Forged Anew

by Vermillion Prose


Here Comes the Sun

Twilight sat at her dining room table while Hesperos stood across from her. She maintained a somewhat neutral, bemused expression leveled at his impassive helm. Hesperos did not stir under her observation, continuing his vigil as she finished her bowl of cereal noisily, slurping the last bits of milk. An empty coffee pot sat next to a half-filled mug, which was quickly emptied as well as Twilight finished it off in one long pull.

Wordlessly, she levitated all the used dining ware to the sink and cleaned it, not once breaking her stare. The rubricae remained as impassive as ever. Once the dishes were clean and she felt she had stared long enough, she simply muttered, “Not even going to ask.”

With that, she shuffled from the room, nearly bumping into an energetic Spike as he came running into the doorway, scroll in claw. The young alicorn groaned for a moment before unfurling it and reading, the implications of its content waking her up and sending hair springing out of place from her mane. Without a word, she shoved the scroll back to Spike, who read it and simply slapped a claw to his face and dragged it downwards, trudging from the room after her. He tossed the parchment over his shoulder as he departed.

Hesperos finally moved, stepping over and crouching down to retrieve the discarded missive. A quick examination readily explained her sudden and erratic response.

Celestia was coming for another visit. Today.


Twilight had just finished her third check of the castle’s condition, much to the chagrin of Spike and the guards she had directed in the matter, as a golden flair announced the arrival of the solar alicorn. Twilight proffered her usual enthusiastic greeting, which was met warmly and kindly, as ever it was. However, even in as sweet a tone as she used, Twilight became very nervous when Celestia requested to hold conference with Hesperos. Alone.

The doors to the study shut with a low, soft boom that seemed to echo more thoroughly in the absence of the resident princess as Celestia shut them behind herself and the armor from beyond the stars. She calmly strode into the room, eyes locking with the emerald gaze Hesperos leveled at her. As she approached him, the temperature in the room began to rise, subtly at first, but then so rapidly that the flower in a nearby vase wilted in but a moment, the water filling it flashing into vapor. Her mane whipped slightly as if in a stronger gale, and her horn radiated light without her golden aura of magic present. If the rubricae felt the heat, he showed no sign of it.

She stood before him looking up into his faceplate. He could feel the pressure of her powerful presence on his soul, and while his physical form was immune to the heat in the room, her aura very nearly seared his mind. However, he had endured worse.

As she let her power abate, she offered a simple truth. Should he hurt any ponies, should he dare lay a hand on Twilight with ill intent, she would scour him from the world with the very heart of the sun’s power.

He simply nodded. She blinked at him, her intimidating presence faltering slowly as he made no other moves or responses. Her head cocked to the side, silently querying for anything else he might say. She had rather expected more of a reaction to such provocation.

After a few moments, Hesperos matched the tilt to her head with his own. Celestia was not sure if he was mocking her, as she knew he was not dim or slow. She opted to simply clear her throat as the silence became awkward. The silence was broken as he approached slowly, her ears instantly turning to track the weighty footfalls before he stopped in front of her, lifted a gauntlet above her head, and opened his palm downwards.

She stood stock still, breath hitched, before she felt the feather-light pat pat on her head. Bewildered,she did not even move to track him as he casually strode from the room to find Princess Twilight.