• Published 8th Feb 2012
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Equestria: A Flux Tale - Star Sage



A Tiny Human lands in Equestria. Why? What? Who? Questions to be answered, and a quest to be found.

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New Duties

“Ah, finished already?” asked a sweet voice, Cadence, who used her wings to scoot everypony in the hall back as you exited the room. Obviously the Alicorns had felt what you'd done, so none of them seemed surprised when behind you came the altered griffon. The guards, both the three sets of Royal, and the three hospital ones, all seemed to start a bit, but otherwise stood back, knowing that their rulers had this. Your personal guards, though, took off like shots, soon standing between you and him as the hall got crowded.

“It's okay. He's not going to hurt anyone, ever again,” you tell them with finality, and the griffon nods at this proclamation, his eyes giving off a subtle blue glow.

“The human is correct. I can no longer harm anyone, or speak a lie, or even make a weapon. These are the rules I have agreed to live by for the rest of my days,” he told them simply, turning his head to the three Alicorns.

“Indeed,” said Celestia, walking forward. She stood before the griffon, staring down at him with that hard glint in her eyes, like she was trying to bore into his soul. After several tense heartbeats, however, her expression turned from hard alabaster, to soft cloud, and she smiled down at him.

“You will need transport back to your kingdoms. I shall arrange that with all haste, as Captain Gilda will probably find it less than desirable to have you out of her oversight,” she told him, and then turned away, so that Luna could stand before him.

“If you would please follow Our guards, they will take you to the palace while we prepare for your departure,” says the Princess of the Night. Her tone makes the statement an order despite the please, and the griffon nods, as her bat winged guards come up to him, and then everyone leaves the hospital, Vinyl and Octavia, as well as you and the Princesses climbing into the cabin of the carriage and starting off down the road, while Ashati is escorted at a walk.

“Um, what did you do to him?” asked Octavia, as the carriage pulled out of sight of the griffon, who seemed to look around with new eyes at every sight around him.

“I placed a great burden on him. Something that will act like a chain all the rest of his life. I gave him power, and told him to live up to the responsibility it represents,” you say simply, and Octavia and Vinyl don't seem willing to ask more, as you stare across the floor at the Princesses. After a moment the cloud of thoughts form over their heads, and you join it, finding it easier now than before.

'Why?' asked three thoughts at once. There were a thousand images behind the simple question, but all of it boiled down to that one word.

'Because he did what he did for his people. To punish him beyond his failure would have been petty. To fail to recognize his need would have been negligence. To fail to put limits on the power I gave him would have been folly,' you thought back, and then you are booted out of the cloud by a rush of images, thoughts, and swirling emotions. You start back into yourself, and would have fallen over backwards if your back hadn't been against a wall.

Octavia looks at you concerned for a moment, but you wave her off with a gesture, and then proceed to stare at the Alicorn's. They sit there, impassive, their eyes and bodies showing nothing of the tumult happening above them. The cloud of thoughts boils with conflict, like some great storm about to break and flood the land. Idly, you try to get back in, but find that the way is barred to you, and so you just sit in your seat, as the carriage makes its way back to the palace.

The instant it stops, the Princesses leap out, trotting quickly for the gates, the cloud following them. Not having anything better to do, you follow, noticing that the sun in the sky was already past the noonday peak, and was slipping quickly to the horizon. Even with the royal power, a journey through Canterlot and back again had taken you all day.

“What's up with the Princesses?” asks Spitfire as she and the Bolts land next to you, and you shrug in response as your group follows the trio through the gates. The three Royals move with a purpose through the usual sea of paparazzi in the foyer, who don't try to bother the monarchs as they pass, only snapping photos in silence.

You follow as quickly as possible, pushing through the camera wielding ponies, assisted by the Wonderbolts and guards. The Princesses still move faster though, and arrive at the big double doors to the Throne Room, which, as expected in the middle of the day, is full of various people. Ponies, buffalo, griffons, and a dozen other types mill about, all turning as the trio moves through the center of them, creating a passage for the rest of you as you follow along behind.

“Captain, please find Lord Chamberlain Applebee, and tell her to bring the book we discussed earlier,” Celestia ordered in that motherly tone of voice, even as her thoughts roiled within the cloud above her, unnoticed by those without the sense to see it. The Captain, hearing her command, bowed and quickly rushed out of a side door near the throne, as the monarchs took their seats, the rest of your group standing before them as they waited.

Luckily, they didn't have to wait long, as Applebee had apparently been waiting for this summons, coming in through the side door with the Captain, a book held in her saddle bags. It was a big book too, at least twice the size of most tomes, and many thousands of pages long. The Lord Chamberlain either knew what to do from an earlier order, or guessed, as she took a small seat beside Luna that was raised from out of the ground by the Night Princess' magic.

“Are we decided then?” asked Cadence, a smirk on her face as she turned to her aunts, who merely stared at her, the cloud over their heads vanishing, before all three turned to face you. Not the crowd, or your group, all three stared right at you, making you feel not only under dressed, but also quite nervous.

“Human, today you did something quite different. Something that will have lasting ramifications on the balances of power in this world, farther reaching even than your defeat of Discord,” began Cadence, her voice going from that playful tone to one of a ruler without effort, as her expression hardened into crystal....literally, her coat took on the look of a Crystal Pony.

“Today you have laid a curse and a blessing on one who sought to harm you for personal gain. Not because you forgave him, but simply because you understood him in a way few can claim,” continued Luna, and you noticed a trick similar to your aura thing with Ashati in the hospital. Luna's though exuded darkness, giving her defined features, like a piece of midnight made flesh.

“Today you have granted someone great power, and laid at their claws responsibility that they might not live up to. But rather than leave it at that, you placed limits on this power, created the rules in which it can be used, and told the wielder that there will be consequences to it's misuse,” finished Celestia, and her transformation was the most subtle, but also the most overwhelming, as she seemed to glow with an inner light, like she was a miniature sun.

“Courage to make a choice,” Cadence.

“Compassion to show mercy,” Luna.

“Wisdom to temper mercy with practicality,” Celestia.

“These are traits that make a ruler great. Traits those who would claim the title of Prince or Princess within this realm must demonstrate before we will grant them that title, and the power that would go with it,” said Celestia in her 'Princess means Business' voice, and suddenly you had a dawning realization of what it was the three were planning, and wished again that you had dressed more formally.

“You have much growing to do before you can take that title, however. You have shown yourself to have the power to rule, and the traits to rule effectively. Thus, We wish to grant you a first step on the path to rule. We will, if you allow, place the burden on you of a Court, like Our own. There, you will preside over decisions of the land, and We shall see how you wield your power not in a moment of passion, but as a Ruler,” she finishes, and you just gap at them, the expression on your face frozen between shock at what's been said, excitement at something new to experience, and horror at having to get a real job for the first time since you arrived in Equestria.

“The honor you wish to grant me is a great one, one I am not sure I can live up to. Such things are so far removed from what I was in my world that I know nothing of that power,” you begin, hearing a few murmurs from your group, most of them encouraging you to take the job.

“But, if you do so wish it, I will take the position. I shall try to be what you think I can,” you tell them, and then with a thought, cast aside what you wore for something more befitting a ruler in a fantasy kingdom. Nothing fancy mind, nothing gaudy or gauche, just armor, much like the Prism Stone armor you'd been wearing, but with a golden hue, and a flowing red cape.

“Applebee, adjust the ledger to show that that...Flux Court will soon be in session. Find the dockets that mostly personal business for now, rather than matters of state,” said Celestia, and Applebee went to work, her quill flying over the pages in front of her as she made the annotations.

“It will take some time to arrange the Court session. As such, We would advise you and your friends to take to the mess and a meal, that you might be prepared for your new role,” said Luna, and then the three rules just sort of popped back into their normal forms. The declaration still held most of the hall silent, luckily, as Luna and Cadence, with a smile from each, motioned you to follow them, the Captain guiding you out of the side door beside the thrones.

“We are sorry to have laid this burden on your so suddenly, but we had thought you would take a few days before doing anything as you did with Ashati,” said Luna as you exited the hall, a tumult of voices now coming from the crowd, even as the Major Domo of the Court began to cry for order. All the noise was cut off with a loud boom as the doors to the throne room shut, and you were left in the hall wearing your golden armor, with everypony staring at you, like they were expecting you to freak out or something.

Luckily, you didn't. Well, not too much. Instead you stood there, hands at your side, took a deep breath, and sighed it back out. Reaching behind you, you tapped at the armor's back, and the cap curled up, allowing you to move more easily. This seemed to set everypony at ease, as they gathered around you, and your group set off towards the mess.

“So, it seems you did something momentous,” said the Captain as he walked beside you on your right, with Octavia and the Vinyl on your left, Luna and Cadence in the fore, and the rear being taken up by the Wonderbolts.

“I did something I don't regret. I gave Ashati magic, of a sorts, and told him how to live the rest of his life properly, if he wants to truly show his regrets for what he did last night,” you tell him simply, and the Captain, after a brief moment, nods and smiles.

“As I said this morning. You are going to be a fine Prince someday,” is all he tells you, as Vinyl and Octavia scoot closer, the Captain peeling off down a side hall. Luna and Cadence both make excuses at the mess door, but tell you to be ready once you are done eating, and to proceed to the throne room as soon as possible. Both wish you luck, before vanishing with teleport flashes.

“Ah, they really need to learn how not to lay it on so thick,” commented Vinyl, as the six of you went into the mess. Sitting down, you all took a quiet meal, only a few words passing between you. Their thoughts were unknown to you, but your own were so focused on the coming duty, that you barely picked at your food, afraid of just what awaited you, worried that you would fail. Still, you were going to do your best, and resolved to make the most of your time in Court.

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