//------------------------------// // A Meeting With A Goddess // Story: A Soldier's Rest // by Blazing47s //------------------------------// My own momentum nearly carries me out of the bed as I lurch awake. The dark room is swimming in my blurry vision, and I feel a cold sweat encasing my entire body. I wipe the back of my hand along my eyes to clear my vision, and when I take my glove away, my fingers are wet and my hand is shaking. I wipe my face once more, my chest heaving as I try and clear my thoughts. Already the black wisps of the nightmare are fading, and the last image I get as I try to pull them together is a young, dirt streaked face, before it slips away. I look down at my other hand, which is squeezing my magnum as it shakes slightly. I relax the muscles slowly and deliberately, and holster the weapon. The crystalline bedroom is nearly pitch black, but my eyes adjust quickly. The pale light of a bright moon is filtering through the thin curtains, casting the room into deep shadow. I stand, hopping up and down on the balls of my feet briefly. Out of habit, I do a quick room check, and see nothing out of the ordinary in the main room or the bathroom. I walk back over to the bed and grab my helmet, sliding it over the back of my head. The HUD flickers on and I check the time, the normal views of the elevation and distance indicators along the sides and bottom of my vision welcoming me. 0432 hours. The sun shouldn’t be coming up for at least another hour or so. I sigh, falling back onto the bed, trying to get as comfortable as possible in my armor. I do a small breathing exercise, as I had been taught years ago, to slow my heartbeat and focus my mind as I shake off the last of the lingering panic from my sleep. After a silent moment, I open the file view on my armor. I sift through the files in my helmet and find the recording of the part of Sparkle’s lesson I missed yesterday. I hit play, and settle in to wait, my hands across my chest. As I had predicted, the room starts to brighten about an hour later, and I content myself to watching the shadows disappear along the walls as Sparkle goes on further about the history of her country. There are a few interesting facts in Sparkle’s lecture, and I file them to the back of my mind. Oh, and apparently I missed that the flank tattoos are called cutie marks. They represent a pony's “special talent”, and they appear from pure magic when a pony discovers their true self or something along those lines. I can’t withhold a snicker at that. It seems like six year old named everything in this place, horse puns for city names and all. Sparkle’s lecture ends at around 0547, and I stand and stretch a bit, feeling out my body. My chest and foot are sore still, but another night’s sleep has greatly diminished the pain. I can almost move my foot through a whole range of motion with minimal discomfort, though it still flares a bit on some movements. I fall into push up position, catching my momentum on my hands, and start a decent workout, or as much as is possible in the small space and with no equipment. When I first was made a Spartan IV, we were given a schedule of exercises to let us maintain our peak physical condition. Because I have missed a couple of days, I shorten a few of the exercises and substitute in a few of the ones from previous days, like running in place and certain stretches I wouldn’t otherwise do every day. I feel the pleasant burn of work settle over my body, and it lifts my mood. After the workout, it’s around 0620, and I sit back on the bed and flip though my armor files again, pulling up a program designed to let me keep my mind conditioned as well. I open up a chess program, and set it on the highest difficulty. I play a few games and then switch to a strategy game, one set on real scenarios from the Human-Covenant war, set in a 3-D cube environment. This I find more difficult, as my strength has never been in large scale strategy as much as other Spartans. After struggling with a particularly intense battle for a half hour or so, there is a knock at my door. I exit out of the program and stand. I grab my DMR with a hand as I walk to the door, and attach it to my back with a click. I open the door, and look down. Way down. “Good morning!” Spike says cheerfully, my impassive visor reflecting in his eyes. The small reptile smiles brightly up at me, showing off some impressive incisors. He has his chef hat on his head again, and my stomach growls slightly at its implications. “Good morning,” I incline my head. “Well, Twilight wanted to get an early start today, as Princess Celestia will be coming pretty soon to meet with you,” Spike says conversationally. He steps back a few feet from the doorway, and I take the cue and follow, out into the hallway. “She wanted me to come tell you that breakfast was ready.” “I assume you made it?” I ask as he starts down the hallway at a brisk pace. I easily keep up. “Yep,” He answers. “I do pretty much every morning.” He doesn’t try to hide the pride in his voice. I hum in answer, but don’t respond and we fall into silence, aside from Spike’s claws clicking on the crystal and the thudding of my own footwear. Similar to what I had seen yesterday, the bright sunlight from outside paints the hallway in swathing patterns of purples and pinks that I don’t think I’ll ever quite get used to enough to like. I glance out what windows I can as we walk, to the town across from Sparkle’s castle. The streets and airways are quite a bit busier in the morning apparently, and I see numerous ponies milling about in the distance, as well as pegasi flitting around above the town. I also see some new stall-like structures that hadn’t been there yesterday, around which ponies seem to be congregating. I don’t get enough time to zoom in using my helmet functions to get a better look, but I assume it is some kind of morning market or exchange. The mostly translucent blue distance bars going horizontally from the bottom of my helmet expand outward, sensing what I am focusing on. The numbers flicker, the yard markers rising. The town is less than a mile away, and I note this to myself. Once again, the coziness of the view strikes me. I frown slightly as I recognize the small feeling in my gut as it flares. I am . . . wary. Of the peacefulness of the whole world, of how calm it is. I am wary of how nice and understanding Sparkle and her friends are. I am wary of how bright and cheerful this whole place is. It just seems like it was designed somehow, like it’s too good to simply exist. And something in me is just waiting until it all falls apart. I shake off my dark thoughts, and turn away from the windows. One thing at a time, Spartan, as my instructors would often say. I find that I am farther behind Spike than a moment ago, and I catch up by increasing my stride slightly. I make it to his side just as he heaves open the large door into the throne room. He motions me in with a claw, and walks into the kitchen after I enter. I blink as I see not the one pony that I had expected, but five more sitting at the throne room. All of Twilight’s friends pause their conversation and look up at me as I enter. Pinkie Pie’s face breaks into a huge smile and she waves one hoof in the air. “Hi Michael!” She shouts as if I am across a large distance, not standing ten feet away. I raise one hand in greeting. “Hello.” I look at the rest of the occupants. Rarity smiles and nods at me, and Fluttershy gives a shy wave from her throne. Applejack tips her hat with a hoof as she lounges with her back hooves up on the large table. Rainbow huffs at me from her place. “Oh, good morning Michael!” Sparkle smiles. “Breakfast is almost ready.” I say nothing, instead crossing over to her silently. I kneel next to her throne, and she eyes me. “Michael?” The rest of the group watches in silence, and I hear Rainbow growling. “Mind if I?” I motion my hand towards her. “Sure?” I gently tilt her head up with a hand, my eyes hardening. The bruises I caused are still readily apparent, marring Sparkle’s coat with a line of blues and black. There are deep bags under her eyes, and her mane is frazzled. I tilt her head to either side, before dropping my hand and standing. “How does it feel?” I ask. Sparkle rubs at her neck with a hoof, her eyes averted. “It still hurts a bit.” I shake my head, more angry at myself than anything, my loss of control still echoing in my mind. “Keep icing it, and if you need to, I have more painkillers.” I say softly. She nods, and the mares watch as I cross to the other side of the table, dropping cross legged next to Fluttershy’s throne. “What are you all doing here?” I break the tense silence. “We are here to support you while Princess Celestia is here, darling,” Rarity answers after a pause. She adjusts her mane delicately with a hoof as she speaks. “Waking up so early was a hassle,” She scoffs lightly. “A mare does need her beauty sleep after all, but it was not an issue for being here for you.” Pinkie Pie nods enthusiastically, and I receive nods and smiles from the most of the ponies. Curiously, Sparkle doesn’t answer, her eyes thoughtful as she rubs her neck with a hoof. “Plus Spike’s cooking is fantastic,” The white mare adds. I hear a gasp and a crash from behind the kitchen door. I glance back at it briefly. I turn back forward. “You didn’t have to do that. I can handle myself,” I state. “We know you can,” Applejack says with a chuckle. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t be here anyway.” “I suppose,” I answer, after a pause. “Thank you.” As I finish, Spike bursts through the kitchen door. His chef hat is perched precariously on one of the spines coming from the top of his head, and he is having trouble balancing eight trays in his hands (although he is managing it rather impressively). One is even set on the end of his tail, strangely enough. “Breakfast is served!” He gasps, laying a tray down in front of me and Fluttershy quickly with a sigh of relief. He goes around the table delivering the food, and I notice he pauses at Rarity’s chair before going to his own. I look down and smile slightly in surprise. Heaped in front of me is a stack of pancakes, covered in syrup and with a slab of butter on top. I notice out of my peripheral vision that my stack is at least twice as high as any of the ponies’. The delicious smell invades my nostrils through my helmet’s filter, and my stomach gurgles a bit. I take off my helmet eagerly, setting in gently on the floor beside my thighs, and pick up the small utensils before digging in. Most of the breakfast passes in silence, besides some idle chatter from Sparkle and her friends which I am content to sit out of. Fluttershy seems to be doing the same, sneaking in a word or a nod but generally observing. A sense of tenseness seems to gather as the meal draws to a close. It seems that despite their cheery attitudes and some promises about the wholeness of Princess Celestia’s character, the ponies are actually nervous about the visit. Pinkie Pie seems to have picked up on it, and starts hopping up and down animatedly, beginning some story that involves lots of hoof gestures to bring up the group’s mood. I finish up my large stack of pancakes at around the same time as everyone else, and Spike appears to take away my tray, visibly more comfortable now that the eight trays are empty. Spike steps through the kitchen door, kicking it shut behind him as, I assume, he goes to clean the dishes. I let Pinkie Pie draw to the end of her story, which concludes with a giant cupcake squashing an evil cooking utensil or something along those lines. The room falls into a brief silence, and I take advantage. “So, Twilight,” I start, placing my hands back on my lap. “I’m curious. When will Princess Celestia actually get here?” I check the time. 0738 hours. “Well, she should be here any-” Sparkle pauses. In sync, every equine ear in the room swivels toward the entrance to the throne room. I also catch the sound of numerous hoofbeats crouching into dirt and gravel, as well as the thump of something heavy landing. “Well, that was good timing,” Rainbow Dash notes, and I can’t help but agree. There is a loud knock on the crystal door, and I hear muttering voices behind it. All of the ponies are turned to the door, and tensing as if to stand. “I’ll answer it,” Sparkle says, almost to herself, as she stands. I grab my helmet and slide it onto my head, where it connect with a hiss. My HUD powers up with a small hum, the blue edges of the visor flickering before holding steady, and I feel myself relax slightly. I sigh gratefully as the visor polarizes. My shield bar flickers into life, and all of the ponies gaze’s besides Sparkle’s focus on me as my shields flare yellow around my body, humming loudly and sparking as they charged. My eyes flit to the motion and heartbeat tracker in the bottom left of my view, and I quickly count five lifeforms outside the door. All this happens in the span it takes for Sparkle’s purple aura to encase the door, and with a deep breathe, she opens it. Sunlight pours into the room from outside. There are noises as all of the ponies stand, and I do the same, quickly taking in the view. Outside there is a large dirt path that leads to the large crystal porch of Sparkle’s castle. A few yards away is a chariot, with large wheels and a cabin for passengers. There is a single door and a window with curtains drawn on the inside. There are also two horizontal bars with what appear to be harnesses at the end. The whole vehicle is meticulously decorated. Gold stylized plates cover parts of the vehicle, with the rest painted in swirling whites and other light colors. I have never been one for aesthetics, but even I can see the elegance apparent across the chariot. It seems to be glowing itself, reflecting the suns light in a gently way. My brain highlights this and files it into the back of my mind as I take in the ponies standing in the doorway. There are five of them, as I had seen earlier. Four of them are similar, and my brain points it out to me as such. They are all male, white pegasi, who are taller and quite a bit sturdier than Sparkle and her friends, Applejack possibly excluded. Being the first males I have seen, I took note of the thicker chest and neck, as well as the squarer and stubbier snout. Under their coats are the toned muscles I am used to seeing in equines, evidence of rigorous training and workouts. All of their eyes immediately flash to me upon the opening of the door, though I am still sitting, their expressions hardening into a stony battle mask. Their weight shifts backwards, and I also notice their wings flaring slightly. They are garbed in what seems to be old-fashioned knight armor, circa one thousand human years ago. Golden plates of metal that wrap around their chests and back, before sloping around the back of the flank. Helmets in the same style fit snugly over the stallion’s heads, a Mohawk of bright blue hair sticking out the top of each one. They have golden shoes on their hooves, which are sharpened at the end, and look rather thick. These are not the most interesting ponies however. It is the last one who, without a doubt, is the reason the ponies are standing. I can only assume this is Princess Celestia. Her coat is as white as the guards, but it seems to be radiating light and warmth, as if she has a light held in her fur. As almost evidence to this, her blip on my motion tracker is slightly blurry, as if the armor's systems aren't sure what is happening. She is tall, nearly as tall as me, at the end of her horn. Much like Sparkle, she has both large wings and a long horn, which is considerably bigger and sharper than either Rarity’s or Sparkle’s. Her body is also more slender and elegant, with longer legs and neck. Her eyes are a light pink that sweep over the group warmly before landing briefly on me. Behind her expression is a seemingly ancient wisdom and intelligence that make me blink in surprise. Her mane seems to be completely made out of pure energy, and it flows from her body like ocean waves of gentle greens, blues, and pinks. It is nearly as big as the ponies she stands over, I note. She has on a chest plate of gold similar to the white pegasi, but to my trained eye it is readily apparent that this is for decoration more than actual protection. She has golden shoes that were also this way on all four hooves, and well as a tiara that perches at the base of her long horn. Both the crown and chest plate have large purple gems inlaid into their faces. Inscribed on her flank is an orange and yellow sun. “Princess Celestia!” Nearly all the ponies speak in a reverent unison, dropping their front legs into a bow that leaves their muzzles near the floor. I see Spike doing his best bow as well, much like a human would. I note that Sparkle also bowing, despite her own status as a Princess. I catch Rarity giving me a deadly look out of the corner of her eye, I give a short half bow with my waist and say nothing. Celestia gives a curt nod while looking at me before turning her gaze to the rest of the room. “Please rise.” She smiles brightly at the ponies and Spike. Her voice is gentle and motherly, and yet has an undercurrent that requires respect. “There are no need for formalities here,” She continues as the ponies hastily stand. “Especially from you, Twilight.” Celestia leans down and nuzzles Sparkle’s head, an action that Twilight reciprocates with a smile. It seems almost like a greeting between mother and daughter. Celestia looks up and met each of the ponies’ eyes, smiling in greeting. Applejack tips her hat with a grin in response, and Rarity does another short bow. Pinkie Pie hops up and down, beaming from ear to ear as Celestia meets her eyes, and Rainbow Dash nods similarly to me. Fluttershy is smiling openly, but she ducks her head shyly with a small blush as she meets the Princess’ gaze. Spike gives a small wave with his claw. “It is good to see you all once more,” Celestia steps into the room, her guards following closely behind. Her large horn lights a bright yellow, and the door closes silently behind her. “I fear it has been too long since my last visit. I trust that everything is going well with you all?” I can’t help but be curious as Celestia takes the time to listen to each of the group’s short responses, which I file away in the back of my mind. She also leans far down and nuzzles spike in the same way she had Sparkle. As I analyze her, I am perplexed by what I see, and I feel my muscles tense on instinct. Her gait and expression tell of countless hours of application, and she holds herself this way as if it was completely natural. She seems to almost glide instead of walk, but that too, I can tell, is deliberate. Her expression practically radiates motherly affection for every single member of the group, as they step up to converse with her. Even Fluttershy does so without pause, speaking softly. Celestia even responds in kind, with a gentle voice that most people would be strained to hear. The whole time, I am standing in the back, watching silently. The display is in no way forced; she truly cares for them. Finally she faces me from across the table. “Greetings,” She says formally, but warmly. “I believe we have not been introduced. Twilight did feature you in her letters, and she has spoken highly of you.” The undertone is clear. She knows the entire events from my arrival to Sparkle’s castle, both my attack on Sparkle and my apology afterword. As I gaze into her face, I am unnerved to discover I can’t tell how she feels about it, despite the fact that she knows I injured her own personal student, and the evidence is on the neck of the mare she nuzzled earlier. Her expression is impenetrable. “I am Princess Celestia, Co-ruler of Equestria and Shepherd of the Sun,” Celestia gives a short bow to me, as if addressing someone of equal status, and I tilt my head slightly. “Lieutenant Michael Cooper,” I answer, giving my own half bow in response. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Princess,” I straighten. “I hope this can be the start of a mutually beneficial relationship.” I keep my voice as straight and even as possible while still keeping the genuine nature of my words apparent. Celestia smiles brightly. “I wish the same,” She answers. “Excuse me,” She says softly, before turning, speaking to the rest of the room. “I’m sorry to ask this of you after you came to be here for my arrival but I must ask you all to wait outside,” She looks at Sparkle and each of her friends in turn. Sparkle looks like she is about to object, but she closes her mouth and nods. “Yes Princess.” Her words are echoed by the rest of the group except the guards, who are silent. “Come on everypony, we can wait in the hallway,” Sparkles horn lights, and the group files out. They each make it a point to send me supportive glances and smiles as they exit, Pinkie even going as far to pull out a piece of paper that reads “You got this Michael!” in pink crayon. Where she got it, I have no idea. I shake my head slightly, before looking back to Celestia, who is now regarding me in turn. “Please guards, you as well.” She speaks without looking away. Her expression is even and measured, not at all perturbed by the fact she will alone in a room with me, a giant and deadly alien from another world. The guards glare at me, but do as the Princess asks, stepping out the same door that Sparkle had gone through. I see them take up positions in front of the door as it closes with a thud.We stand regarding each other for a moment, simply watching and analyzing. For the first time I see her eyes flicking over my visor, as if not sure where my face is. It is so brief that any other person would have missed it. “How about we take a seat?” I begin, motioning with a hand the chairs. I am already tired of speaking in such a formal tone. I may not like diplomacy, but I am gladder now than ever to have been trained in it. Celestia nods, taking a throne gracefully. “A good idea,” she answers cordially. I sit in a throne across from her, careful to choose the one Sparkle had enchanted this morning. Her horn lights a bright yellow, and I tense. “A simple silence bubble, to make sure we are not overheard,” Celestia says nonchalantly. I nod, careful to not let my disbelief show, and her horn flashes brightly before her aura goes out. “So,” The white alicorn begins after a pause. “I am curious,” She tilts her head. “What do you think of Equestria so far?” I decide to humor her small talk. “It is beautiful to be certain,” I answer curtly. “The sun is always bright and it seems to be a very calm and peaceful place,” I make sure to add the compliment to the sun. Whether or not what Sparkle had said is true is still yet to be seen, but it couldn’t hurt. “Twilight and her friends have been far more generous and kind than I deserve. I hope I can repay them some day,” I add, judging her expression. If she wanted to play the subtlety game, so be it. Celestia beams, but I know she has received my message. “I’m glad to hear it. I am quite fond of Twilight and her friends myself,” she adds, as if it were some conspiratorial secret. “I can tell. Twilight did mention she was your personal pupil for some years.” I answer, keeping my voice cordial. I honestly can’t tell what the white pony is playing at. Her expression and words seem completely innocent, as if she is genuinely interested in getting to know me. Either she really is the kind and loving leader she was made out to be by Sparkle, or I am severely outclassed politically. I’m beginning to think it might be both. “Indeed,” Celestia answers. “She caught my eye when she was just a filly, and I have watched her grow and blossom over the years, into a princess herself.” Celestia’s eyes shine with pride. “She is indeed very talented,” I answer, though I really have no idea whether that is true. “Oh yes,” Celestia laughs. “She caught my eye in quite a situation,” She leans slightly forward, as if to tell me a secret. “She hatched Spike from his egg, and grew him to the size of a house with her sheer magic alone in mere seconds!” Celestia shook her head. “And she was still a young filly too.” She giggles lightly, a sound that seems to carry on an invisible wind. There is a moment of silence. “Princess,” I say a bit abruptly, deciding to end the idle chatter. She focuses back onto me. “Yes?” “Forgive my forwardness,” I start. “But as you no doubt know from reading Sparkle’s letters, I am a soldier.” I fold my hands together on the table, staring into Celestia’s eyes through my visor. “I have never been one for round-about talking and dodging around an issue,” I raise a hand. “I mean no disrespect, of course, but may we please cut to the chase, so to speak?” “Of course Lieutenant,” She answers. “Though I did not mean to imply that I was dodging any issues,” Her eyes have a hint of steel in them. “I take my position as Princess very seriously, and I feel it is my duty to get to know every creature who resides in my domain.” “For which I thank you, Princess,” I answer. “Think nothing of it,” Celestia raises a hoof. “But we digress. Let’s, cut to the chase, as you said.” She proceeds to give me a measured look. “What do you think the real issue is here Lieutenant?” Her eyes search my visor. “My attack on your student is the first thing that comes to mind,” I answer evenly. “Oh, I don’t believe so,” Celestia answers good-naturedly, and I blink in surprise. “What do you mean? Were I in your place, I would have serious issues with someone harming a person close to me.” Celestia smiles. “I put a good deal of trust in Twilight,” She shrugs. “After all, she is the Princess of Friendship. If there is anyone qualified to judge an apology and a creature’s character I think it would be her,” She laughs lightly. “So I am trusting her judgment on you.” Despite her words, I get the feeling she isn’t as laid back as she seems about it. “That’s. . .” I tilt my head. “Very kind of you Princess.” She waves a hoof again, and once again I get the feeling she is deliberately keeping herself from doing something. “No matter. Now, the real issue is what I,” She places a hoof on her chest plate. “Can do for you.” “I beg your pardon?” I reply. This conversation is not going at all the way I had imagined it would. “You are a creature flung from your world into ours, and not by your own choice, or so I gathered.” Celestia states. “It is my hope that I can help you get back home. It would be what I would do for any lost pony.” I sit there for a second, searching her expression. She really means it, and her warm gaze meets my visor. “Thank you Princess,” I bow my head. “The one thing most helpful is the ability to move. I would ask for your permission to travel around as needed, unimpeded.” I put heavy emphasis on the last word. “Consider it done,” Celestia answers. “As long as you have one of Twilight or her friends with you, I see no problem with that,” She pauses, her expression suddenly grave. “But along with that I expect no creature, pony or otherwise, to come to harm by your hoof,” My visor informs me that the temperature in the room has hiked up a couple degrees. “Should such a thing happen, I cannot guaranty that I can uphold such an agreement.” Her eyes drill into my visor, and I find my hand straying towards my Magnum. There is something itching in the back of my mind, like a distant humming that I can't pin down. I fell a bead of sweat drip down my neck. “If someone gets in my way or attempts to harm me, I can’t promise anything,” I say in a low voice. “But I will only do so in the face of a significant threat. You can rest easy Princess.” Suddenly the room seems a bit dimmer and the temperature falls, and sigh unconsciously. “I believe you Lieutenant.” Celestia says. “Very considerate of you Princess,” I say in thanks, but then I pause. I suppress a sigh, registering the condition for my moving. Having one of the ponies with me would slow my progress exponentially. I shake off my feelings. “That is the only condition I have Princess.” “Then there is one that I have,” Celestia answers, more seriously. I look up. “I would ask you to take off your helmet.” I stiffen slightly, and Celestia continues. “Twilight has told me you are not a mechanical being, but I would like to know for myself.” Her expression is even. “I like to believe that you must know the face of your friends.” The implication is clear. “Of course Princess,” I answer. She had been more than reasonable, especially considering the circumstances, and I see no reason to keep my face hidden, despite my discomfort of showing it to someone I didn’t trust. Whether instinct or training, I know that all Spartans have these kinds of feelings. I reach up and detach my helmet, and Celestia’s eyes widen a fraction as I turn it ninety degrees. The glare of the crystal room assault my eyes as I place the helmet on the table in front of me. I feel Celestia’s eyes trace the large scar that runs from my forehead across my eye and to my chin, before flitting across the tiny scars that cross my face. She finally meets my eyes, and I stare back, seeing my face reflected in her pupils. The man I see is almost a stranger. He is worn, tired, and scarred, but his eyes are strong, and I almost am surprised. Her expression seems to soften as we gaze at each other. “The face of a soldier indeed, and eyes that have seen much,” She mutters to herself, so quietly that even I can barely pick up the words. “You have no idea Princess,” I say just as softly, and my armor makes a small noise as it shifts on the crystal table, almost like a reminder. Her eyes widen and her ears flick towards me as I speak. I keep my face masked as we look at each other. There is a pause. “I might more than you know,” Celestia answers under her breath, her eyes searching mine, and for the first time, her façade breaks. Its tiny, a crack in her mask, and I feel my breath hitch. For a fleeting moment, I saw a familiar expression, ones marines and ODST give each other after a battle, of shared nightmares and pain. The face of someone who has been through hell and come back to tell the tale, but never quite the same. There is a moment of silence, but it is not awkward. We just search each other’s expressions, and I suspect we are both basking in the unexpected feeling of understanding. “Michael,” Celestia speaks, and I blink as she uses my first name. “There is one more matter we must discuss.” She leans backward, seemingly relaxing in her chair. I simply tilt my head as a motion for her to continue. “As Twilight may have told you,” Celestia smiles slightly. “I co-rule Equestria with my sister, Luna. She has expressed a desire to meet you but was unable to make this meeting.” “Understandable,” I answer curtly. “I hoped you would see it that way. She can, however, meet with you tonight,” Celestia says nonchalantly, and I quirk an eyebrow, suppressing a smirk. Celestia shakes her head, but gives a small laugh anyway. “Not in that kind of context,” She answers, before waving a hoof in a circle in the air, growing more serious. “My sister has dominion over the night much like I do the day. Out sleep schedules are thus inverse, so it is practically ten o'clock or so for her currently.” “Ah.” I answer, nodding. That does kind of make sense, whether in the context Celestia and her sister actually raised the sun and moon or were just symbols of it. “I am alright with meeting with Princess Luna as well. I assume she will show up similar to the way you did?” Celestia nods, but I suppress a frown when I notice a twinkle in her eyes, but it’s gone before I can see it clearly. “Do not wait up for her tonight,” she says a bit abruptly. “Feel free to get some sleep until she should arrive.” I nod slowly, letting my confusion show a bit. “Fabulous,” Celestia smiles widely and the room seems to physically brighten a bit, and the awkward moment is past. Celestia stands gracefully, and I do the same. “Well, I think that concludes our business,” Celestia says, and I nod. She holds out a hoof over the table, and I gently take it in my glove, and we shake like old accomplishes. I swipe my helmet off the table, and reattach it with a sigh of relief. Looking at Celestia’s stark white and shining coat was hard enough on my eyes, compounded by the crystalline nature of Sparkle’s home. My familiar HUD powers up, and I see that the whole interaction has taken only ten minutes or so. The four guards have not moved from outside the doorway, and there is a clump of beings not far away that I assume are Sparkle and her friends. Celestia’s horn lights and there is a small pop, which I assume is the silence spell she talked about the begging breaking. The door is surrounded in her yellow aura, and it swings open silently. The four guards turn sharply around, eyes once again focused on me. As I had suspected, Sparkle and her friends stand a few yards away, talking quietly, heads together as they huddle in a circle. Seeing the door open, Applejack elbows Sparkle and the rest of the ponies take her lead as she turns around. They all wear expressions of a bit of hidden stress, except for Pinkie, who once again waves enthusiastically. “Hi Michael!” She shouts, a huge smile stretching across her features as she hops into the air. I resist the urge to shake my head as I wave back, and I hear Celestia chuckle from where she stands next to me. “I’m sorry to keep you all waiting,” Celestia takes a small step forward. “Michael and I had some things to discuss rather privately.” I blink at her using my first name again. Apparently we were on that basis already. Of course Princess,” Twilight nods, her eyes quickly flicking to me. Her friends all nod as well. “And now, I’m afraid this is where I must leave you for the time being,” The white alicorn says regretfully. “Really?” Sparkle blinks. “But you just got here, Princess.” “Unfortunately,” Celestia steps forwards, looking at Sparkle and her friends in turn. “I have some urgent business to attend to back in Canterlot. I apologize for bringing you all here, and having barely any time to actually visit.” “It’s no problem Princess,” Applejack tips her hat with a hoof. “I know all about work takin’ your free time away.” Rarity nods in agreement from beside her, flipping her mane with a hoof. “As you would Applejack,” Celestia smiles. Leaning down, she nuzzles Sparkle. “Be sure to send me any more notes you take, Twilight,” she adds as she straightens. “Of course Princess!” Twilight beams. Celestia leans down and nuzzles Spike once more, before straightening. “Farewell then, my little ponies,” She looks over at me briefly. “I trust that Michael will explain the terms we can to agree on.” I nod at her, and she continues. “Then I am off. I hope you all have a wonderful day. Goodbye, my little ponies.” With one last glance at me, she crosses to the large door outside. The pegasi guards fall into a neat formation behind her as she opens and closes the door, sunlight streaming in briefly before her guards close the door behind her. There is a moment of silence, and I turn to find every single pony staring at me expectantly. Even Fluttershy has her head out from behind her mane, though her gaze is less intense. I just look back at them silently. This goes on for a beat before I sigh. “You want to know what happened, don’t you.” “Yep!” Pinkie hops up and down happily. “We were super-duper worried, but we know you are a big soldier person, and that you could handle it, so we stayed out here to let you talk, but we were still worried and then I thought that maybe you and Celestia were having some kind of secret party in there without me, and I was about to go in with my party cannon but then Applejack-” Pinkie’s incredibly fast run on sentence was interrupted as Rainbow Dash shoved a hoof in her mouth, rolling her eyes. “She means yes,” She states flatly. I shrug, resting my hands behind my back in an at ease position. “Not much happened. We talked, she trusted your assessment of me,” I incline my head at Twilight, who blinked in surprise. “And then we agreed that I can move around and do whatever I need to do get home within reason as long as one of you are with me, and I agreed to meet her sister.” “That’s it?” Twilight blurts, before blushing and shrinking down. “Yep,” I answer. “It was short, much quicker than I had been expecting.” I shrug again. “But Celestia was very thoughtful and kind.” “That sounds like the Princess alright,” Rarity nods, and the rest of the mares sound their agreement. “So. . .” Fluttershy starts softly. “What exactly are you going to do?” She scuffs a hoof on the floor, looking at the ground shyly. “I mean . . . if you don’t mind me asking. . .” “I have a place to start,” I answer, eyeing the blue objective arrow, and Twilight tilts her head. “It’s just a hunch, but it could be something.” I continue. Applejack narrows her eyes and gives me a look, but stays silent, tipping her stetson up with a hoof. “So when are you going to go check it out?” Spike asks. “Now,” I answer. “I hoped one of you would accompany me immediately.” The ponies gave each other silent looks, and I could see the words passing in their gazes. After an entire silent conversation that I had no part of, they all look back at me. “I’ll go with ya’,” Applejack steps forward, and I blink. I would think that Sparkle would be jumping at the chance. As I look at her though, I see that she is reserved and nodding in support of the orange mare. Well, I guess they figure the walking lie detector is a good companion for me, and as Sparkle yawns I wonder if it was so she could get some more sleep as well. As I look the orange mare over quickly, I nod a bit. She is definitely in better shape than any of the other mares, so that is a plus for me moving quickly. And Applejack looks like the sort of person who can at least handle herself if something goes awry. “Thank you,” I answer. “No problem, Michael,” She responds, but I see her eyes narrowing a bit. She still doesn’t trust me fully it seems. I shrug internally. “We’ll be off then,” I say to Sparkle. “We will be back before night time.” I reach up and sling my DMR off my shoulder, racking back the slide with a hand. All of the mares eye the weapon as I hold it loosely across my chest, though only Sparkle knows what it can do. I turn and stride back through the throne room to the door. I do a small inventory check once more out of habit. I am full up on rounds for both my DMR and my Magnum, and I still have my four frag grenades as well as my tactical knife. All in all I’m not off too badly, but if I get in a firefight I’ll need to conserve ammo as much as possible, and stick to my knife or brute force. Who knows when the next time will be I’ll get a weapon even close to as good as the ones I have now.I fling open the door unceremoniously, stepping out into the sunshine. I hear Applejack follow behind me, and the door shuts with a thud behind us. She stands next to me silently as I swivel my head, taking in the sights around me. As I had seen when Celestia entered and exited Sparkle’s castle, the large crystal structure is set apart a bit of distance away from a large collection of mostly one story buildings, and connected by a large, worn dirt path. On either side of the path stretches rolling fields of green grass, occasionally interrupted by a few trees and other various plants. The sky is absent of any clouds, and its light blue stretches uninterrupted from horizon to horizon, where it meets the tops of a few mountains that rise miles and miles away. The cheerful sounds of chirping birds and the far off tones of the town life make their way into my helmet. With a blink on an option, my view is suddenly much closer as my helmet whirs softly. The path is empty of activity, though I can see ponies in the town stopping and looking at us curiously in the distance. I can’t make out any rhyme or reason to the colors of the townsfolk or the houses; it seems like they had spun a wheel of bright colors and thrown darts at it and just stuck with what they got, ranging from white to a darker blue or green at the darkest, with maybe a splash of black or brown in between. The houses in the town, from what I can see, are wooden structures with thatched roofing, each possessing a small front lawn before the street begins. Most have some sort of garden out front, and all are painted just the same as the ponies. Cheerfully. Celestia’s chariot is also absent, but there are a few large wheel ruts in the ground from what I assume was its takeoff and landing, as well as some hoof prints from the guards. Compared to everything in this world so far, my black and blue MJOLNIR armor stands out like a sore thumb. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad at this point, but my training is leaning me towards the latter. My armor makes a sound as I tense a bit more, my hands tightening on my DMR. With a slight frown affixed to my face, I set off towards the town at a brisk walk, my boots sending up dust as they leave imprints in the path triple the size of any of the hoof prints. Applejack canters quickly to catch up to me, eyeing the now growing crowd of ponies at the town’s edge much like I am. “How fast can you run?” I ask quietly. “What?” She blink, looking up at me. “Why?” “Just in case,” I answer, my gaze affixed ahead. The large mass of ponies is entering my sensor’s range now, and the mass of orange blinking at me from the corner of my HUD. We are about fifty yards away when Applejack answers. “Pretty fast.” “Good,” I grunt. At a quick count, there are twenty five or so ponies gathering in a circle at the end of the street we are walking towards, about where the dirt path melds into a large road and the houses begin. I can see a few smaller ponies in the crowd as well, peeking in between legs or around torsos. I can feel the crowd’s eyes following me, and I catch snippets of murmurs as the ponies talk amongst themselves. They all look up at me with undisguised suspicion, and I can see them shifting as we draw closer. Apparently it’s good Applejack is walking with me, because her presence seems to be calming the crowd somewhat. If the blue arrow didn’t clearly point straight through the center of the town, I would rather have gone around the edges of the buildings, even if it had taken a bit longer. I step to about a yard away from the crowd, and the group parts down the middle. Quirking a brow beneath my helmet, I start into the crowd, watching all of the ponies head’s swivel at me. It’s a bit unsettling, to have so many eyes on me and so close, but I don’t let it show as I walk silently through them, and start into the town.