Tea with someone.
It was mid-afternoon and the weather is rather pleasant despite it being autumn. Canterlot was buzzing with life with ponies going about their day. The fall fashion was in high bloom with various ponies decorated in colorful clothes to match the season.
Even though I popped outside of the city, I could still tell what the hell everyone was wearing. Fall wasn’t my season, nor was spring or summer, but seeing clothes that are supposed to be used to keep warm in obnoxious assortments of browns and oranges. Bothers me. I let loose a hefty sigh and trudged onward to the princess summons through the city armed to the teeth. Just to see what kind of reaction I will get.
I walked only five meters and was immediately surrounded by a platoon of golden storm troopers. As much as I like to mess with authority, I didn’t have time to play. I still had to make costumes for Lily, Azura and me for nightmare night tomorrow. Which I plan on going no matter the cost. I must get my free candy even if I end up mooching off of Azura.
“May I help you, my kind officers?” I questioned. The guards shuffled in place looking at each other to see who would speak up first, to the over-armored griffin with a two swords and giant scythe on his back in a suit of armor that can take a mountain to the knee.
“Yes you can,” spoke a familiar voice. I veered my head around to see an old friend. Captain Shining armor. Purple as ever.
“Oh. High Captain, how is Cadence doing?”
“How did you…. Never mind,” he frowned. “Who are you, and what is your business here,” he ordered. Time to see if they are smart as I think they are.
“I am Sir Winter, The prince of darkness. I am hereby summoned from her highness, Princess Celestia of Equestria. I demand you to take me to the castle at once.” I say. His entire group glanced nervously at each other not knowing how to react, nor would I if I was ordered like that by a stranger.
“Right Sir douchebag, you are coming with me to the dungeon. Arrest him!” Dang they dumb and time to bolt for the throne room. I jumped into the air leaving the ground bound guards to collide with each other comically. I turned around just to see them recollect themselves from the impact.
“This will be the day in which you will remember that you suck! Bye!” And with that, I was off leaving the storm troopers dazed and confused.
“PROTECT THE PRINCESS!” Yelled a storm trooper defending the main door to the throne room. He was the only one. Realizing of how foolish he looked, he still kept up his spear in the hope that backup would arrive. I slowly walked towards him releasing maniacal giggle fits for shits and more giggles.
“Mwahahahaha, another whelp to devour. I think I will eat you raw with the side of milk. Thiststststststs” I said trying to imitate Hannibal Lector. The guard pissed himself and ran away out the nearest window.
“I can see why Celestia needs my help with security. They are insanely disorganized. They have no hope against the Ewok’s.” I laughed.
I kicked open the door to the throne room with a blast of telekinesis causing a loud bang sure to wake up a dragon. Inside, I was greeted by the princess and the rest of her guards. ‘So that’s where they were hiding.’ I strode up to the throne towards the hundred matching storm troopers, and the livid princess.
The hall was mostly void from the usual ponies that inhabit the room though I think the court was kicked out of the way so that all the protection was centered at Tia. I stopped in spitting distance of the nearest guard and gave them all my best smile I could muster.
“Hello everyone, how are all of you?”
“Who are you scum! I will NOT have such threats enter my court without punishment!” Jeez. I knew my armor hid my appearance, but I didn’t think it would be to the point that even Tia wouldn’t recognize me.
“It’s Winter numb nuts,” I face palmed.
“What…?” she blurted.
The events that followed were not to my liking. Celestia freaked out for causing chaos amongst her royal guards, stopping the court from important meetings, and causing a mess at the door. I'll admit, it was my fault for charging the castle like a madman, but I explained to the princess that it was also her fault for compromising the cities security in an attempt to stop one person. This explanation leads to my being locked up inside a room in the castle until everything was reorganized. 'At least it was a decent room this time.'
I wish I had the time to wait in this simple military interrogation room, but I had a schedule to keep. Tia can wait a little while. It’s not like she will be too busy afterwards anyway. I left my confinement knocking out my guard on the way out and search the castle for the royal fabricator and with luck, a bathroom.
After a quick search, I found the room where all the silk was sown and the gowns are made. It wasn't just some simple place for a single person to work in. Oh far from it. Rows after rows of sewing machines, huge industrial-sized rolls of cloth in every color, and many ponies working on various pieces of work that must have been on rush order.
My presence was immediately noticed by the staff, stopping the production on whatever they were making. A mare walked up to me without a word and inspected my armor. This light pink with a rose swirled mane mare, with a cutie mark of a two crossing pink roses interlocking around a Hammer, gave me an astonished approval at my handy work. And so did the rest of the hoard.
"Monsieur. How did you came across such extravagance?!" she gasped taking a step back to gain a full view perspective. The rest of the seamstresses also had the same loss of breath to how much praise I was getting for my armor.
"I made it," I said with cheeky confidence. She didn't know how to respond to that.
"How? I have never seen such elegant mastery in all my work as the royal smith," she asked. ‘Royal smith? I thought she made dresses. Oh well.’
"Well, it was very simple. I made this set out of white dragon scales using an azure flame. It took some time, but with my natural strength. I was able to make it. This set was meant to like good as well as be exceptional in practicality." I explained. "I still have much to learn, but as long as I can make things that do their job. I’m happy."
"Monsieur griffin. Don't be so modest. You might give the impression that you aren't worth your metal. I know first hoof that forging dragon scales is very difficult, but using such a cold flame is most unheard of?!" Really? Blue fire forging is unheard of? It's the best way to forge dragon scales so that they can keep their natural ability to resist magic, so long as the fire was created from magic.
“Why is forging from a cold flame unheard of?” I prodded. She gave me a look of concern as if I my question was insane.
“Well… The metal shouldn’t be able to melt to a pliable state, especially Dragon scales! Are you sure it was blue?”
“Yes, it was blue. Though I may sound like I did something that shouldn’t be, but I assure you it is possible. So long as you don’t use a natural flame.” Her eyes went wide in the realization of how I could have possibly did it.
“Did you use magic?” she asked. I nodded in response.
Our conversation had the attention of everyone in the room. The seamstresses took a liking to the fact I was talking to their boss. The feeling I was getting from the room made me think a bit about who this character was like. ‘Maybe she doesn’t have anything in common to talk about with her friends or employees?’ I thought. It would make sense. One of the workers made a circular hoof motion to keep her talking. I should take their response, maybe I could get them to make my tuff for me?
Our conversation took us from forgery tactics to various techniques regarding stitching. Steel rose took a liking to me and when I asked if she could help me with my costume making, she jumped to it like white on rice. I did offer to pay for her services, but she said it was on the house. I thanked her and left just in time for my private meeting with Tia to start.
Back in the gray on gray interrogation room with just a table and two chairs. Tia sat in one not too pleased of my absence. I sat of the opposite side from her so that I could smile innocently to her face and to bug her a bit. I know I caused some problems storming in just to see her, but that didn’t stop her from being pissy that she had to clean up a mess I didn’t mean to create.
It wasn’t my fault that her guards were so disorganized. She purposely misplaces her guards in locations that aren’t strategic in the protection of her prized city. I believe she does this so that she would be in the center of attack, keeping her citizens and guards out of the way so that she takes on the threat by herself. I could understand why she feels that way. Not wanting to be seen as a weak ruler with no power to defend her ponies from threats that they themselves could defeat with ease if given the chance. That doesn’t make it right though.
“Where did you run off to Winter?” she asked pouring herself a cup of tea in a cup of golden flowery eloquent china. I saw no reason to lie.
“I went to see if I could place an order for several costumes for nightmare night tomorrow. I got to say. Steel rose is quiet the talker.”
“Costumes? That is the reason for your absence? We have much more important matters that must be solved before such leisure’s.”
“Like?” I carried on.
“Like the matter of the pulse that came from your island. Care to explain?”
“Sure.”
“Carry on then,” she said taking a sip of tea.
“The pulse was a low frequency mapping spell meant to give full three dimensional view of the world. I created a device that could do this in a second, but as you know, the spell caused some unwanted side-effects.
My purpose for using this spell was to find out where our little friend Aqua marine was hiding,” Celestia cringed at the mention of that name. “I assumed I could achieve this based on what type of spell she used to almost take you down. From my assumption, she used a magical absorption field and I further assumed that her hiding spot would be encased in this kind of spell, which it was.
I found her location from my mapping spell, but there is one problem. Her hiding spot is in the direct location of the last surviving nightmare moon base from a thousand years ago. Normally I would have blown her to bits from afar with non-magical weapons in such a scenario, but that the fact she has control of a place with a potential to cause utter destruction to the world. Put me in a standstill.
I don’t have the resources nor the personnel to do a coordinated assault to safely take over the base without accidently setting of some old bomb, and the fact once inside the area of effect from the spell, will make magic impossible, thus further complicating the mission,” I explained. Celestia was surprised in many ways from my explanation. She thought carefully staring off into space. Before coming up with a calculated response.
“I see. You have done so much in such little time that none of my spies could ever achieve. The fact that Aqua has control of an old installation from a time when this world was plunged in war, frightens me of what kinds of weapons she has gained, and what she could use. I thank you for this information Winter, but what will you do now? I know you have some plan in mind, but I don’t like the fact of having help from just one pony…erm… I mean. Person.”
“I plan on making a crew I can trust and rely on. Taking her out from the outside will be my first priority by cutting her off from all her resources she needs to keep her followers. But I ask you. Let me do this on my own as my first knightly duty.” Tia’s gave me a questionable look before agreeing with my proclamation.
“Your plan may work for how well Aqua dug herself in. You may take this task on your own as your first knightly duty, but if you need anything let me know. And before you leave. Care to explain why your mapping spell caused around two million unicorn mares to orgasm?” ‘Dang it. I thought I could run from that one.’ I thought slamming my face into the table.
“Yep. The low frequency vibrated with the flow of magica within the horn causing a sudden electrical flux throughout the body creating perfect magical ecstasy,” I smiled.
“May I ask you one more question?”
“Sure,” I replied.
“Why is your left eye bleeding?”
“What do you…mean?” I said feeling a wet trickle blinding my left eye and flowing down my cheek. I reach over with a cloth Tia handed me to clear out whatever was there, but just as I touched the cloth to my eye. The most agonizing pain enveloped my person, paralyzing all functions so that I could only focus on the millions of planets crushing my face.
I broke down clenching my eye with one hand as the fire burned my very soul. I couldn’t hear anything, but I could see with my good eye that Tia was trying her best to help. I knew something will happen when I collected all seven eyes of chaos, but I didn’t think it would be so soon. Tia casted a spell to relieve the pain, but it didn’t work, she kept casting spell after spell making all mobility turn to jello, but to no avail. Just as I was about to fade into unconsciousness. I see myself in the corner of the room.
Laughing.