The world went white and a deafening roar that eclipsed even the explosion of Swift’s first bomb burned its way into Tirek’s ears, completely drowning out his agonized screams.  Even telling me to look more closely at the bomb was a trap! he realized as his hands rushed to cover his eyes, even though the reaction was far too late.
In the wake of the explosion, Tirek was left reeling, staggering on his hooves as his eyes burned and his ears rang.  His hearing was just barely good enough to pick up the thud of hooves on the ground directly in front of him before two more hooves connected right where his torso joined with his hindquarters, knocking him off the ground and sending him flying as Swift hit him with a powerful buck.  Tirek’s body slammed into a tree, breaking it in two.  He slumped to the ground, unmoving, his body going limp.
Rather than pressing his attack, Swift instead dodged off the path and into the foliage, hiding himself amongst the forest undergrowth.  Once he was hidden, he pressed his back against a tree and settled onto his haunches, reaching down to gently massage his hind hooves with his forehooves.  Damn!  What the hay is that guy made out of?  He's got that scrawny, starving look that makes ya think he'd break like a twig if you breathed on him too hard.  But I think I'd be hard-pressed to find a hunk of refined orichalcum tougher than this nut.
Carefully, Swift glanced around the side of the tree at the unmoving form of Tirek.  He's faking it pretty good, noted Swift.  Tirek's outstretched hand was pressed, palm and fingers down, against the ground, looking as though it had landed like that when the centaur had collapsed.  In fact, Tirek was carefully attuned to the vibrations in the ground, using that to sense any approach while his sight and hearing recovered.  On top of that, he might even realize that I can see through his ruse and is just using it to buy time until his senses recover.
A cold sweat broke out across Swift's forehead as he went back to hiding behind the tree.  I'm just barely staying ahead of that guy with my tricks.  Geez, even fresh out of Tartarus, this guy's a real monster.  Despite these grim thoughts, Swift's grin didn't fade in the slightest.  This is the most fun I've had in years.
Using his magic, Tirek was beginning to restore his sight and hearing.  With a low, rumbling growl that belied his slight physique, he got to his hooves and stood up once again.  "You are a persistent insect," he growled.
"Hey," protested Swift from within the undergrowth, "Where do you get off calling me an insect?  If anything, you're more like an insect than I am."
Zeroing in on the sound of Swift's voice, Tirek sent a fiery bolt searing through the leaves and bushes, leaving a trail of flames behind it.  However, there was no sign of the infuriating stallion.
"I mean, when you think about it..." continued Swift's voice, now coming from the foliage on the side of the path opposite where it had first come from, "...you're the one with six limbs.  You've got a head, something that could be called a thorax, and an abdomen.  Get it, bug-guy?"
Tirek turned and fired at the new source of the voice.  But, once again, the beam of energy struck nopony, simply burning viciously through the undergrowth.
Swift's voice popped up from a new location.  "Come on, you've gotta admit it.  When it comes down to bugginess, even Changelings don't hold a candle to you."
"Cease this annoying prattle and come out!" roared Tirek, the blazing sphere of light between his horns flaring yet again, this time sending waves of explosive energy radiating out of him from all directions.  Trees shattered and their splinters caught fire.  Leaves were sent spinning through the air, igniting as they did so.  The entire area was filled with burning shrapnel scattering in all directions.
At the explosion's center, Tirek stood.  His shoulders were hunched and he was breathing hard.  His arms hung at his sides, feeling much heavier than they had before.  Even the four legs he was standing on were beginning to tremble.
From the edge of the area Tirek had just destroyed, Swift Stride emerged from the smoke and flames, coming to stand on the slope of the shallow cater Tirek had just created.  "Running out of juice, huh.  You haven't had the chance to suck the magic out of many unicorns yet.  I figured you couldn't keep this up for too long."
For a moment, Tirek glared silently at his adversary.  Then...he slumped further, sagging almost all the way to the ground.  "Unbelievable...to be bested by the likes of you.  Even though you are an earth pony, you are, by far, the most cunning adversary I have ever faced."
"Aww," said Swift, waving a hoof demurely, "You're just saying that.  You're making me blush here."  True enough, his cheeks were turning a shade of pink as he faked a shy grin.
"It almost makes me wonder," said Tirek, "What is such a brilliant strategist such as yourself doing as a mere errand-boy for Celestia?"
"Hmm?"  Swift's ears perked up.
"I mean...as clever as you are, you could easily do whatever you please with your life," said Tirek soberly, spreading his arms out, "You could take what you want and hardly anyone in the world would be smart enough to stop you.  What hold does Celestia have over you that would make you bend to her will like this?"
Swift's smile began to fade as he listened to Tirek's words.  "What makes you think that she has something over me?"  He canted his head attentively.
Twin streams of something that looked like smoke burst out of Tirek's nostrils as he snorted.  "Please...I know that mare well enough.  She despises deceit and lies.  She clings to paltry platitudes, such as honesty...and harmony...and all the things that go with them.  There is no way she would accept a pony with your skills and talents running loose without a collar.  You serve her because she has left you with no choice in the matter."
Swift's eyes widened as he glared at Tirek.  "You really think I could pull one over on her?  She's been around for thousands of years now.  Seeing through little lies like mine is practically foal's play for her."
"But you can escape her hold," said Tirek, smiling now, a glimmer of triumph in his eyes, "I misjudged you earlier.  You are truly a worthy adversary.  If you were to join me...then I could help you escape from Celestia's control.  You will be free to do as you wish, tell whatever lies you please, take whatever your heart desires.  Lies are for manipulating and crushing the weak.  You have that power.  You should be permitted to use it the way it was meant to be used.”
“You really think you can beat the Princesses?” asked Swift, raising a skeptical eyebrow.
“With your help, I’m certain that it’s possible,” said Tirek, his lips curling up in a sneer, “With your mastery of deception, you can easily deflect their suspicions whilst I regain my strength.  Then I shall be able to come for the power of the Princesses themselves.”
“That’s a tall order,” mused Swift, tapping his chin, “She may not be one for lying, but given how long she’s been around, it’s gonna be tough getting one over on Her Majesty.”
“I am sure that you are more than capable of it,” said Tirek, “What do you say?  Will you join me?”
"Speaking as an accomplished liar," said Swift, "What proof do I have that I can trust you?  I've heard you're a pretty gifted deceiver yourself."
"Proof, hmm...?"  Tirek idly tapped his chin with a finger before he broke out into a smile once again.  "Ah yes.  I do have something I can use to show my sincerity, a gift of sorts, if you will."
"A gift, huh...?"
Tirek raised a hand to his neck.  For the first time, Swift noticed a triangular golden medallion, hanging from a fine gold chain.  Pulling the medallion off his neck, Tirek held it out towards swift, letting the chain dangle off of his hand.  "This once belonged to the one closest to me, my dear brother.  It is a symbol of the friendship and trust that existed between us.  Allow this to serve as proof of my sincerity."
"Your brother, hmm...."  Swift looked thoughtful for a moment before grinning widely.  "I guess if you're willing to entrust me with something that important, I can't really say no.  It's a deal..."
Coming in closer, Swift reached out a hoof towards the medallion.  As the hoof got closer and closer, Tirek's smile widened.  Then...just as Swift was about to take the medallion from Tirek's hand, Tirek dropped it, instead moving to quickly grab Swift's foreleg and pull the stallion towards him.  "Ah ha!  Now I've got you, worm!"
Something clicked and Tirek looked down, suddenly realizing that he wasn't actually holding Swift's foreleg.  Instead, his hand was holding another cylindrical container, slightly longer than the smoke-bomb Swift had used earlier.  "What-?"  Before he could even continue asking, the end facing him flipped open and Tirek was suddenly sprayed in the face with a fine, white powder.
"By the way, I was lying about joining you," said Swift, still grinning, but standing farther away than he had been a second ago.  He lifted up hoof he'd been reaching out with.  Dangling from it by its chain was Tirek's medallion.  "I think I'll hold on to this," he said, twirling it about his leg.
"You-!" snarled Tirek before cutting himself off.  There was a burning, itching sensation in his nose.  More poison?
"I wasn't actually ever planning on coming over to your side anyway," said Swift idly, stowing the medallion in his clothes, "But even if I was, you really need to work on your lying skills.  You really don't think Princess Celestia told me all about your story?  I mean...holding out that medallion as a symbol of trust and then saying it belonged to your brother...the brother who's best known for siding with us ponies and essentially stabbing you in the back.  The Princess warned me that you were a pretty slick talker, but your lies are actually pretty lame."
Seeing that Tirek was having trouble responding, Swift chuckled.  "Oh...and by the way...that's not poison that you were sprayed with...It's actually high-grade sneezing powder."
"Ah-ah...AHCHOO!"  Right on cue, Tirek began to unleash a storm of sneezes, practically doubling over as they wracked his body.  Desperately, he tried to use his magic to purge the fine dust from his nostrils, but every attempt to cast was interrupted by another succession of sneezes.  All the way, Swift simply watched and cackled merrily.
Lurching forward, Tirek lunged at Swift Stride, wildly swinging his fists and trying to crush the stallion with them.  Swift leaned to the side, allowing one of Tirek's swings to plummet down right past him before suddenly darting right inside the centaur's reach, coming up short against Tirek's stomach.  He pressed a single hoof up against Tirek's front belly.  On the ground, his other three hooves suddenly twisted sharply and dug into the earth with a series of loud crunches.  Swift's body seemed to lean slightly forward and he extended the foreleg that was touching Tirek a little bit farther...
Tirek was launched backwards, hit by a force comparable to a runaway freight train.  His body slammed into the edge of the crater, plowing straight through the ground and digging a trench along the earth before he came to a stop.  Still sneezing and snorting, Tirek tried to get up, only for his eyes to widen as he saw another cylinder flying right at him.
At least this one was a much more conventional bomb.  The fiery explosion engulfed Tirek, knocking him back further still.  Unable to summon his magic, thanks to the sneezing powder, Tirek was forced to endure the heat and pressure with his own body, crying out in pain as his skin blistered and burnt, the fur of his coat being scorched away.  However, the explosion had another, less-harmful effect.  The fiery fumes seeped into his nostrils and burned away all traces of the sneezing powder.
Getting back up, Tirek looked up just in time to see Swift Stride closing in again, leading with that slender blade hidden within the sleeve of his clothes.  "ENOUGH!" he roared, releasing another explosion of magical energy in all directions.  This one was much smaller than the last one, only extending a couple of meters in any direction.  However, Swift ended up charging right into it and was blasted back with a grunt of pain and sent sprawling.
"I have endured all the humiliation I can stand at your hooves," growled the centaur, rearing up to his full height once again.  Ironically, his injuries only served to make him an even more intimidating sight, his skin marred by sections of cracked red and black that slowly shrank as the burns he received from the explosions began to slowly knit themselves back together.
"Whoo...that was a doozy," said Swift as he stood up.  However, before he could fully get his hooves under him, a glowing orange aura coalesced around his body and he was lifted from the ground.
"I will make you cry," snarled Tirek, tossing his head.  In synch with the motion, Swift's body was suddenly hurled against a tree with a loud, groaning crack.  "I will make you scream!"  This time, he sent Swift's body slamming down into the ground.  "I will make you beg for my mercy and then I shall skin you, inch by inch, before allowing you to finally die."  Swift was slammed into another tree, then back into the ground, the process repeating over and over again.
Finally, the aura released him and the stallion came to a stop, lying limply on the path.  Tirek stood over him, panting hard from his exertions.  "I am Lord Tirek.  All the magic in this land is mine!  You ponies exist for my sake!  Learn your place, insufferable vermin."
Step by ponderous step, Tirek advanced on Swift, glowering down at the stallion who had caused him so much pain and hardship.  Had this battle occurred at a later date, after he'd had more time to consume power from additional unicorns, Tirek would not have struggled so.  The fact that Swift had caused so much harm, even in Tirek's present state, was an insult that could not be borne.
To Tirek's surprise, Swift's body twitched once...then twice.  Then, with a low groan, he rolled over slightly and opened one eyelid wide enough for Tirek to see a light-blue eye, glaring up at him.  "Y-you should have l-listened to your brother..."
"My brother was weak," snarled Tirek, "He swallowed your pony lies and betrayed me because he could not stomach the fact that he would always be inferior to me."
"Heh..."  Swift chuckled, but the sound came out more like a pained grunt.  "That just goes to show how little you understand about ponies.  That's why you're going to lose here."
Both of Swift's eyes opened wide and he grinned menacingly up at Tirek.  Tirek reared back, launching another lance of energy down at the stallion.  But Swift was already rolling out of the way.  The force of the blast hitting the ground where he'd been resting a second ago launched Swift into the air.  However, Swift turned the motion into a roll that brought his hooves back under him and he landed in a standing position a few meters away, looking slightly more bruised and battered, but still more than capable of fighting.
"Impossible!" gasped Tirek, "How can you still be standing after that?"
"Come on," said Swift with a laugh, "You didn't think Princess Celestia would make me one of her Knights if I didn't know how to take a few hard falls.  There's a trick to it, but you're gonna have to do much worse if you plan on putting me down."
"That can be arranged," hissed the centaur, charging up another shot of his magic.
Swift suddenly lifted a hoof sharply.  "Hold up!"
Caught off-guard by the sudden change in Swift's tone, Tirek hesitated.
"You're a lot tougher than I expected," Swift admitted, reaching into his sash once again, "If I'm gonna beat you, then I'm gonna need to bring out my secret weapon."
Tirek's anger faded, immediately replaced by a sense of caution as he stepped back.  However, instead of withdrawing another bomb, Swift instead pulled out a silver flask.  Sitting down, Swift popped the top and began to chug down the contents with ever evidence of enjoyment.  Tirek looked on, too confused by the unexpected action to even think about acting.  "What are you doing?"
Lowering the flask, Swift wiped his mouth on a sleeve and grinned.  "Just wetting the old whistle.  I need to get a good buzz going to do this right."  He tucked the flask back into his sash.
For a second, nothing happened.  Then Swift hiccuped.  It seemed to jerk his entire body and he began to sway on the spot.  "Awright...." he said, getting to his hooves, now wobbling, "thatssh the shtuff..."  He lifted a hoof, looking as though he was going to start walking towards Tirek, but instead staggered to one side, swaying to the point where it seemed he was going to fall over, but managing to catch himself at the last second.  Doing so only seemed to send him staggering in the opposite weapon.
"What are you doing?" repeated Tirek, his frustration growing at the sheer ludicrousness of the situation.
"Itssh mah secret weapon," slurred Swift, giving Tirek a dazed-looking smile, "Thissh issh Drunken Hoof!"  He bobbed and swayed again.  "Now lisshen here...ya...ya...ya weird thingy, you.  Ah don't like usshin thissh.  I-I'm really gonna feel thissh in the mornin'.  Sshooo you'd better be worth it."
"Drunken hoof...?"  Tirek stared at the unsteady stallion a moment longer before his lips curled up in an angry snarl.  "I've had enough of your mockery."
The shimmering orb of power hanging between his horns flared to life once again, this time launching a bolt of energy straight at Swift's hooves, intending to destroy his footing.
Swift staggered to the side once again, seemingly by accident.  But the motion carried him clear and the bolt smashed into the empty earth right where he had been standing.  Tirek tracked Swift's stumble and aimed where the stallion was going to end up next.  However Swift seemed to tilt over and went into a quick roll that carried him over and past the target area before Tirek's shot could even reach it.
"Whoops!" exclaimed Swift, coming back up to his hooves, "Ya misshed."
Roaring, Tirek fired again, but every shot he took seemed to just barely missed as Swift stumbled, lurched, and even tripped out of the way, the stallion's jerky, irregular motions frustrating the centaur's aim at every turn.  What Tirek tailed to notice was that, even as Swift stumbled from side to side, he was actually stepping in closer with each and every dodge.  Before Tirek had even realized it, Swift had closed the distance between them.
Tirek lashed out with a fist, intending to cave in Swift's skull with a punch.  However, at the last instant, Swift suddenly seemed to trip and fall forward, causing Tirek's fist to pass just over his head, barely brushing against Swift's mane.  Swift's fall became a forward roll and he lurched unexpectedly up from the ground again, this time planting a shoulder against Tirek's front stomach.  From where his legs connected with the ground, his body seemed to undulate and Tirek was once again slammed by an incredible impact that had his hooves plowing furrows in the ground as he was driven back.
Holding out one open hand, Tirek conjured a ball of flame in his palm and pitched it at Swift.  The stallion lurched backwards unsteadily as the flame impacted the ground in front of him.  However, instead of exploding, the ball instead seemed to soak into the ground.  An instant later, a rocky spike exploded outwards, its tip aiming right for Swift's chest.
Swift reached out with a foreleg and hooked his fetlock around the end of the spike, even as it continued to drive towards him.  In a single, flowing motion, Swift pulled himself up and rolled over and across the spike, managing to plant his hooves on the stone spire near its base.  Using it as a platform, he pushed off into a jump that sent him rolling through the air in a lazy motion as he brought one hind hoof down on the top of Tirek's head, the kick landing right between the centaur's horns.
Reeling back, Tirek howled with agony.  He staggered from the impact.  Looking up, he tried to find his target only to see nothing.  Swift had already stumped off to one side of Tirek.  No sooner had all four of the stallion's hooves touched the ground had Swift reared up onto his hind legs and lashed out with his elbow, the motion causing him to practically fall against Tirek's side.  As clumsy as it appeared, the move was powerful enough to send a spike of pain through the centaur as the elbow crashed into the barrel of Tirek's equine half.  The force of the blow was nearly enough to knock Tirek over.
Spinning his second torso, Tirek swung one spindly arm backwards, aiming to catch Swift with a backfist to the head.  Even as Swift's elbow was still resting against Tirek's flank, Swift's foreleg unfolded and extended back out, reaching over and up to the top of Tirek's back.  Swift Stride clamped down, actually pinching Tirek's spine in his fetlock through the skin and muscle on Tirek's back.  The powerful grip on Tirek's spine sent a razor-sharp jolt of agony through him.  Screaming in pain, Tirek could only watch as Swift used his hold as a point of leverage to pull himself up and over Tirek's back and out of the way of the incoming fist.
As he reached the apex of his motion over the centaur's back, Swift's body seemed to jerk unsteadily again, changing the axis of his roll.  The sudden change in motion caused him to channel all his body's momentum to his fetlock, which was still pinched around Tirek's spine.  There was an almost inaudible pop, followed by yet another jolt of pain through Tirek's body, then Tirek's hind legs ceased to heed his mind's commands.
Swift released his hold and went into a cartwheeling leap away from Tirek, landing on all four of his hooves, but nearly falling once again.  "P-pretty neat, huh..." he said, wobbling in place, "When ya practissh holdin yer cupssh all the time...ya get a p-pretty sshtrong grip."
"You..."  Tirek's growl trailed off as he realized his condition.  His body was battered, burned, and broken.  The injuries he'd received throughout the battle were taking their toll.  To make matters worse, he was reaching the limit of his magical capacity as well.  The magic of the few unicorns he'd managed to consume before now was not enough to keep him going for much longer.  This is unacceptable!  Did I finally manage to orchestrate my escape from Tartarus to end up falling to this...this...this drunken buffoonery?  Tirek froze, his eyes going wide.  Drunken...That's it!
Staggering, Tirek sank down, his forelegs buckling.  In his condition, it was easier anyway, given that his hind legs had practically folded up on themselves.  His magic was already working to repair the damage and realign his spine so that he could regain his mobility, but it would take time and his power was already at its limit.  "To think that a worthless pest like you could push me this far," he growled.
"Aww...Ya ain't fakin' are ya?" asked Swift, staggering slightly closer.
"Fool," rumbled Tirek, "You've taken my power to even stand and you're doubting your victory?"
"I ain't...I ain't doubtin' nothin'..."  Swift paused, his eyes rolling upwards.  "Or issh that one 'o them double nega-whatsits?"
Swift didn't notice the subtle, orange lights that were beginning to outline his body.  Tirek was barely using any magic at all.  To think that I would use the spell my brother created to keep me in line during our victory feasts...
Just as the spell was nearly finished, Swift suddenly realized that he was once again in the grip of Tirek's magic.  "Wait...ya tricked me...again..."
"To think that you would actually give me the means to defeat you," said Tirek, laughing now, "I hope you enjoy the consequences of your foolish actions."
"Whaaaat consshequencshes?" slurred Swift, "What kind 'o magic thingy issh thissh?"
"A simple sobriety spell," said Tirek, "It immediately advances you from a drunken idiot...to a hungover one."
It clearly took a moment for Swift Stride's addled mind to process what Tirek's words meant.  It gave Tirek just enough time to finish the spell, which ignited with a flash of energy that washed across Swift's body.  He staggered again, this time much more clumsily, actually falling over as his hooves went to his head.  "Owww!  Dammit!"
Tirek's laugh boomed through the night.  He deliberately made it as loud as he could, delighting in the sight of Swift's face twisting in agony as the loud noise tortured his newly-sensitive ears.  Now that his foe was incapacitated, Tirek could focus on his own recovery.  Finally, with another pop, the displaced vertebrae moved back into pace, tormenting Tirek with another jolt of pain, but also giving him back use of his hind legs.  The burns and bruises from the rest of the conflict were fading as well.  But his magic was near its limit.  He may be a fool, but he forced me to fight much harder than I'd anticipated, thought Tirek, I will need to rest to recover what little strength I've managed to gather so far.
"No mere mortal pony has ever challenged me to this extent," said Tirek, still talking loudly as he stood up to exacerbate Swift's pain, "You may have only managed to do so because my powers are limited at this time.  But I suppose you deserve some praise for doing so well.  It is a pity that your death shall be in vain."
Tirek lifted one hoof and brought it down on Swift's side, deliberately doing it slowly, rather than stamping down.  He also chose a soft, fleshy bit, rather than somewhere with breakable bones.  This pony had given him a great deal of trouble and he intended to make Swift suffer as much as possible before killing the stallion.
"I am going to enjoy this," said Tirek, leaning forward and grinding his hoof into Swift's body.  Swift opened his mouth, crying out in pain, but the sound exploded out as a wheezing grunt.  Tirek's smile widened and he turned his attention to Swift's sash.  Leaning over, he reached down and pulled out the flask that Swift had put away earlier.  "But first, assuming there's any left, I think a celebratory drink is in order."
A quick shake of the flask indicated that there was still liquid swishing about within it.  Excellent...The volume is low.  But if it got him inebriated to such an extent, then it must be a potent spirit indeed; the perfect drink to crown the end to this fight.
Popping the top of the flask, Tirek lifted it to his lips and and allowed the liquid within to spill across his tongue.  Then his eyes widened.  Instead of the harsh bite of alcohol that he'd been expecting, he instead tasted something sweet, with some added astringency.  The liquid that he'd just drunk came spraying out of his mouth.  Shocked, he pulled the flask away from his mouth and stared at it, aghast.  "Cranberry juice!"
"Hey!  Don't knock it.  That stuff's good for you."  The sound of Swift's voice from below instantly caught Tirek's attention and he looked down just in time to see Swift roll out from under his hoof.  Swift's roll actually carried him beneath Tirek's barrel so that he was lying, belly-up, between all four of Tirek's legs.
Swift's four legs kicked up in unison, all four hooves planting themselves into Tirek's underbelly and launching him upward with a cry of agony.  As Tirek's body soared upwards, Swift rolled again, getting his hooves under him just in time to push off the ground and launch himself at a nearby tree.  Rolling again in midair, Swift landed hooves-first on the trunk and kicked off and upwards at an angle that allowed him to intercept Tirek's flight.  As he flew past Tirek, Swift's foreleg whipped out and he hooked a fetlock around one of Tirek's small, weak-looking but deceptively strong, wrists...the wrist that was connected to the hand holding the flask for that matter.
"I'll take that," said Swift with his characteristic mocking grin in place, using his other fetlock to pluck the flask from Tirek's grip, quickly popping the top back in and secreting it back into his sash, all before Tirek could even begin to react.  Then the fetlock that was holding Tirek's wrist increased its pressure, tightening like a steel vice.  Beneath its grip, Tirek could feel the bones of his wrist grinding together, an immense power threatening to crush the joint into powder.  It was agonizing.
But Swift wasn't done by a long shot.  Using Tirek's wrist as a fulcrum, he pulled himself into a flip that sent him heading back towards the ground.  A moment ago, he had been leaping through the air as though he weighed nothing,  But now he fell as though his body weighed several tons, pulling Tirek along with him.  As they neared the ground, Swift altered his flip, using his body as a fulcrum and bringing Tirek's body down into a heavy slam that cracked the ground and filled the air with Tirek's latest bellow of agony.
Even as his body bounced off of the rock-hard earth, Tirek raised a hand once again, filling with fiery power before slamming it down into the ground.  Just as Swift’s own hooves touched down, an array of rocky spires launched themselves from the earth, threatening to impale Swift once again.  Swift was forced to roll backwards to avoid being struck.  As he did so, he barely missed one of the spikes as it grazed his face, cutting a line of red through his khaki coat.  Rolling back to his hooves and standing back up, Swift could see that Tirek was sprawled out on the ground.
The battle had definitely taken its toll on the centaur.  At one point, the tip of one of his horns had snapped off.  The glowing sphere of magic hanging between those two curved horns was now barely the size of a fireplace ember, flickering weakly, only just barely remaining lit.  Almost there…
“Another lie…” groaned Tirek, trying to stand.
Swift couldn’t help but grin.  “There’s a funny thing about Drunken Hoof.  It’s pretty much impossible to do if you’re actually drunk.  But that’s how it’s portrayed in all the comics and film reels, so it gets ponies every time.  You're not the only one with a sobriety spell out there.”
Tirek was almost standing all the way up now.  However, his body looked even thinner and weaker before, looking as though it had shriveled.  Before, even with how scrawny he was, he had towered over Swift.  But now, he was only half-again as tall and Swift was certain that he was getting smaller with each passing minute.
“I cannot…lose…” rumbled Tirek, “…not to a mere mortal…earth pony…”
Swift laughed.  “Hey,” he said, “Remember what I said earlier, about being the strongest of Celestia’s Knights.”
Tirek’s eyes narrowed.  “You were lying.”
“Yeah…well…”  Swift seemed to step forward and vanished.  Tirek’s eyes caught a flash of motion right in front of him and looked down to see that Swift was now standing within inches of his front belly, having seemingly crossed the distance between them in an instant.  “…I was lying about lying.”
Tirek heard all four of Swift Stride’s hooves hit the ground simultaneously.  After that, the only thing he knew was pain.



At last, silence descended on the forest once again.  The echoes of the battle that had taken place faded into the distance and the sounds of the forest itself resumed their natural chorus, free of the wrongness that had tainted the area before.  It now sounded just like any other night.
Swift Stride looked down at Tirek’s unmoving form.  The ember hanging between the centaur’s horns had dwindled down to a minuscule spark, flickering.  Finally, with a tiny popping noise, it vanished.  Swift could feel the magical essence that Tirek had stolen from every unicorn that had crossed his path since his escape swirling out into the ether, hopefully to return to their owners.  I hope the ponies of that caravan manage to get out of this.
Swift had come across the caravan while following Tirek’s trail from Tartarus.  At the time, the most he’d been able to do was provide some basic first aid for them.  He’d loaded them up on one of their wagons, trying to get them as comfortable as possible before scattering some chemicals around it that would deter any predators that might be roaming the woods.  This forest was not one of Equestria’s wild zones, like the Everfree was, but there was still some risk for injured and immobile ponies.  Hopefully, once the unicorns got their magic back, they would be able to help their companions and at least get them the rest of the way to civilization.
Swift wasn’t currently able to afford them any assistance.  He had needed to catch up to Tirek before the centaur had reached Trottingham and had started draining the magic of the ponies within.  Even now, Swift didn’t dare leave Tirek unattended for a minute.  Such a wily foe would almost certainly find a way to escape if Swift took his eyes off him for even a moment.  And…the next time they fought, Swift figured that he would probably be the one lying helpless on the ground.
“Still…” he muttered, “now I have to haul this guy back to Tartarus.”
Tirek’s body jerked sharply, making Swift take a cautious step back.  Slowly, lethargically, wincing in pain with each movement, Tirek turned his head just enough to gaze blearily at Swift.
“Why?” he gasped, his voice coming out as a choking wheeze, “Why would someone like you follow Celestia?  What hold could she possibly have over you?”
Swift snorted.  “What makes you think that she needs something to hold over me?”
“D-doesn’t she though?” said Tirek, “She prattles on and on about the importance of honesty and integrity.  It was even one of those blasted Elements of Harmony that she and her sister used on me in the first place.  A deceitful creature like you…could not bear to serve the will of a pony like her.  There must be something…”
The stallion laughed once again, long and loud.  “Well…maybe it’s because she’s the only pony I’ve never really been able to lie to,” he said, “She’s the only pony I’ve never wanted to lie to.  We do crazy things for the ones we love after all.”
“Still more lies,” growled Tirek.
Smirking down at the centaur, Swift said, “Maybe.  I could be lying.  I might not.  You’ll never know.  You’ll spend the rest of eternity in Tartarus, wondering just what the answer might be.  It’s something to keep you occupied.”
Tirek looked as though he wanted to say something else, maybe hurtle another threat at Swift.  But instead, his head slumped back down and his eyes drifted closed.
Looking around, Swift winced as he felt bruises along his sides and back.  “Horseapples…the jerk nearly got me a couple of times.”  He sighed.  “Damn.  It’s a long trip back to Tartarus.  I wish I’d borrowed a wagon.”



Celestia’s hoof tapped a steady rhythm, sending a clicking noise echoing through the throne room with all the consistency of a metronome.  The staccato noise was not lost on those attending the Day Court and the ponies looked around anxiously to see what had their ruler so agitated.  Princess Celestia was normally the incarnation of regal calm, listening to her little ponies with boundless patience, no matter how frivolous the matter at hoof might be.
Thus it came as something of a surprise to Celestia herself when the noble in front of her had finished listing her grievances toward some shopkeeper or another and Celestia suddenly realized that she had missed the entire presentation and had no idea of what the mare was talking about.
“My apologies,” said Celestia, doing her best to maintain her composure, “But I would like to hear the details one last time to avoid any mistakes.”
Her graceful recovery seemed to at least fool the noblemare into thinking that Celestia wanted to check the facts once more and gladly launched into a tirade about some clothier who had refused to grant her the discount the mare clearly thought was due somepony her rank.  Working as hard as possible to keep her eyebrow from twitching, Celestia settled the matter quickly, wanting to move on.  There was still a line of ponies leading out the doors, along with the attendant audience, all of them waiting eagerly for each decision she made.
Celestia just wished that she had the energy to spare for Court at the moment.  It was hard to remain focused on what was in front of her when she was distracted by the constant worry caused by the knowledge that he was still out there.
At first, it had been a rather amusing interlude.  Celestia had come to the Starswirl the Bearded wing of the Royal Archives to find a pineapple upside down cake recipe (amongst other things, Starswirl had been an accomplished baker), when she’d stumbled across Twilight Sparkle, dressed in a rather bizarre outfit.  Further confusing matters was the presence of both Spike and Pinkie Pie.  Celestia had desperately wanted to know what was going on.  But she had noticed that Twilight had apparently had a rather rough week, if the state of her mane, the eyepatch, and the black, skintight outfit were anything to go by.  So Celestia had decided to save her favorite student some embarrassment and act as though nothing was amiss.
It had been an amusing story to hear, one that Twilight had related though a letter later on about a rather unpleasant affair involving time-travel.  I told Starswirl that spell was nothing but trouble.  However, one particular detail had immediately sent a chill down Celestia’s spine.
Cerberus had been in Ponyville.  More importantly, it was nowhere near his regularly scheduled day off when one of the Celestial Knights took over his post for a brief time.  Something had drawn Cerberus away from his post.  Terrified at the thought of what might have broken out, Celestia had rushed to Tartarus immediately and had found her suspicions confirmed.
Tirek was gone.
In all of Equestria, there were only a few ponies whom Celestia would have trusted to track down the monstrous creature and return him to Tartarus.  Twilight and her friends were not yet ready to face such a dire foe.  In the end, she’d turned to the pony she’d thought most likely to succeed.
Over a week later, and Celestia had yet to hear from him.
The next pony was coming forward to make his case when Celestia's steward rushed in through the doors, trotting past the line of waiting ponies and making straight for Celestia's throne, bushing aside a very miffed stallion as he came to stand right next to Celestia.
"Your Majesty," said the stallion, his voice barely a whisper, "There is a stallion named Ash Borer here to see you."
Celestia's eyes widened and she whipped around to stare at her steward.  "Did he say why?"
"He did not," said the steward, "But he did say that it was at your convenience."
For a second, Celestia's body slumped as she let out a loud sigh of utter relief.  That must mean he succeeded.  And he came back.  Thank goodness.  A faint smile crossing her face, Celestia looked up at the ponies still waiting for her.  "I am very sorry, my little ponies.  However, something of the utmost importance has come up and I am afraid that I must suspend this session of the Day Court until tomorrow.  Please leave your case information with my staff and I will see if I cannot expedite my judgments when you arrive."
Stepping down from the throne, she cut a swath through the crowding ponies as she made her way out of the throne room, her steward following in her wake.  Behind her, she could hear a melange of discontented muttering and baseless speculation.  None of that mattered though.  A great crisis had been averted and there was somepony she needed to thank for that.



"I see your taste in aliases hasn't changed since the last time," said Celestia as she strode through the doors of her room.  Behind her followed a few maids carrying trays of tea and assorted snacks.
She paused at the sight of Swift Stride, sprawled out on the pillows in front of her fireplace, staring up at the ceiling through eyes so squinted that they might as well have been closed.  It was strange to see him without his loose-fitting black outfit and outlandish white sash.  Celestia was probably one of the only ponies who had ever seen him like this.  Before her maids could follow her into the room, she used her magic to swipe the trays from them and quickly dismissed them before closing the doors.
Without his clothes on, Swift looked so much more vulnerable to her eyes.  She traced the numerous scars running up and down his barrel, his legs, and across his back.  On his sides, she could see some evidence of fading bruises.  On his cheek was evidence of a small cut, recently healed.  Apparently, he'd managed to get through this mission without any permanent reminders.
At the sound of the closing doors, Swift's ears twitched and he rolled over to look at her.  "Sorry it took me so long to get back to you.  I had to check up on a few things before I came to report in.  I've brought you a souvenir," he said, holding out a hoof and showing her the medallion that dangled from it on a golden chain, "The old blowhard didn't seem to be terribly attached to it, so I figured he wouldn't mind if I held onto it."
Celestia took the medallion in her magic and floated it over to hover before her eyes.  "Scorpan...He gave this to his brother, hoping that it would serve as a sign of their bond.  I suppose Tirek only ever saw it as a sign of betrayal."
"Huh...maybe I did the jerk a favor by taking it off him," muttered Swift.
"Even if you did, I am still grateful that you brought it to me.  Tirek may have received this medallion from his brother, but Scorpan actually received the medallion from a pony, a very brilliant mage by the name of Starswirl."  Celestia smiled as she tilted the medallion and watched the light shine off its surface.
"Well now," said Swift, "That story didn't make it into any of the histories."
Giggling, Celestia set the medallion down on her desk and set out the tea and snacks for the both of them.  "It's quite a fascinating story.  Would you like to hear it?"
Swift gave her a warm and genuine smile as he made himself comfortable on the cushions.  "I certainly would.  I've got plenty of time now."
He sat and listened as Celestia began her tale, basking the warmth of the fire and savoring the taste of the tea.  At this moment, there was no place in the world he would rather be.

	"It is true that I value honesty.  However, the truth can be a double-edged blade.  Depending on how it is used, it can cause harm just as grievous as any lie.  That is why I believe that lies and deceptions do have their place in this world.  But no lie can truly be good unless the liar understands the truth that lays beneath it.  To be the greatest liar, you must also have the greatest understanding of the truth; a lying tongue and an honest heart.
"It is with that in mind  that I hereby Knight you, Sir Swift Stride.  Normally, your titles come from your peers, but I shall give you a title of my own making.  To others, you shall be the False.  However, that title is itself a lie.  Your true title, known only to me shall be the False Tongue and True Heart.  Know that, whatever lies you tell, I shall always have faith in you...my dear little pony."

Even as he listened to Celestia's story, Swift smirked at the memory of Tirek's question.  I told him that we do crazy things for the ponies we love...maybe that's a lie.  Maybe trying to put a name to this feeling is another kind of lie.  But, whatever it is, it's more than worth living for.
Setting aside thoughts of the past, Swift turned his full attention and listened to Celestia's tales of ponies long ago, certain that there was no place he would rather be.