Iron and Salamul both emerge from the building on our approach and meet us halfway, falling into step beside us. Iron walks on my left, while Salamul strides alongside Chrysalis's right. “It's good you're here,” Iron expresses, his armor clanking with every step. “The prisoner has been asking about you.”
“I figured he would be,” I retort. In truth, I'm a little surprised that Hawke wants to see me so soon after waking up. If he's really going through the same revelations as me, I would have thought he'd want some time to himself. “Has he caused you any trouble?”
“No. He's been very quiet ever since waking up,” Iron answers. He lowers his head and orients his magic on the door. There's the sound of locks disengaging, and then the door opens, letting us inside. “Flowing Mist went in to speak with him, but she hasn't gotten much out of him.”
“At least he isn't trying to blast his way out,” I say with a shrug, counting my blessings. No doubt Mist's perception of Hawke is colored by her previous experiences with him. There's no way she could understand him enough to get him to say anything of substance to her.
Looking around the interior of the building, I make a guess that this place used to be a sheriff's office or something to that degree. There's a set of offices on the far side of the room with a counter just in front of them. Each office door is labeled with the name of the previous occupants...who are no doubt in the capital by now.
On the left side is a set of stairs that leads underground, where the jail cells are located. That's actually a smart idea. Considering it's impossible as far as I know to seal off both Hawke's and my magic, placing him underground makes it so that he can't just blast his way out. The only way out is the staircase, and that's guarded by all four of us. Not even Hawke can handle all of us at once.
“How long until Celestia gets here?” I ask the remaining question on my mind. I don't know how far away Celestia is, but I doubt it'll take her that long to get here. Chrysalis said a day, but that's bullshit, considering how fast I can go when I fly...and she's way stronger than me.
“A day at the most. Perhaps sooner if she exerts herself,” Iron responds, matching my estimates. Okay, so basically she'll be here sooner rather than later. Hopefully I have time to have a meaningful conversation with this guy before she gets here. “Come on...I'll take you to him.”
The four of us descend the staircase into the dank prison, whose cells have long since been emptied. The only cell that is occupied is the one at the far end of the dungeon, which also happens to be the largest and lowest one.
Hawke is lying shackled to the lone bed with his back propped up with pillows. He hasn't been healed like me, so his body is wrapped in bandages and poultices to ease the pain of his cuts and magical burns. One eye is covered by bandages that obscure the ugly black mark that was the result of the attack that took him down. The other eye is open and staring blankly at the wall ahead. He doesn't even seem to notice our approach.
Beside him is Mist, the former general sitting on the floor with her front hooves propped up on the edge of the bed. Her horn is alight, casting her aura upon a wet cloth, which she's using to help keep Hawke cool. The man doesn't thank her or show any kind of reaction to her efforts, but neither does he try to stop her.
A shimmering transparent wall of magic covers the cell door like an ethereal curtain, letting me know that the cell is warded with magic. I don't know how well it could stand up to Hawke, but it's not a bad idea. At the very least, it could buy some time.
“Can he hear us in there?” I ask, leaning over to Iron. I probably have to pull something with Chrysalis so I can talk to Hawke alone, and I'd rather not do that where he can hear me.
“He shouldn't be able to. The ward is designed to be one way,” Iron answers. Huh, so a bit like a one-way mirror, except with sound. That's pretty useful. “He shouldn't even know that we're out here.”
“Good,” Chrysalis expresses, and then she brazenly walks up to the wall, craning her head as close to it as she can without actually touching it. She stares for a few moments, her lips turning upwards into a toothed smirk. “Ooh, he's not bad to look at. Seth, he hardly looks anything like you.”
“Oh thanks, I guess that means I'm just not as attractive as he is. Fucking sue me,” I snap back at her, her comment not sitting well with me. Of course, I'm not the only one who's disapproving of this situation. Salamul seems none too happy about this either.
“I am beginning to wonder how his strength compares to that of a warlord's,” Salamul muses. His axe shifts threateningly from its position against the wall nearby.
“I just didn't expect there to be that much of a difference in body structure between two different members of your species,” Chrysalis responds with interest, craning her head to get a look at other angles. “Your noses are shaped differently...and his jaw is broader than yours. That's not even counting his overall build. I wonder if he'd take my offer...?”
“No, he wouldn't. If I'm not okay with living underground all my life fucking a bug horse, he definitely won't be,” I answer her bluntly, crossing my arms. Chrysalis whips around and hisses at me, looking genuinely insulted by that. I take a step back when faced with her glare.
“I agree. Let the spindly things be, Chrysalis,” Salamul inserts, boldly taking my side. Unlike me, he doesn't even flinch when she turns her intense gaze onto him. “One should prove their worth by individual prowess and judgment, rather than by species.”
Chrysalis looks like she's about to argue back...but then she does a double take, raising a brow at Salamul. I look between the two of them, confused. Why is she giving him a look like that? What Salamul said makes perfect sense to me.
“Huh...perhaps,” Chrysalis finally says, turning away from Salamul with a thoughtful expression. “I'm interested to see your definition of worth, Salamul. Despite all your talk, I doubt your combat ability truly approaches mine...”
Salamul's axe flies to his side and slams into the ground blade first, cracking the floor. The corners of Salamul's mouth turn up ever so slightly and his brow tightens. Oh shit, Chrysalis just issued a challenge, and Salamul doesn't look like he's one to back down.
“Okay, can we focus please? We need to determine what the hell we're going to do with Hawke,” I step in, wanting literally anything other than to be caught in the middle of a fight between these two. Seriously...Salamul is nuts, considering he's even trying to pick a fight with Celestia. Next to me, Iron is shaking his head, but otherwise not trying to get between them.
Chrysalis and Salamul gaze at one another a little while longer, before finally the former turns back to look at the cell. “You're right, of course,” Chrysalis comments, giving a little giggle at frustrated huff she hears from Salamul. “I am very interested in speaking to this human.”
“Not before I do. Didn't you hear Iron? Hawke's been asking for me,” I remind her. “You can talk to him after I get some time alone with him.”
“What? So you can poison his mind against me before he even meets me? I don't think so,” Chrysalis snaps, standing squarely in between the cell and me. Oh god, I just knew she was going to be difficult.
“What the fuck does it matter? He's not your kind, he's mine!” I react angrily.
“So that just gives you a free ticket to do as you please with him?” Chrysalis argues.
“I could say the same thing to you! All you want to do is go in there and just...!”
“That's enough. Both of you!” Iron interrupts sharply, finally losing his patience. He steps in between Chrysalis and I, glaring at us in turn. “You are acting like foals fighting over the next meal!”
Chrysalis and I both look over at him, surprised by his sudden interjection. Chrysalis in particular looks shocked and annoyed by the way she's being addressed. “A foal...!?” she hisses, but Iron doesn't let her continue.
“Seth, you will speak to the prisoner first. Queen Chrysalis, you may remain and listen in to the conversation, and intervene if he chooses to speak ill of you,” Iron directs the both of us. “It's a simple conclusion. I know the two of you don't get along, but this argument is unseemly and unnecessary.”
Chrysalis releases a low hiss, steaming mad from being talked down to like that. For a second, I feel a hint of magic, and I freak out and wonder if she's about to attack him. Much to my relief, Chrysalis backs away and releases an angry huff. “Fine, whatever. Talk to your new pet all you want,” Chrysalis spits. She stalks away from Iron and I, moving to Salamul instead, who shifts to give her some room. “You're lucky I want Sombra dead as much as the rest of you.”
I sigh in relief. That wasn't handled that well. Still, at least now I'm free to talk to Hawke without interruption. I nod in thanks to Iron and walk steadily forward. It's then that I remember that Chrysalis stated that she left an agent here. However, I don't see anything inside...until a small mouse scurries across the cell floor. It lifts its head briefly, its eyes flashing green momentarily. Then it dashes back into the shadows. Huh. Well, that answers that question.
Iron's horn glows, and a hole just large enough to admit me opens in the magical wall. Once I'm inside, it shuts behind me. Out of curiosity, I give the wall a glance once I'm behind it. Sure enough, I'm looking at an opaque shimmering wall that shows me a faint reflection of the room in front of me.
Hawke finally shows signs of life as I walk into the room. His eye, which had been fixed on the wall, shoots to me in an instant. I guess had been alert this whole time. Mist notices me soon after that. The former general gives me a weak smile, but not much more than that. Most of her attention is focused on keeping Hawke comfortable.
“Hey. Uh...how are you doing?” I say awkwardly, unable to think of any other way to start this conversation. Seconds later I curse myself for starting with something so goddamn generic. Hawke stares back at me in silence for a few seconds.
“Dispose with the pointless pleasantries,” Hawke grunts, shifting on the bed to get a better look at me. In the process, he winces in pain, causing him to press a hand to his chest. “You are here to determine what to do with me. Don't waste my time.”
“Well gee, fault me for not knowing how to speak normally to my own kind. It's almost like I haven't been around them for months,” I respond, the sarcasm practically dripping from my voice. Hawke scoffs, unamused. I get serious, sitting down on a stool across from the bed. Mist wisely stays out of the conversation, though she keeps tending to Hawke. “Honestly, I haven't a clue on what to do with you. I'm no leader. I don't know what the ponies do with their prisoners of war. All I know is I don't want you to die.”
“So you've said. I am still struggling to understand why that is,” Hawke replies truthfully. He looks like he's about to explain, so I sit back and cross my arms patiently. “Do you not understand? I've hurt you and your friends. How can you forgive me so easily? It is just because you don't want to be alone?”
“Don't get me wrong. I haven't forgiven you. Not entirely,” I tell him flatly. Hawke blinks at that, perplexed. “I still remember what you did to Twilight and Spike. I can forgive you beating up on me; I'm used to that kind of thing. But Twilight? She was an innocent pony who'd never felt that kind of pain before.”
Hawke closes his eyes, sighing. He's quiet for several moments. “It was one of the few explicit orders I was given. 'Seize the Element of Magic through any means necessary,'” he reveals to me. I nod. That does make sense. Without even one of the Elements of Harmony, we're without our primary hope of victory. “I hold no ill will towards these...ponies. However, for the sake of my king, I did whatever was necessary to ensure his return.”
“'Twilight,' as you call her, sealed the Element of Magic within her own magic once she determined my intent. Thus, the only method of retrieval was through force, until her magic was too depleted to keep it sealed,” Hawke explains. His tone holds no emotion in it as he explains the situation methodically and logically. “The dragon was collateral damage. I would not have harmed him without a reason.”
“Don't you feel guilty about hurting her?” I demand, not liking any of what I just heard. He sounds like a robot when he's talking about hurting somepony like that.
“I regret the necessity, perhaps,” Hawke admits. His eyes harden when he looks at me. “I don't expect you to understand. Just don't expect me to suddenly gain your viewpoint simply because you helped me determine that some of my race may have been worth saving.”
“I don't. I'm just trying to hear your story here, so I can figure out what to do about all of this,” I confess with a sigh. As I expected, this isn't going to be easy. I have to determine where his attachment to Sombra came from in the first place. “You regret what you did to humanity?”
“That depends,” Hawke says, surprising me. When he sees me look alarmed, he explains. “If you and I are truly similar, then there may have been good people out there. That I am beginning to understand...”
Hawke's eyes narrow. “But I do not regret the few humans I have killed personally. They believed they controlled me, as if I were some tool to be used,” he asserts firmly, causing a chill to run down my spine. “When I met her...when I believed I had some chance to exert my own free will...they removed her.”
“Her...so you had someone too?” I ask softly, starting to understand. He and I are very similar, but fundamentally different, in that he actually chose to kill those that oppressed him. However, hearing about him talk about a girl...reminds me way too much of myself. Hawke is silent at my question, as if he thinks he's revealed too much already. “I had someone too. Her name was Amaryllis, and she taught me that I was actually worth something.”
“Yes...her name was Klara,” Hawke reveals. Suddenly, he sits up straight, despite the pain that it causes him. Mist gasps and tries her best to get him to lay back down. Hawke's hands clutch at the sheets as he stares at me. “Tell me then, Seth. If this Amaryllis of yours were to die in front of you...how would you have reacted!?”
That...there it is. Even as Mist manages to coax Hawke into relaxing, I think his words over. That's the diverging point. His friend...Klara...must have died. I can understand how that must have felt, considering I felt the very same when I woke up in those ruins.
“Like I'd want to make whoever did it to her pay,” I admit, unable to deny that much. In fact, I wanted to kill Sombra so badly when I first discovered it was his fault. However, I had to give up that revenge, because he was gone...or sealed. If my friend's killer was right in front of me like Hawke's was...oh god..I'd have killed them. “Oh god, that's why you...?”
“Now you begin to understand. Tell me then...if King Sombra had appeared before you with the means to get stronger, would you not have taken it?” Hawke demands fervently. He doesn't wait for an answer this time. “So yes, I went to him. Yes, I did whatever he willed of me. Perhaps...I was misguided, but if the situation were the same, I would do it again.”
“You would kill your own race again, knowing what you know now?” I ask, troubled by all that he's telling me. I can't say that I would have been able to do any different in his situation.
Hawke pauses, and then looks down at his hands. “Perhaps not. What I am trying to say is that I couldn't let Klara's killers live,” he confesses. “You must understand something. Apart from the humans I killed myself, I did not participate in the extermination. That task was given to Governor-General Vanta.”
"That doesn't make you any less responsible. Allowing it to happen is the same thing as taking part in it yourself. Trust me. I know," I tell him firmly. His words, as well as my own, remind me an awful lot of the changeling invasion. Even though I didn't hurt any of the ponies themselves, I pretty much allowed it to happen. The only difference between us is that I fought back.
"I suppose you are right. Don't worry. I'm under no illusions that I'm bereft of guilt," Hawke responds, his eyes falling. I'm quiet for a while after that...until suddenly, something about what he said before strikes me as odd.
“Hold on a second. How could you have participated in the extermination, anyway? Doesn't accepting Sombra's power zap you into the future?” I interrupt, confused. If he knew Vanta...but that's impossible, considering Vanta was left behind in the past.
“Only if a stasis spell is bundled into the transfer,” Hawke answers. “All I received was the transfer. Unlike yourself, I stayed in the past with Vanta.”
“That's impossible. That would mean you'd have to be over...”
“Three thousand years old,” Hawke completes for me, looking dead serious. But...that would mean...he's immortal. But he's human like me, so how could that be true? Upon seeing my blank face, Hawke elaborates. “I believe it was intended for me to die and become undead with Vanta...but King Sombra taught me a great deal of necromancy, more so than he ever did with Vanta. With a great deal of study, I was able to determine a method of keeping my cells alive and fresh.”
“You discovered immortality. You're...older than the princesses. Holy shit.” It's a good thing I'm sitting down right now, otherwise I'd have to do that now. The fact that Hawke is extremely fucking old explains so much. That's how the geothermal plant was built. Hawke had all the time in the world to study human technology and recreate it for himself. With the help of undead as free labor, he could do whatever he wanted.
“My orders were to wait for your arrival in Equestria,” Hawke continues. “Then I was to steal the Alicorn Amulet and prepare an army for my king's eventual return.”
Hawke falls silent after that, letting out another deep breath. He lets Mist brush his brow with the cloth. I don't say anything either, taking a moment to sort all this information in my head. Once again, I'm taken aback with Sombra's incredible planning.
So if I'm understanding this right, Sombra used his time spell to come to my era the moment he learned of the Elements existing. He stored a portion of his power within me and brought me to this time as a backup plan. Then, he discovered Hawke, and stored more power within him, as a fallback in case I did not arrive or died before he managed to unseal himself. While Vanta built an army of Oppressed and exterminated mankind, Hawke kept to himself and built up a horde over thousands of years...and that's where all these undead are coming from.
Sometime after the news came out about my existence in Equestria, Hawke must have heard of it...and that's when he moved to take that amulet and then meet with Vanta...only to find that I had just killed him.
“Okay, I think I get it now,” I say, rubbing my forehead. God, my life has gotten complicated. “But I guess the most important question right now is...what do you plan to do now? Are you going to go back to Sombra, knowing what he did to our kind?”
“I don't know,” Hawke answers truthfully, shaking his head. “It hurts, Seth. To think that three thousand years went by, and I never stopped thinking for an instant that mankind was scum that deserved its fate.”
“I know how that feels. I wish I could go back and smack my past self in the face. Like, there are good people out there...if I'd have just gotten my head out of my ass and quit clinging to only Amaryllis,” I agree.
“How could I have thought that, when there were people such as you...and Klara...? Gods, she would be disappointed in me,” Hawke continues, resting his face in his hands. “But now...I still feel grateful to the king for giving me the power to break free from society. That much hasn't changed.”
“Don't you feel angry though, knowing that the whole time, he was just using you, just like the people in your past?” I press. Hawke's jaw tightens at that, anger flaring in his eyes.
“Yes. Now that you have stripped my end goal from me...it seems there was indeed a time in my future when he would take my power away from me and toss me aside, just as he did for you,” Hawke answers, much to my relief. “Nevertheless, I find myself at a loss. Without the goal of killing you, I do not know what my purpose here is. Tell me how I should act, Seth. You seem to have found a purpose for yourself.”
“Hah well, it wasn't easy. But I can't tell you how to act. As similar as you are to me, you're not me,” I tell him. From that response, Hawke seems to be at a loss, a frown on his face. “But you could always try starting over.”
“Starting over? That's impossible. There are no humans left but you,” Hawke snaps back. “Where would I start?”
“Um, hello? There's an entire country out here whose fate is in the balance,” I point out to him.
“What? You mean these ponies?” Hawke asks in surprise, scoffing at the thought. “I told you before what I think about them.”
“Then you're a dumb ass. I told you before, they are as much animals as you and I. They have the ability to process deeper emotions, despite what you might think. In fact...” I trail off.
Even as Hawke listens to me with a disbelieving expression, I lower my gaze to Mist, who has been tending to Hawke this whole time. Hawke follows me gaze, until he eventually locks eyes with Mist. Mist smiles at him in response. Hawke looks back to me, suddenly understanding.
Remembering what Celestia said to me so long ago, I look Hawke dead in the eyes. “Give them a chance. They're not all perfect, but I believe they're genuinely good individuals. I believe that given enough time, you could make some good friends, much like I have,” I request, standing up. Once again, I find myself echoing the sentiments once given to me by others. Just more evidence about how much this place has changed me.
Hawke stares at me for a long while, mulling my words over in my mind. “I see. However, I will not fight in your battle,” he expresses. “I cannot fight King Sombra. Speaking from both an emotional and logical standpoint, it would be unfeasible for me.”
“What do you mean?” I ask him curiously.
“I owe him for the strength I have now, and for my revenge in the past. I cannot bring myself to fight him because of that, even knowing what he had in store for me,” Hawke explains. “However, it is folly for me to fight him; all it would do is make him stronger.”
“That's true. You wouldn't even be able to hurt him anyway; it's his magic,” I recall, remembering how even though I was leagues above his current power when I gave in to the insanity back at the Crystal Empire, I didn't even scratch him. “Plus, you'd be signing our death warrant. He'd just take your power too and become even more of a god.”
“Therefore, I will stay behind and recover. I will try to help you indirectly, but that is all I can offer,” Hawke promises me. I sigh in relief. So this whole talk was worth something after all. Hawke's eyes harden once more. “But I will not be judged by your pony princess.”
“What? You're talking about Celestia?” I ask, taken aback by the sudden venom in his voice. “What are you talking about?
“I stayed in this prison because I wished to speak with you. I will not be held, nor will I accept her authority,” Hawke clarifies, clenching his fist. To prove his point, his eyes turn green and he easily breaks one fist out of its shackle, shattering the metal like paper. He lets his magic die away, even as he winces from the pain in his arm from the exertion.
“Well said!” Before I can say anything to that, Chrysalis walks through the barrier, smirking in satisfaction at hearing Hawke's words. Hawke falls silent and his face turns stone cold again at the presence of someone here other than me. “Now, if only there were more like you willing to stand up to her.”
I don't miss the pointed stare that Chrysalis gives me, nor do I particularly care. That's just her being salty that we defeated her last time. No, but I do care about being interrupted. “Chrysalis, it wasn't your turn yet. Get out of here,” I tell her firmly.
“No, I don't think I will. You've had long enough,” Chrysalis asserts, pushing past me. She approaches Hawke, attempting to make herself look as presentable as possible. “Besides, all we needed to hear was that he'd help us, correct?”
“Chrysalis, stop...” I try to tell her before it's too late. Chrysalis ignores me, instead pushing aside Mist roughly and lowering her horn to Hawke.
“Out of my way, slave pony. As if there's any need for your ministrations now that I am here,” Chrysalis proclaims, her horn lighting up. Hawke winces and turn his head curiously at Chrysalis as his body starts to heal itself. Oh shit, she's healing him before Celestia even gets here. I sure hope Hawke really is on our side, otherwise he could do some real damage now that he's in full form. “I always find your kind so fascinating...”
When Chrysalis finishes, Hawke easily breaks the rest of his shackles. Without a word, he gets to his feet and starts unraveling his bandages, letting them fall to the floor. Apart from his shorts, Hawke isn't wearing anything in the way of clothing, leaving him shirtless in front of the rest of us. Chrysalis noticeably traces her eyes across his defined muscles, much to my disgust.
“Now, perhaps you wouldn't mind accompanying me to someplace with less prying ears?” Chrysalis requests of Hawke, giving him a rather sultry expression. God, she isn't wasting any time. Giving up immediately on me, she goes to the nearest human. As I expected, she just wants to possess one of us. “I believe you and I have much to discuss.”
Hawke ignores Chrysalis at first, instead moving past her and helping Mist up from the floor. Then he turns back to the queen with a cold expression. “You have my thanks for healing me,” he states calmly. “But I have no interest in you. Begone.”
Chrysalis's jaw drops at the outright rejection before she even had a chance to make her intentions truly clear. I choke and nearly explode with mirth, but when Chrysalis hears me I quickly disguise it as a coughing fit. Oh my god, that's just fucking brilliant. Everything with Chrysalis up to this point is worth it just to see her rejected so fucking quickly.
“Hmph...perhaps I should have left you to suffer after all,” Chrysalis growls, a hiss emanating from her throat. Gathering what's left of her dignity, she whirls around and strides out of the room pridefully. “Ungrateful humans...waste of my time...”
I'm practically crying at this point with the effort of keeping my laughter in check. This has to be the most priceless thing I've ever seen. Get fucking owned, Chrysalis.
In front of me, Hawke summons his magic, pulling out fresh clothes from seemingly nowhere with his magic. Wait, you can do that? I thought you could only store weapons and stuff in it and...my thoughts are immediately cut off as Hawke pulls out a plain t-shirt and transforms it into another military coat exactly like the one he'd always worn. Holy shit. I need to learn how to do that.
Before long, Hawke is fully clothed. He turns to me not long after that, looking as imposing as ever. “Where are your...friends?” Hawke asks, much to my surprise.
“Back at the house. Why?” I ask suspiciously.
“I intend to test whether or not these ponies are capable of higher emotions as you claim,” Hawke answers ominously. “The best way to do this is to speak with individuals that still view me as an enemy.”
“More like ponies that'll still swing a punch at you if you get close,” I retort, thinking of Rainbow first and foremost. I'm not sure I want him near my friends. First of all, I have no idea how the others will even react to his presence...but Rainbow's reaction is a given. “I'm not sure it's a good idea. They might seriously try to hurt you.”
“They won't be able to,” Hawke assures me, moving for the barrier. When I still look reluctant, he reassures me. “If you're concerned for their safety, then come with me.”
I follow him helplessly, knowing that without a significant amount of effort, I can't stop him from going. I don't like the idea of letting him anywhere near my friends.
When Hawke nears the barrier, he places a gloved hand on it, testing its strength. Part of me wonders what Iron and Salamul are thinking right now. Of course, it looks like I'm going to get a chance to find out, because Hawke punches a fucking hole right in the barrier, shattering it. He was right...we really can't hold him.
"Go no further!" Iron and Salamul both meet us on the other side, their weapons at the ready. “Seth, you should be more cautious,” Iron warns me, blocking Hawke's path.
“It is not wise to trust the enemy so soon,” Salamul agrees. “Though I would love a chance to test my strength.”
“Move. I do not intend to harm you or your cause any further,” Hawke tells them flatly. Just as he starts to move, something catches his eye. He pauses and looks at Iron. “I've seen you. You're the one that damaged King Sombra.”
Iron remains silent, instead hefting his shield, as if reminding Hawke of its power. Hawke regards the shield with great interest. Eventually, he turns away and attempts to move past the both of them...only to be blocked by both weapons. “Desist. You will remain here until Princess Celestia arrives,” Iron warns Hawke. At that, Hawke raises a fist and clenches it, magical power visibly rippling from it.
“Under whose authority? Yours?” Hawke demands. “I will repeat: I will not be held. I am here for my own reasons. Block me at your peril.”
Before this situation can get any worse, I step in between them. “Okay, two things. First, Hawke, I get where you're coming from. You're so old it's basically like children telling you what to do, right?”
“I will not be controlled again. I am my own man,” Hawke asserts, basically answering my question.
“Second, Iron, I get that letting Hawke roam around unattended is a bad idea,” I say, turning to Iron next. “So let me escort him. The last thing we need is to blow up the city trying to stop him.”
Iron hesitates, understanding my reasoning, but battling with his sense of duty. Eventually, it's Salamul that makes the final choice. “Brother, let them go. I will accompany them to ensure there is no mischief,” the warlord rumbles. I give the warlord a stare. He probably just wants to fight Hawke in case there is mischief.
“Very well. I'll relay the situation to Princess Celestia when she arrives,” Iron finally agrees, though he doesn't look happy about it. His gaze meets mine. I feel like he's trying to communicate to me that it's on my head if Hawke goes rogue or tries to escape. Yeah, I got that. But Salamul and I should be able to take him down if he tries anything.
“If we're done here,” Hawke states impatiently. Without another word, he strides past Iron and Salamul, heading for the door. Salamul and I fall into step behind him...and it seems like Mist is coming too. Sheesh. There's going to be so many of us in the house at once I'm hardly going to be able to keep track of what's going on.
Once we're outside, I turn to Hawke. “You know, you should really lighten up,” I advise him, even though I know it's probably not going to have much affect. Sure enough, all I get out of Hawke is a scoff. “I get that you don't want to be controlled, but that doesn't mean you have to be antagonistic, either.”
“Whatever,” is Hawke's simple response. I can't help but sigh. This is going to be more difficult than I thought.
We eventually approach the house, where my team is still relaxing and getting ready for the next battle. As we get up to the front door, I try to catch up with Hawke. “You should probably...” I start to say, but Hawke doesn't slow his stride even a little. Without waiting for me to finish talking, he walks in through the front door, right where the others are sitting. “...let me go first. Ugh, here we go.”
Immediately after Hawke's entrance, all sound from inside dies away. I get inside as soon as I can. Hawke is standing in the center of the entry hall, with Rainbow, Trixie, Applejack, and the others all staring at him in shock at his sudden appearance. Swift is up and out of her chair, her lance hovering in the air beside her. Pterax has already taken the form of bear, his hackles raised. I notice that Pinkie is oddly absent for some reason. It's so dead quiet, I feel like I could hear a pin drop.
No one makes a move. Hawke is wearing an emotionless expression, not flinching even a little from all of their gazes resting upon him.
“Uh...Seth...?” Applejack is the first to break the awkward silence, turning her head away from Hawke to look at me.
“You!” Rainbow is the next. She immediately throws herself out of her seat and soars towards Hawke before I can say anything to stop her. In a fit of rage, Rainbow recklessly swings her hoof forwards at Hawke's face.
To my surprise, Hawke lets the punch land, though it clearly does absolutely nothing to him. I freeze in horror, as do some of the others. Antagonizing Hawke is a really bad idea, especially since there's so many here that he could easily annihilate.
“That was your free shot,” Hawke finally tells the surprised mare calmly.
“...What?” is all Rainbow can say.
“Seth informed me that should I venture here, there would be some of you that would attempt to harm me. I assumed he meant you,” Hawke explains to her, keeping himself composed despite the fact that he just got punched in the face. “I will not fault you if you wish to hit me further. It is only fair, as I previously did the same to you.”
“What the...are you...is this your way of apologizing?” Rainbow exclaims incredulously. She looks to me with a dumbfounded expression, and then back to Hawke again. Hawke remains completely silent, letting his actions speak for him.
“Well, ah'll be,” Applejack echoes, taking off her hat. She gets up as well and approaches us. “It's much appreciated, Mr...uh...Hawke. But ah don't think any of us is gonna really forgive ya until ya apologize to Twilight too.”
And there's Applejack, being as utterly sensible as always. You can't help but respect that. Hawke looks down at Applejack as well. “She is not here,” Hawke replies. “However, I do wish to speak with her.”
“Good. Now ah won't pry, but have you two come to an understanding?” Applejack questions warily, looking to me for an answer.
“Of sorts. I'll have to tell you the situation sometime later,” I say with a shrug. Unlike Mist, Hawke isn't joining us. He's just agreeing to stay out of the fight. However, there is one thing I need to know. “Are you satisfied, Hawke?”
“Perhaps...they do act similar,” Hawke answers reluctantly, knowing immediately what question I was asking. He gives me a peculiar look, which I understand immediately. We're so similar, I feel like I can predict what he's thinking right now. Right now, he's drawing the comparison between ponies and humans, much like I did. “However, I am not sure. I will need some time to adj...”
“Aaah! Hawkie! You're here!” Pinkie suddenly streaks out of the kitchen like a bolt of pink lightning, carrying a tray of cupcakes on one hoof. She skids to a stop in front of Hawke. “You have to try this! It's delicious! Now open wide!”
Before any of us can stop her, she bounces up like a pogostick and shoves a cupcake into Hawke's mouth. All of us collectively freeze in horror at Pinkie's brazen actions, and then we all look at Hawke and slightly back away. I start getting ready to save Pinkie if necessary.
Hawke's eyes are filled with confusion, even as he instinctively starts to chew the cupcake. He lifts up a hand to prevent crumbs from falling on his coat until he finishes eating it. He conjures a handkerchief from nowhere and wipes his mouth with it. Once he's finished, he tosses the handkerchief upwards, where it disappears back into his magic.
“Well? Tell me what you think, silly!” Pinkie exclaims, bouncing up and down in place. That same action causes the cupcakes to act similarly, yet none of them fall over or get smashed for some physics defying reason.
When we can see Hawke's face again, his expression is one of complete and utter confusion, to the point of being completely dumbfounded. I've never seen an expression like this on him before.
Finally, he opens his mouth to respond. “...Hawkie?”