//------------------------------// // Chapter 32: The Most Important Quest, Ever. // Story: My Little Fantasy // by GuyWhoWritesThings //------------------------------// Chapter 32: The Most Important Quest, Ever. "Trixie feels sick..." The azure unicorn complains as she flops around on the two-seat chair, groaning and again using her hat for a pillow. Her eyes droop a bit, exhaustion paired with overeating finally being enough to take their toll. "Me too, sister..." Spike slumps against one of the chair's legs, burping up a small puff of green flame. "You two ate more than an entire box of donuts the second Cadance left." Twilight deadpans. "You both deserve it." Not long after Trixie finished embarrassing Twilight with a highly-embellished version of the events of the Ponyville magic show, Shining Armor and the two Princesses left to take care of whatever their day jobs at the castle actually entail, leaving me with Trixie, Twilight, and Spike. "You don't understand, Sparkle," Trixie says with a sickly groan, "indulgence in Donut Joe's cannot be contained by a mere mortal stomach." "Apparently not." Twilight's deadpan continues, eyes turning to the remaining, nearly-empty box of donuts currently sitting on my bedside table. Cadance had left me with the remaining donuts when the others left, and I, in turn, made the mistake of giving them to Spike and Trixie. Little did I know the scale of horrible enabler I'd turn out being. In their defense, the one donut I had eaten while Trixie was busy story-telling was that good. I slip off the bed and crouch down with a bit of discomfort, reaching under it to pull out my sword. The harnesses for sheathing it are next to it under the bed, along with the leather armor that wraps around my chest and shoulders. Inspecting the sword, I become a bit worried... the metal along the bronze blade's become slightly warped after the battle with the duplicate Sephiroth in the Crystal Caves. I'll need to be more careful unless I can somehow get it repaired. The bangle I've already seen in the drawer, so I know that and the loose Materia are fine, but a further inspection of the room makes me note something is missing. "Twilight." I try to get her attention away from the Gluttonous Donut Duo. "What is it, Cloud?" Twilight asks in reply, turning to me, her deadpan annoyance replaced with a cheerier face. A quick glance over shows both Trixie and Spike have passed out in the short time between Twilight speaking and my getting her attention. "My shirt and my shoulder plate are missing." I state simply. "I know the doctor removed my shirt and the armor so he could assess the damage and get it wrapped up properly, but I don't see the shirt or shoulder plate anywhere." "Uhh..." Twilight blinks. "I think the shirt was sent to one of Celestia's seamstresses to try and get the blood out and repair the hole in it. I don't remember seeing what happened to the shoulder plate, though." Twilight takes a moment to think, though what she comes up with isn't quite what I expect. "Is that armor even useful, Cloud? It's a single metal shoulder plate. Against something like Sephiroth, I can't see it helping at all." "It's still better than nothing." I reply. "Plus, it's my look. What type of hero runs around without shoulder guards, anyway? It's principle." "And Spike thought my priorities were weird..." Twilight mutters. "Maybe the doctor sent it down to the armory? Trixie and I had been sure to safeguard your Materia and the items holding them, but we didn't exactly think to take your shoulder pad." "Why would he do that?" I wonder aloud as I shake my head. "I don't exactly look like a pony, do I? Why would he think my stuff belongs down there?" "There have been records of non-ponies serving in the Equestrian military throughout history." Twilight replies, exposatory mode on. "Especially in Princess Luna's divisions before the Nightmare Moon incident. Princess Luna had pony divisions, of course, but ponies aren't exactly night-time creatures, so she would find other races willing to serve the crown to make up the difference." "Makes sense." I nod, placing my sword and its harnesses back under the bed for now. "What's important is that there have been records of diamond dogs and minotaurs in her ranks back then, among others." She waits for me to finish setting the sword under the bed and turn to her before continuing. "That means, even if we can't find your totally useful metal shoulder pad, we can get you something practical that should sort-of fit, at least." "I have a feeling you don't see why I'm upset over this." I comment at her sarcasm as I stand up, ignoring another throb of pain in my chest. While the doc's 'Gauzinga' is mostly functional for masking pain, it seems it can't soothe the sudden pains from motion quite as well. "Of course not! It's a shoulder pad! You didn't even have two of them!" Twilight growls in frustration, shaking her head. "Just... why?" "I told you, it's principle." I answer. "Plus, it's not like I can run out and fight Sephiroth today, anyway, so it's not wasting any time to look for it." Twilight smacks a hoof to her forehead, grumbling. "You're even worse than Trixie..." "Let's get going. The faster we get going, the faster we can find it!" I smirk, enjoying being the one giving frustration instead of receiving it for a change. "Plus, I need to get out of this room for a while." "Fine!" Twilight declares, swinging the door open with her magic, careful not to actually let it slam and wake up the sleeping duo, a bit of an odd choice considering her tone of voice. "We'll go to the seamstress, get your shirt, then go find your single metal shoulder pad." "You're not letting that go unless I give up, aren't you?" I ask, following her out the door. "Not even a little bit." She replies, now giving me the deadpan tone she had reserved for Trixie and Spike earlier. I take a moment to survey the hall as we walk. It looks like the room they put me in is actually an empty room in a private servant's quarters. I suppose, all things considered, that's nearly as good as a hospital room, and it explains why the doctor took so long when he said he was fetching new bandages for my chest. Soon, we pass the familiar pair of sun-emblazoned doors signifying the quarters of the Princess herself, and turn down a corridor to their side, Twilight unusually quiet as we walk. I think I've succeeded in adequately pissing her off, for better or worse. Being able to stretch my legs feels nice, though, and just walking isn't causing any particular discomfort. We reach another set of large doors, which Twilight knocks on firmly with one hoof. "Straight Stitch, are you here? It's Twilight Sparkle!" ...First Gauze Wrap and now Straight Stitch? "Uh, Twilight," I begin, catching her attention as we wait for a reply from behind the door, "do ponies choose new names after they get their special talent or something?" Twilight turns to me, blinks, and raises an eyebrow as if I've just asked the most idiotic question in the world. "No...? Why would you think that, Cloud?" "No reason." I reply, sighing. "Well, okay then..." Twilight trails off, though snaps her head around when the door creaks open. Out the cracked door pops the head of an aged unicorn, with faded blue fur, a grey curled mane, and small, squared spectacles. It's like looking at the ponified image of the stereotypical grandmother. "Ah! Twilight, dear, do come in." Her eyes trail from Twilight to myself, raising an eyebrow as she takes in my appearance, eyes eventually resting on my bandages. "And you must be the owner of the grizzly thing the Princess asked me to repair." I nod, and Twilight speaks. "Yeah, we were looking to see if you'd gotten around to fixing it yet, actually." Her eyes turn from the elder unicorn to myself, lowering into a glare as our eyes meet for forcing us on this quest. "My friend, Cloud, recovered far faster than Gauze Wrap expected." Straight Stitch gives a sympathetic sigh and swings the door open for us. "That old kook looked after you, hm?" Her eyes scan me over again as we enter what I presume to be some kind of royal sewing room, as it's reminiscent of the main room of the Carousel Boutique, except with floors and draperies in Celestia's personal colors and a wide, full-body window on the wall opposite the door. "Hopefully that 'Gazoonga' stuff he likes putting on his bandages doesn't make you break out in massive hair growths like it did for the last poor colt." I stop, look down at my stomach, then look at my left arm. "Please tell me you're joking." "Quite, deary." She affirms with a chuckle as the door behind us shuts in a magic grip. "Gauze Wrap's a good doctor. Just a little bit on the... strange side." "Right..." I reply, nodding absentmindedly, still imagining the potential for hairy overgrowths from under my bandages. Straight Stitch walks over to a small work bench, levitating what I recognize as the rather well-repaired shirt that matches the pants of the SOLDIER uniform I'm wearing. No hole, no blood - it wouldn't be unreasonable to mistake it as something I just recently cleaned and pressed, and not something I got stabbed while wearing. "Here it is." She turns to me, turning the shirt over in her grip repeatedly to inspect it and verify everything is as it should be. "Are you kids sure you wouldn't like me to improve it a bit? It's so... plain." "It's alright, thank you." I say with a nod, moving to take the shirt from her. "What, don't want her to spruce it up to look more 'heroic', Cloud?" Twilight asks, giving me a mischievous smirk and a raised eyebrow I'm pretty sure is on par with Trixie's shit-eating, smug grins. "I could embroider an insignia on it, if you want..." The elder mare adds, apparently not missing a beat in the direction of this conversation. "No, thank you, ma'am." I say insistently, grabbing the shirt from her magical grip by its shoulders and slipping it over my head. "Well, don't get hurt like that again, dear." She gives a smile and turns back to her current project. "Blood stains like that are always quite a bit ghastly to clean." "I don't plan to." I assure her. "Thanks again." We say a few more small goodbyes and leave the room, Twilight shutting the door with her magic as I lean back against it, fidgeting slightly in my shirt to get it to be a bit more comfortable despite the bandages underneath. "Well, now that that's handled," Twilight starts, "we should get you back to bed so you can rest up, Cloud." I reply to her by reaching my right hand up, pointing at my left shoulder. "...Really?" She asks, the deadpan expression returning. I nod. "...We're really doing this?" "Yup." "Is this what you do to Trixie when nobody else is around?" "No," I shake my head, "normally, she does this to me." "So you're taking it out on me?" "You did dress me up as a harlequin with Spike's face and shoot me out of a cannon." I counter back. All things considered, this is a pretty tame payback, and I actually do like that shoulder guard. "That was Trixie's idea!" The exasperated unicorn half-yells in defense, before pausing to collect herself and returning to her usual tone. "Alright... we'll go find Shining Armor, and ask if we can get into the armory and get you some armor that actually functions. Maybe we'll find your shoulder pad, if we're lucky." "I don't know why this is bothering you so much." I say as I slot in next to her, the two of us beginning a trip to play a game of Where's Shiny, at least as far as my ability to navigate this castle goes. "I just can't understand why you care so much about a single shoulder guard." I shrug and look up at the ceiling as we walk. "It's the journey and not the destination that's important, isn't it?" That comment seems to soften Twilight's mounting annoyance. "Suppose so." She waits a bit before continuing. "So, Cloud, I was joking before, but... now that you have your memories back, can I ask you a few questions about your world?" She turns, giving me a sidelong smile. "Best time to ask. Like you said, we can't waste time if we can't leave until tomorrow anyway." "...Is it too late to take back that excuse?" I ask tentatively. "Yup." She replies, in much the same tone I had used the word not long ago. "...Fine," I concede after a moment, "what do you want to know?" "What were your friends like?" The question gives me a mental pause. "What do you mean?" I ask awkwardly after a moment's passed. "I mean, well... what were they like?" She reiterates. "You must have had friends in your world, didn't you? Or are you the anti-social type that hates to talk about yourself like Trixie is?" "A bit of column B," I start, "...and a bit more of column B." Twilight rolls her eyes. "Right. Tall, blonde, and brooding. Got it." "...But you're right." I continue after a moment. "When we were in the room, I mentioned Sephiroth's goals regarding the Lifestream and Meteor. I imagine you figured out the fact I was trying to stop him yourself." "I did." The unicorn nods. "You wouldn't both know so much and want to help us after getting your memories back otherwise." "Well... someone like that, it's not like you can stop him alone, after all." I slip my hands into my pockets, looking toward the ground as we talk, keeping Twilight in my vision so I can keep on the right path to wherever she's leading us. We've started along some stairs, heading upward. "I was a bit of a loner when it started, but I met plenty of friends on my quest to stop Sephiroth. It's not all that much different than it is here, I guess. Humans are a bit different than ponies, but..." "Sounds like you'll be excited to find a way to get back there once we've dealt with Sephiroth, huh?" Twilight says cheerily, and at that moment I can't help but wish I had Trixie's acting talents. "...Yeah." I reply half-heartedly after a moment. This isn't exactly a conversation I'm keen on having, especially with my own murky understanding of my coming here. Considering what I am, I can't imagine 'going back' is on the possibility list. Twilight's smile falls a bit at my unenthusiastic reply. "Is something wrong, Cloud?" "It's nothing..." I trail off, less convincingly than ever. "You're worried about Trixie, aren't you?" Twilight asks in reply. "What?" I look up, meeting Twilight's eyes, caught off guard by the question. She smiles. "I get it. You're worried that the second you leave, she might return to her old ways, aren't you?" "..." "We'll just need to get her to open up to more people before then!" Twilight declares cheerily. "My friends already warmed up a bit to her last time we were in Ponyville. I'm sure we can do it if we can convince her to let people see the pony behind the act." I give her a small smile. "Yeah, I'm sure we can." The conversation falls off as we reach the top of the stairs and appear to exit onto the top of one of the castle walls, the sunlight pouring down, though the sky is even more green and wavy with Lifestream than ever. Shining Armor is looking off into the distance, clearly lost in his own thoughts. "Hey, B.B.B.F.F.!" Twilight calls to him, breaking into a small gallop to close the distance more quickly. "Hey, Twili." Shining Armor replies, taking a moment to shake his head. "What's up? How'd you know to find me up here?" "Because I know you, Shiny." Twilight replies. "You said 'Captain work', but you had your 'I need to think' face on. When we were kids, you'd find all kinds of ways to get yourself on top of the house to stare at the sky and think without anyone bugging you. You even brought me up there once or twice, remember?" "Yeah... I did, didn't I?" Shining Armor rubs the back of his head and smiles awkwardly. That's a few times he's done that now, so I'm wondering if it's a nervous tick of his. "Plus, here, you can at least pretend to be working if anyone asks questions." Twilight says slyly, giving him a mischievous grin. "Yeah, you got me!" He says with a laugh. "So, what's up?" His eyes finally pass off his sister to me, giving me a nod. "Looks like whatever magic you did back in your room is still working." Twilight speaks before I can even get out a 'Yeah'. "That's actually what we came about, Shining Armor. After you guys left, Cloud started checking to be sure all his things were there," her head turns back to me, giving me the same deadpan look I've gotten used to from her today, though this time a bit of playfulness is mixed in, "except for a single metal shoulder plate. Cloud insists he doesn't 'look like a hero' without it, so we're wondering if maybe it got sent down to the armory for some reason." He looks from myself to Twilight with an eyebrow raised before letting out a low laugh. "That has to be the worst excuse to get out of a hospital room I've ever heard in my life." "I know, right!" Twilight affirms. "Though, it is actually missing, and in seriousness, Cloud - and probably the rest of us - could do with having a bit of added protection." "Uh, Twilight," Shining Armor's eyes pass between her and I, "I don't know how to tell you this, but I don't think we have armor that comes in non-pony." "What about the armor Princess Luna's groups used before she became Nightmare Moon?" Twilight asks. "I read she had diamond dogs and minotaurs and all sorts of things as part of her guard back then." "Yeah, but... that armor is literally a thousand years old." Shining Armor replies. "If it's even still around, how do we know it'll even still be usable?" Twilight puts a hoof under her chin, thinking. "Hmm... you're right, but it still can't hurt to look, can it?" "I suppose it'll be more productive than being up here." Shining Armor gives his sister a smile. "Let's get going. I haven't gotten to spend enough time with any of you guys since you came here anyway." "Looks like we're assembling the party for an adventure..." I comment dryly, trailing behind the two unicorns as they head back down the stairs. "Don't complain, Cloud!" Twilight calls back, the middle member of our party. "You're the one who wanted your single shoulder pad back, remember that!" "Right, right." We make our way back down the stairs, Twilight and Shining Armor exchanging talk about their respective lives in Ponyville and Canterlot that I'm assuming they never got around to yesterday with all the... commotion. It's simply casual talk, nothing about any of the figures such as 'Nightmare Moon', 'Discord', or anyone else that sounds like they might be noteworthy, so I tune most of it out. We head back down the stairs, crossing halls and heading down more stairs, seeming to head into the castle's basement. From what I recall of my previous castle stroll, it appears to be a very different part of the castle than the one we used to enter the Crystal Caves. "Hey, Cloud." Shining Armor says, catching my attention as he turns his head to face me. "Yeah?" I reply a bit weakly, having been mostly zoned out until now. "You military, where you're from?" He asks bluntly. "Something like that." I reply. It's not a lie, really, though I can't tell where this is coming from as the only person who should know about SOLDIER or the Shin-Ra Infantry Division is Trixie. I know I'd remembered bits and pieces of it in the past, but I'm pretty sure I never told anyone. "Why?" "Curious." Shining Armor replies, turning his head back to the path as we take another turn. "You have that look about you." "'That look'?" I ask, my own curiosity getting to me. "You know, that look." Shining Armor repeats. "Like when you're around somepony long enough, if you've been in the military yourself, you can sort of just... tell, that they have too. It's not always accurate, but it usually is." "I see..." I reply absentmindedly. "It just felt like you had that look, too." He explains. "So I was curious if it was a concept that also worked on non-ponies. Guess it does." "Guess so." I agree awkwardly. "We're here." Shining Armor says after a bit more walking. We're deep in the castle's lower areas now, torches lighting the halls, standing in front of a dusty old door emblazoned with Princess Luna's insignia. "This is where all the old stuff Princess Luna used got stored after she became Nightmare Moon and was sealed in the moon. It was moved from the Royal Castle in the Everfree back when Princess Celestia relocated to Canterlot in case it was ever needed, but as far as we've been told, it's never been opened." I look over the door another moment before punching my right fist into my left palm, starting to finally get excited at the idea of digging through some old stuff, even if it's all too old to be any use. "Let's crack it open." Shining Armor and Twilight's horns both glow, each taking grip of one of the heavy doors and slowly forcing them open, the stone creaking with age as dust lifts into the air. Inside what may as well be a tomb for military equipment are decrepit tables and stands for equipment, several having dilapidated with age or a number of other factors. A plethora of weapons - swords, spears, and shields mainly, several of which are clearly not meant for ponies - line the walls and floor, catching my interest for a bit but ultimately being written off as not useful. Weapons aren't what we're here for, but they're also not the only thing inside. There's a wide assortment of chestplates, helmets, and limb guards. Most are clearly meant for an equine physique, but there are a number that appear to be designed for bipedal fighters. "Are we sure Princess Luna won't need these?" Twilight asks as her and Shining Armor pull torches off the outside wall and head inside. "This was your idea, Twilight." I remind her as we head inside, the two unicorns setting their torches inside holsters inside the room, bathing it in light without the need of their magical grip. "It'll be fine, Twilight." Shining Armor explains. "We barely even get use out of the modern stuff these days outside of when crazy stuff like Queen Chrysalis happens." Queen Chrysalis? I add that to the mental list of names to pay attention for if it ever comes up in conversation again. "Equestria's a lot more peaceful nowadays, remember. The Night Guard of old was to help protect ponies from predators and ghost attacks from other nations back when we were still far less established." I pick up a particularly large piece of body armor and turn it over in my hands. It's clearly meant for a bipedal creature, but the chest is far too broad for me to ever be able to make use of it. It could use a good wash to clean off the dust, but it doesn't seem to have any rust, distortions, or similar signs of loss of effectiveness with age. "That one was probably meant for minotaurs." Twilight explains, seeing the piece I'm looking at. "They have really broad and muscular chests. Your physique probably would be best fit by something that was meant for diamond dogs, instead. Though..." Twilight pulls the armor away from me with her magic, pulling it in front of her and examining it. "It's hard to discern, but... this armor seems to have some sort of enchantment on it. It's really faded, so it might not do anything anymore." She sets the armor back where I picked it up from and her horn glows a moment, the light of her magic washing over the room before she continues speaking. "It seems like all the armor pieces have it. As far as I can discern, it's the same enchantment for all of them." "It might be a protection charm added by Princess Luna back when this stuff was still used." Shining Armor replies, his own horn glowing as he runs a hoof across a piece of pony-shaped armor. "The military records say many of Princess Luna's old Night Guard divisions were much smaller than the ones used by Princess Celestia, using the night and the stealth that comes with it to their advantage in battle instead of relying on shows of force. If those records are true, she might have personally enchanted many of the items they used to further aide them in combat. It's not unreasonable to think remnants of a Princess' spell could still be around over a thousand years later." "So, what?" I cut in, before one of them can go on another long spiel about Equestrian history. "We've got magic armor on our hands, then?" "Sort of." Twilight replies. "Like I said, though, this enchantment is barely even there after so many years. It might not do anything besides stop the armor from taking wear and tear as quickly anymore, assuming defense was the original use." "Over here." Shining Armor says, before I can even acknowledge Twilight's explanation. "This one might fit." I walk over and check the armor he's looking at. The body armor is noticeably less broad, and I turn it over in my hands. It looks like it'll fit, but there's one problem with it. "I don't think Trixie or either Princess would ever let me live down wearing this." I comment, seeing the insignia of Princess Luna revealing itself across the front of the plate as I dust it off with one hand, emblazoned in a bold, reflective silver that contrasts the rest of the armor. Said rest of the armor is fairly simple and nondescript - slightly curved, midnight blue metal, with a black trim where the different bits of metal meet for stylistic purposes. "It could be worse." Twilight says, poking in to look at the plate with us. "That could be Trixie's cutie mark on there." I shudder at that thought as I spin the armor in my hands to face the correct way forward and slip it over my head to test the fit. It's a bit loose, but the leather armor from the SOLDIER uniform should be able to compensate for that once I've put it back on. Otherwise, it's surprisingly light, and knocking my fist against it gives a satisfying metal thud. I look it over, quickly seeing the most important feature. "It has really cool shoulder guards." A pair of wide, rounded pieces of metal act as shoulder guards, simple but effective, in the same midnight blue color as the rest of the main plates. "Well, I'm glad you're happy." Twilight says dryly. "The helmet's a no-go, though." I comment, turning it over in my hands. It's much larger than my head, longer, with clear ear-holes on the top. "I'm guessing a diamond dog originally wore this armor, from the looks of it." I set it down and turn to the final piece of the set, what appear to be armguards, able to protect the forearm, though the end with the hand is completely open. I assume this is to facilitate the use of a Diamond Dog's claws, but in my case it's also useful because it means I might be able to fit on the two guards without interfering with my bangle full of Materia. I slip one over my right arm, the midnight blue metal with black borders matching the chest plate as I turn it over to get access to the belts that hold it in place on my arm. I have to pull them a bit tight, but eventually they hold without risk of the piece coming loose. "Looks like this might be as good as you get, Cloud." Shining Armor says, nodding as I fasten on the second arm guard and test both arms for mobility. The armguards, like the plate, are incredibly light, the added weight almost unnoticeable. "This 'hero' enough for you?" Twilight asks mockingly, a playful smirk on her face as Shining Armor moves to begin rummaging through the pony-shaped armor pieces. "...It'll do." I say, snickering. We both turn to Shining Armor, whose pulling up two full sets of pony-shaped armor, in a style similar to the one I'm wearing in terms of coloring and adornment. "Think these will fit you and Trixie, Twilight?" Shining Armor asks, bringing the armor close to Twilight and motioning for her to try it on. A quick fitting later, Twilight fidgets around, testing everything for security and stability. The ensemble is slightly different than the one I have - a piece of body armor covering her front, a small guard for each of her legs, and a helmet that's clearly been shaped with unicorns in mind to avoid interfering with the horn. The important difference, though, is that the pony version lacks the cool shoulders. "It's... a little stuffy, but I think it's fine." She informs Shining Armor. "Think the second set will fit Trixie?" Shining Armor asks. "I think they're about the same size." Twilight thinks for a minute, then turns to me. "Hey, Cloud, you've probably seen Trixie without her cape on enough. Do you think she's about the same size I am?" "...I know better than to answer questions about a girl's size." I answer strategically. Shining Armor laughs. "Good answer. It should be close enough, though." He uses his magic grip to pull an old crate out of the corner of the room, emptying it of its original contents. "Let's pack this stuff up and get going." "If you can get Trixie to wear any of this," I start as I begin unfastening the arm guards to put in the crate, "they'll probably have to build a statue after you." "It'll be fine, Cloud." He replies with a wink and a playfully smug grin. "I've always had a way with the ladies." Twilight gives her brother a playful punch with a hoof and a pout. "You're married now, Shiny. Better not let Cadance hear you talk like that." "Heh... right."