Valiant

by Scipio Smith

Grogar's Return I: Thunder's Assignment

Grogar's Return I: Thunder's Assignment

Insidious made absolutely certain that there was nopony around to see her before she transformed. Had anypony been watching, they would have seen what appeared to be a butter-yellow earth pony mare, wearing the attire of a palace servant, be consumed in an eerie green light. And when the light faded, they would have seen a changeling, all spiky angles and holes in her legs, her insect-like wings beating slowly.

But there was nopony around to witness the change, she was certain of that. If there was, she would have killed them.

Insidious stood near the top of a lonely mountain overlooking the garrison town of Ponyville. Beneath her, she could see the new walls enfolding the old town, the numb and function grey of the defences looking incongruent when one could see the old brightly coloured buildings behind, full of heart motifs and saccharine wholesomeness. The old Equestria sat uncomfortably alongside the new, fighting a rearguard action against the proliferation of increasingly lifeless architecture and constant reminders of the parlous state of the once peaceful land.

Insidious chuckled. When Lord Grogar seized power, the last thing that would be said about the new Equestria was that its style was lifeless. They might call it cruel, evil, soul-destroying, but never lifeless.

Insidious was standing at the mouth of a great cave, dug into the top of the mountain. Once, long ago, it had been a dragon's lair, and when they had first arrived they had found a few scraps of treasure left behind. The stratons had eaten it all, of course. What would the rest of them do with gold or jewels?

She could not put off going in any longer. Insidious shook her head, steeled herself, and began to walk inside.

Crimson King Darkness - Insidious was absolutely certain that wasn't his real name, although she couldn't work out why anypony would want to give themselves a name that stupid - was on guard today, sitting near the mouth of the cave reading one of his trashy horror stories. He was a unicorn whose coat was a red so dark it reminded Insidious of blood. His black mane, highlighted with streaks of red which Insidious was sure he dyed in, was all over the place, sticking up in some places, hanging down over his face in others.

"Alright, darling?" Crimson grinned as he saw Insidious coming. "Come to tell the boss how well polished the floors in Canterlot are?"

Insidious eyed him disdainfully. "How long did it take you to think of that? A day? Two?"

"Only a couple of hours, give me some credit," Crimson replied in that high voice and bizarre accent of his that grated on her ears. "And frankly, for someone who has all the time in the world to think of comebacks while you're cleaning out the toilets that one was particularly poor."

Insidious smiled mirthlessly. "Go ahead. Make your stupid cracks. But while you've been sitting on your flank doing squat, I've been working for our master. So you might want to start practicing your curtsy from now on, because I'll be Viceroy when we're done."

Crimson's eyebrows - black, but he had springled silver glitter in them for reasons Insidious didn't even want to guess at - rose. His voice became softer, calmer. "So, it's good news then?"

"The best," Insidious said with a triumphant smirk. "I'm going to give Grogar all of Equestria."

"You will be the golden girl, won't you?" Crimson said, his tone sly. "If you can really do it that is."

Insidious hissed, baring her fangs. "You try, you so much as think about screwing this up, you little poser, and I'll bury you." They both knew, all of the Chosen knew, that when Lord Grogar took his rightful place as ruler of the world then he would name one of them, his favourite, his most loyal and competent servant, as his viceroy. Whomever he named would be elevated above all others and be given kingdoms to rule in Grogar's name when the new order was established. The prize kept them competitive, kept them vying with one another for Grogar's favour.

It also meant they wouldn't hesitate to screw one another over to stop a rival from getting ahead.

"You wound me, darling, you wound me terribly," Crimson cried. "I would never jeopardise the boss's victory. Just because it's your plan doesn't mean you have to be around to see the success of it though."

Insidious hissed again, backing away from him slowly. She waited until she couldn't see him any more - she had rounded a twisting corner in the tunnel - before she turned around. She tried to put thoughts of her jealous rivals from her mind. She would need to present confidence before Grogar.

When they had moved into this cave, they had expanded it to serve as a fitting palace for their master, turning a simple cave into a warren of tunnels descending into the mountain. The throne room, where Grogar held court, was at the very centre of this warren, and so Insidious had to descend through increasingly dark tunnels, dimly lit by a handful of magically glowing amber crystals set into the walls and occassionally augmented by a patch of luminescent blue rock or green slime. The darkness didn't bother Insidious though, her changeling eyes could cut through it easily. This darkness, anyway.

Eventually, she reached the throne room, a long chamber of barren rock, fitting only in size to accommodate Lord Grogar's majesty. It was lit for two thirds of the way by the same magical amber lamps that lit the other tunnels, and Insidious walked down the throne room until the lights stopped.

Stopped was the right word. When it came to a certain point it was as though the light had hit a wall, all illumination from the lamps ceasing in spite of the fact that there was nothing there to make it cease. It was just an invisible line, drawn along the floor and walls: here the light stops, beyond this point the shadows rule.

At the very back to the room, barely visible, sat Lord Grogar himself. He it was who kept the light at bay, he it was who swathed the far end of his throne room in darkness and in shadow. Keen as her eyes were, Insidious could not penetrate the dark that shrouded him like a shield, not even to make out a silhouette. The shadows clung to him like robes, like armour, no, neither of those comparisons did it justice. He was not wearing darkness or shadow as something extraneous to himself. It was a part of him, impossible to tell where Grogar ended and the dark began. It swirled around him, it boiled off him, it defended him from the hateful, burning lights of the world and the gazes of those who would seek to harm him. Only his eyes were visible: two red lights glowing in the dark.

When those eyes fixed upon her, Insidious stopped dead in her tracks and tried - and failed - not shiver. Lord Grogar's gaze never ceased to make her feel as though her skin as being stripped off of her piece by piece, leaving her soul exposed to her master's gaze. She had no secrets from him, he knew her darkest desires and her most private thoughts. For she belonged to him, and there was nothing she possessed that he did not allow her. She had nothing that, ultimately did not belong to him.

"Insidious," Grogar's voice was soft, but it cut through the distance between them as though he had been shouting. "This must be important, for you to abandon the post I assigned to you."

Insidious bowed. "My lord, I have wonderful news. For the first time in a hundred years, Princess Celestia is to leave Canterlot. She travels to Ponyville tomorrow for the graduation ceremony of the Royal Guard trainees there."

For a moment, Grogar was silent. Then the lights went out.

Insidious had been born in darkness. She had grown up in an underground hive where the only light was the faint glow of green cocoons. She could spot a black cat in a coal mine on a night when the moon was obscured by clouds. There was no darkness her eyes could not penetrate; except this one. For the first time in her life Insidious was absolutely blind. It set her whole body trembling.

"You are certain of this?" Grogar demanded. She could feel his breath on the back of her neck, yet she had heard nothing, neither the sound of hooves nor or teleporation.

She kept her face forward, resisting the temptation to look wildly around as she started to sweat. "I am, my lord. I heard Princess Luna issuing instructions for Princess Celestia and herself to fly to Ponyville tomorrow afternoon."

"Why now?" Grogar's voice sounded distant now, as though he called her from a mile away. Once again, Insidious had heard no movement. "She has not stirred from her palace for one hundred years, weeping for Twilight Sparkle." Grogar loaded the name with enough malice to have towered over the mountain where dwelled. "Why does she emerge now? Could this be a trick? A trap laid to draw me out?"

"I don't think so, my lord," Insidious said. "I have heard nothing to suggest that your return is even suspected by anypony, and Princess Luna has made no secret of how dissatisfied with her sister she is. I believe that this is what it seems to be: an attempt by Princess Luna to rouse Princess Celestia from her mourning." She hesitated. "My lord, this is a great opportunity. Away from Canterlot's defences-"

"I do not require my spy to school me in war," Grogar was whispering her ear now, she could feel someone right beside her. "Outside the palace, outside Canterlot, they will be vulnerable. But not undefended."

"Most of the guards of Ponyville are trainees, inexperienced," Insidious said. "And even the older guards will be no match for the powers of the Chosen. I give you my word, none shall hinder you."

Grogar's voice sounded as though it was coming from some distance behind her. "What else do you know? Who else will be in Ponyville that day?"

"The First Minister, he can do nothing," Insidious declared confidently. "And Princess Luna's student, Thunder Shield."

"Student?" Grogar's voice, sounding close enough he was practically kissing her, was a gentle caress upon her skin. "Who is this student?"

He fears another Twilight Sparkle, Insidious realised. "Nopony, just a stray that Princess Luna took pity on. He has no magic, no friends, he cannot threaten my lord's ambitions. The dragon Spike is the only one my lord might fear."

"Fear!" Grogar seemed to be yelling from right in front of her, spittle striking her face from out of the darkness. "I do not fear anypony. I am the Tyrant of Tambelon, the Star of Morning. I laid low Princess Twilight Sparkle and her like is not in the world today. I raise my voice and Tirek himself falls on bended knee. I stamp my hoof and legions of demons arise from the depths of Tartarus. What pony, god or dragon lives that I should be a-feared of, no, I do not fear. I am fear made flesh."

Insidious swallowed. "Indeed, my lord. I shall not make that mistake again."

"Good," Grogar murmured. "Good."

The lights came back on, lighting up the chamber, except for the back where Grogar lurked, shrouded by shadow. He did not appear to have moved off his throne. Had he really been all around her, where he had seemed to be from the sound of his voice? Or had it been nothing but a trick, designed to frighten her?

"Perhaps it was both," Grogar suggested gently.

Insidious meeped. He can read my thoughts? I really hope he doesn't know that- She hastily tried to think of something else.

"You hope I didn't know what?" Grogar asked. "That you though I was afraid of Twilight Sparkle? Or of another like her. I killed Twilight Sparkle, why I should fear one who is a hundred dead and defeated? And if another does think to follow in her hoofsteps, there fate will be the same as hers."

"Of course," Insidious gasped out as he throat dried up. "Please, my lord, forgive me."

"Forgive?" Grogar chuckled. "My dear Insidious, who do you think I am. Gods and tyrants do not forgive. Their clemency must be earned through faithful service."

"I have brought you this momentous news," Insidious reminded him.

"Yes, you did. Would you be my viceroy, Insidious? Would you sit at my right hoof and rule in my name, the first of the Chosen?"

Insidious permitted herself a smile. "My lord, I would love that more than anything."

"Then see you do not doubt my power in future," Grogar growled. The cloud of shadow that enveloped him expanded a little. "Twilight Sparkle was to me as an ant to an alicorn. And yet..."

"My lord?"

"The spell she cast to send me here, one hundred years into the future, left me gravely weakened," Grogar confessed. "Even now, after one whole month in the care of my servants, I have not recovered all of my strength. Yet I will get no better opportunity than this to confront Celestia."

"My lord," Insidious murmured. "What would you have me do? Ask, and it shall be done."

Grogar was silent for a moment. "Bring me any slaves we have. The morning star must feed before it duels the sun and moon."

---

Thunder Shield, dressed in a padded arming jacket, strode into the ring, a grim expression on his face.

As much as he tried not to get overconfident, he couldn't help but feel that his victory was certain. He had faced all of these guards before, and none of them had ever beaten him.

Behind him, on the edge of the ring, Kenzi waved a couple of tiny flags up and down in the air. "Go Thunder! Woo!"

Thunder smirked a little at her antics, then assumed a stance ready for the fight to begin.

Almost every day he trained in hoof to hoof combat with members of the Royal Guard. For some time now he had been winning every bout. None of them were as good as he was. None of them were as driven as he was. None of them understood why he pushed himself so hard: because this was all he had. Without magic, he had no weapons but his wings and his hooves, and if Equestria was attacked the way Hipparchia had been then he would do what he could to keep it safe. He wasn't a helpless foal any more. His new home would not fall while he had anything to say about it. So he would train, and devote himself to his training to the exclusion of all else, he would make himself the sharpest spear in Princess Luna's arsenal if he had to. It was the least he could do after all she had done for him.

The ring was nothing more than a large sand pit in the middle of the palace armoury. Armour draped over ponikins in the corners of the room, spears were hung on the walls, the air was musty and thick. The sand crunched under Thunder's hooves. He liked it here. He liked the way it wasn't trying to be cheerful. It was what it was, and the armoury was a good place for a weapon anyway.

There were eight royal guards assembled to test him today: two earth ponies, two unicorns, two pegasi, two night ponies. None of them was unknown to him, which was a pity, but he supposed that he must have gone through the entire palace guard by now, there wasn't anypony left he hadn't fought. In place of their armour, they each wore a quilted jacket like his, which would offer mild protection without injuring anypony's hooves the way that punching a breast-plate would have.

His first opponent stepped into the ring: Rock Steady, a powerfully built grey earth pony. Thunder knew that if he left Rock hit him, he would be in trouble, but he also knew that he was faster than the guard was.

"Let's go!" Thunder declared.

Rock lunged for him, his powerful forehooves striking out. Thunder rolled out the way as the hooves hit the sand, then leapt to his own hooves and lunged before Rock Steady could react. Thunder leapt, barelling into the earth pony and then they were grappling, rolling over and over one another in the sand.

Rock smirked as he ended up on top, pinning Thunder beneath his weight. Then his smile faded, as Thunder smirked right back at him.

"Just where I wanted you," Thunder murmured, before he pushed his head forwards into Rock's face with a crunch. Then he kicked upwards with all four legs at once, launching Rock Steady off of him and into the air. Thunder rolled to one side just as the earth pony came down, hitting the sand with a thud.

"Ugh," Rock moaned, unable to rise.

"Yeah, Thunder!" Kenzi yelled.

Thunder got up, spitting sand out of his mouth. "Who's next?"

A pegasi was next. Thunder got him in a headlock and held him there until he surrendered. Then there was a unicorn, who Thunder eventually picked up and planted head-first into the sand. It wasn't that they were unskilled, precisely, they just didn't have his fire driving them on.

One by one they entered the ring, and one by one he defeated them. Eventually the last pony left, nursing his bruises to both body and pride, and Thunder sat down in the sand circle, alone except for Kenzi.

"Oh, come on," Kenzi said, fluttering in front of his face. "You just beat eight guys and you still look miserable! Lighten up, dude, seriously."

Thunder looked down at his hooves. "Why am I doing this, Kenzi?"

Kenzi shrugged her tiny shoulders. "I dunno. I thought you did it to practice."

"But I'm not learning anything new from fighting the same guys over and over," Thunder said. "All I'm doing is inflating my ego, winning fights so I can tell myself how good I am."

"It certainly isn't making you happy," Kenzi said pointedly.

"No," Thunder agreed. "But then again I'm not sure what would."

"Well I wish you'd think of something, dude, because providing all the cheer in this relationship can be a real drag sometimes," Kenzi muttered. "Sometimes it would be nice if you could make jokes while I mope about how much life sucks."

Thunder snorted. "Yeah, I guess I do kinda hog all the angst to myself, don't I? I'll try and let you have a turn some time."

"Well thank you," Kenzi said. "I have my own problems, you know. Like the fact that when you can alter your appearance at will it can take, like, forever to decide on a hairstyle in the morning. Or the fact that I still can't get my mascara right. Or that I'm stuck with the world's whiniest alicorn as my best friend-"

Thunder chuckled. "Now when you put it like that, you only make me realise how much I have to be thankful for. Like the fact that I only ever wear my mane one way. Or the fact that I don't wear mascara. Or the fact that I have the coolest and most understanding best friend in the world."

Kenzi smiled. "You bet you do, sweet cheeks, and don't ever forget it."

"You'll have to teach me your secret some time."

"The secret to what?"

"Being you." By which Thunder meant that Kenzi could bear her real problems, having no idea of where she came from or if she was the only fairy still existing in the world, without complaint while Thunder let his rancour at his sorrows spill out from him with the regularity of a pot boiling over.

"Oh, I'd love to, Thunder honey, but I'm afraid that nopony has what it takes to be me and it would probably kill you to try."

Thunder picked himself up off the ground. "We should probably-"

"There you are!"

Thunder looked up at the stairway leading down into the armoury. There, at the top of the stairs, stood a cream-coloured unicorn, glaring at him from the one blue eye that wasn't obscured by her blonde bangs. She was wearing the blue uniform of the military police: her jacket was double breasted with silver buttons, which would have marked her out as a pony of import even if he hadn't noticed the lieutenant's insignia on her epaulettes or the silver unicorn's head pinned to her collar which designated the Flying Squad, the elite within the elite or so it was said.

Thunder straightened up slightly. "Something I can help you with, lieutenant?"

The unicorn scowled as she trotted down the stairs. Her cutie mark, Thunder noticed, was a star map, the various stars joined by white lines such as a teacher might draw to illustrate where the constellations where.

"You can help me understand what you thought your were doing giving orders to two members of the Military Police!" Her voice was rich, surprisingly deep, sultry almost. And very angry too, angry most of all.

Thunder snorted. "That didn't take very long. Do you teach all your soldiers to go howling to their superiors the moment they don't get their own way?"

"We teach them to report to their officers when somepony interferes in their duties," the lieutenant snapped.

"Their duties?" Thunder laughed. "They were bullying an old mare in the streets, I put a stop to it. Is behaving like petty tyrants part of the job description of the police now?"

"That's not the point," the lieutenant snapped. "You have no right to issue orders to the Military Police! You're not in our chain of command."

"I'm Princess Luna's student," Thunder said.

"That doesn't give you or Princess Luna any authority over the Mil-"

"Yes, yes, Military Police, the awesomest thing since the word awesome," Kenzi said. "We know already, give it a rest."

The lieutenant's bangs parted slightly, allowing her glare at Kenzi with her other icy blue eye.

"Or I could just be quiet and, y'know, hide behind Thunder," Kenzi murmured, fluttering behind Thunder's head and whispering in his ear. "I don't think she likes me very much."

"You know who I am, but I don't know you," Thunder muttered. "It would have been pilot to have introduced yourself before barging in her throwing accusations around."

The lieutenant stiffened. "My name is Lieutenant Stargazer, with the Flying Squad." Her body was lean and taut, defined muscles showing on her legs and chest. Even her face looked more hard than soft. Even her eyes were cold.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lieutenant," Thunder said. "My name's Thunder Shield, personal student to Princess Luna. But then you already knew that, didn't you? Was it you want from me? I'm guessing it isn't just a chance to vent."

"I want an apology, delivered to the corps as a whole and to the officers concerned," Stargazer said.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't grovel, not to the Military Police and certainly not when I didn't do anything wrong," Thunder growled. He looked her over again. She looked strong and capable, the Military Police only accepted the top ten graduates from each graduating class of Royal Guard trainees, and entrance to the Flying Squad was by invitation only. And he'd never sparred with her before. "I'll tell you what, how would you like to make this interesting?"

"How?" Stargazer asked warily.

"If you can beat me in the ring, I'll give you your apology," Thunder said. "But if I win, then you have to discipline those two soldiers of yours for their actions to the old mare. Do we have a deal?"

Stargazer stared at the sand duelling ring for a moment. Then a smirk spread across her face. "Are you sure? Don't underestimate me just 'cause I'm in the Military Police."

"I'll try and hold back my disdain," Thunder replied.

Stargazer stepped into the circle, her horn glowing as she took off her uniform coat and put in on the ground a safe distance outside the ring. "So, what are the rules? No magic, I suppose."

"No magic, no flying and no moves designed to kill or maim," Thunder said. "Other than that, anything goes."

Kenzi hastily flew out of the ring, then started waving her little flags again. "Go, Thunder! Show her who's boss!"

"I'm sorry about that," Thunder muttered.

Stargazer chuckled. "It's fine. I just wish I had a cheering section."

"You think you need one?" Thunder asked playfully. "I hope you have a charge sheet ready for those two goons."

"And I hope you've started planning your apology," Stargazer replied. "Now: begin!"

That was usually his line. Thunder smirked. His hooves scraped upon the sand as she settled into position, then dust flew up all around him as he lunged straight for her. Stargazer stood still, ready to recieve him, a mountain in the face of a hurricane.

Thunder roared as he prepared to hit her head on, bowling her over with the force of his charge.

Stargazer's knees bent, her whole profile lowering seconds before Thunder struck. Thunder's charge hit home, but he couldn't account for her ducking and was left a lot higher than she was. Like a kraken erupting out of the deep Stargazer rose, lifting her right side up and rolling even as she slammed one hoof into Thunder's underbelly. Thunder winced in pain as he was lifted up into the air, flipped over Stargazer's back, and planted on the sand with his legs in the air.

Stargazer's one visible eye was cold as she raised one hoof to hit him between the eyes for a knockout blow. Thunder rolled sideways as her hoof slammed into the sand, scrambling to his hooves.

"Surprised?" Stargazer asked.

"They didn't teach you that in training," Thunder replied.

"That's right, they didn't," Stargazer said. "But don't expect me to give away any secrets."

Thunder didn't reply to that, he was more focussed on planning what he would do next. He circled around the edge of the arena, his movements careful and precise, the sand shifting minutely in response to his tread. Deeper inside the circle, Stargazer watched him, turning so as to keep him in view at all times. But she did not attack.

Hmm, I wonder. Thunder went for her again, not with a full-blooded charge this time but with a more probing advance, slower, more careful, just until she came within range of his hooves. He reared up to kick out with his forehooves.

This time it was Stargazer's turn to roll, covering her body in sand as she dived out of the way of his strike. She rose swiftly back to her hooves and counterattacked, one hoof lashing out towards Thunder's face.

Thunder blocked, his hoof aching where it collided with hers, and retreated a few steps. Stargazer did not pursue.

Thunder waited. She did not come. He attacked again, and again she fended him off but did no more than that. Twice more Thunder tested her defences and found them solid, twice more Stargazer would counterattack, but would not follow him when he retreated. She seemed absolutely defensive, with either no willingness or ability to risk herself in attack.

He could use that.

With a howl, Thunder leapt for her, landing on his forehooves before spinning on them, pirouetting so that his hind legs were in position to kick hard for Stargazer's face. He felt something grab his legs and pull on them, Stargazer trying to flip him over her like she had before. Thunder smirked, and bucked like a bull at a rodeo. Stargazer yelped as she was hurled into the air, flying over Thunder before landing on her back in front of him. Thunder reared, his forehooves flying. Stargazer kicked upwards, catching him in the belly and tossing him upwards as all his breath left him. Thunder's eyes began to water as he flew upwards and then landed back again on all fours.

Stargazer got up, panting a little and covered in sweat and sand, and at last she attacked him.

Both ponies rose up onto their hind legs, slugging it out with forehooves flying. Stargazer's blows where like hammers against Thunder's guard, while his every punch was like an avalanche descending. She kicked him on the nose, he got her on the jaw, their guards slipped as they started to have trouble breathing, sweat making the sand stick to their bodies. Thunder's head was ringing, his opponent was a blur, but he kept on going. He wouldn't lose, his pride wouldn't allow it.

And then Stargazer dropped to the ground, raising one hoof in the air. "Okay, okay, I give up. You win."

"Woohoo!" Kenzi cheered. "Suck it!"

"Kenzi, that's enough," Thunder said firmly. He shook his head to clear it a little. "Nopony has ever pushed me that hard before."

"I'm glad," Stargazer said, getting up.

"There's a towel over there, if you want it."

"Isn't that yours?"

"Ladies first," Thunder said in between breaths.

"Thanks," Stargazer said as she levitated the towel over to her and started wiping herself down. "I'll still need a bath, but at least I can walk down the street without looking like a total disgrace. What about you, what will Princess Luna say if she sees you like this?"

Thunder shrugged. "Hopefully she won't see. Now, about those two guys."

"I'll reprimand them for their behaviour," Stargazer said resignedly. "My superiors won't like it, but a deal's a deal. I lost and that's all there is too it." She put her jacket back on. "But don't take that as license to keep interefering in Military Police business. I've got my eye on you, Thunder Shield."

"I'll try and keep an eye out for you two, Lieutenant," Thunder said. "If you don't mind me saying, I think you're wasted in the Military Police, though I can see why the Flying Squad wanted you with skills like that."

Stargazer chuckled. "Actually, I was recruited for the Flying Squad as a tactical planner, my combat skills are strictly secondary."

Thunder's eyebrows rose. She's almost beaten him, and her combat skills were secondary? "You must be one heck of a planner."

"You'd better believe it," Stargazer said, starting up the steps towards the door. Thunder watched her go. She paused in the doorway. "And by the way, quit checking out my flank."

And then she was gone.

Kenzi flew over to hover by Thunder Shield's ear. "Well, she was full of herself. 'Quit checking out my flank.' Huh. As if."

"I kinda was," Thunder admitted.

"Really?" Kenzi exclaimed. "Why, she looked terrible. All that muscle."

Thunder shrugged. "I sort of like the athletic type."

Kenzi raised an eyebrow at him. "You are very strange. I didn't like her."

"Because she had muscle?"

"Because she was arrogant," Kenzi said. "Did you even listen to her?"

"Anypony who can nearly take me in a fight has a right to a little bit of arrogance," Thunder said. "Come on, I need to go wash up."

---

Fortunately it was not until after he had bathed the sweat and sand off of him that Thunder encountered Princess Luna, attired in all her royal regalia, waiting for him in his room. She had his wardrobe open, examining the Hipparchian armour that her guards had recovered from the wreckage of Thunder's home. Had he caught anypony else snooping around through his things, especially the Royal Armour of his home, Thunder would have given them the rough side of his tongue at least, but with Princess Luna it was, as with so much else where she was concerned, different.

Thunder stood upon the threshold of his room and bowed. Kenzi, fluttering by the side of his head, did likewise.

"Your Highness," Thunder said quietly. "I'm sorry if I kept you waiting. I didn't know that you wanted to see me."

"Indeed not," Luna murmured, not looking at him. "I imagine you wanted a good wash, considering how much more strenuous than usual your workout was."

Thunder blinked. "Princess, you-"

"How could I rule Equestria if I did not even know what went on in my own palace?" Luna asked, turning to face him with a slight smile. "While I cannot approve of regularly brawling with members of the Military Police, I must say I am quite glad you won. I don't know if I could have born the smugness of the First Minister's face if his mare had beaten you."

"I'm glad that I didn't disappoint you, Your Highness."

Luna frowned. "Thunder Shield, there is no need to constantly address me so formally. Princess Luna will do if you must, but will you not consider-"

"Your Highness," Thunder interrupted her, his tone flat and level. "I am very grateful for all that you have done for me. I feel a great affection for you, and I am honoured to be your student. But I had a mother, and even though she's gone I do not want another."

There was silence in the room.

"I see," Luna said quietly. "In any case, I came here with a purpose: I have an assignment for the both of you."

Thunder's eyebrows rose. "An assignment?"

"Tomorrow, a class of Royal Guard trainees will graduate from their training in the town of Ponyville," Luna said. "Celestia and I will be presiding over the ceremony."

"Celestia?" Kenzi exclaimed. "But she's, like, a total shut-in, she never goes anywhere."

Luna stared at her.

"I mean, um, everyone knows Princess Celestia never leaves her room," Kenzi said quietly.

"I am hoping that this ceremony will be the beginning of drawing her out again," Luna said. "It is time that she got out of her room and back into the country."

"Was her room full of cats?" Kenzi asked.

"Kenzi," Luna admonished warningly.

"I'll stop now," Kenzi said, her voice barely higher than a whisper.

Luna cleared her throat. "I am sending you to Ponyville ahead of us, to make sure that everything is in order to tomorrow's ceremony. I have already ordered a chariot prepared and accomodation readied in the headquarters for you."

"Why me, Your Highness?" Thunder asked.

"Because Celestia isn't the only one who needs to come out of her shell," Luna replied pointedly. "A little more than a hundred years ago, Celestia sent Twilight Sparkle to Ponyville with instructions to make some friends. It would be nice if you could make some progress on that front as well."

Thunder said nothing, let the tigthening around his jaw speak for him.

"You disapprove," Luna remarked.

"What did having friends do for Twilight Sparkle?" Thunder asked. "What did being her friend do for Lady Rarity or the other heroes? Twilight Sparkle died alone, and her friends spent the rest of thier lives with broken hearts because she was gone. Princess Celestia has been in mourning ever since because she cared too much. I had everypony I cared about ripped away from me and it still hasn't gotten any better. What does friendship do but open your heart to pain and suffering?"

"Hey!" Kenzi yelled.

"Yes, there is sadness, I will not deny it," Princess Luna said, a soft sigh the only chink in her armour of dignity. "But there is joy as well, happiness and peace and fulfilment. If you had asked Lady Rarity whether she considered the pain of Twilight Sparkle's passing to be worth the joy that being her friend brought into Rarity's life I guarantee she would have answered yes. Nopony can live alone, Thunder. It may be easier to go through life with a heart closed and frozen, but if you do you will find that you merely endure life, you do not live it."

Thunder thought of Lightning Strike, his best friend growing up. He remembered how she'd screamed for help and he'd been too scared to do anything. Just thinking about it made him shudder. He would rather endure than suffer that pain again.

But he bowed once more, and said, "I will do as you command, Princess Luna."

"I can ask no more," Luna replied. "Your chariot leaves in one hour, I suggest you start getting ready. Give my regards to Mayor Scootaloo when you arrive."

"I will, Princess," Thunder promised.

"Good, then I will see you tomorrow. Good luck." And with that, Luna was gone.

The next thing Thunder knew something was burning his ear.

"Agh," Thunder recoiled from the sensation, turning his head to see rainbow-coloured sparks flying from Kenzi's hands. "What the hay, Kenz?"

Kenzi's hair had turned a fiery red. "'What does friendship do but open your heart to pain and suffering?' Dude, seriously?"

"Huh?"

"Am I or am I not your BFF?" Kenzi demanded, planting her tiny hands upon her hips. "Or is that just a game you play to keep me happy? Because I thought that it was you and me, in it together, besties; and now you just turn round and say that you don't give buck about us, about me?"

"That's not what I meant, Kenzi," Thunder said.

"Well it's what it sounded like to me," Kenzi replied.

"But its not how it is," Thunder shouted. "Maybe, in an ideal world, it would be. But this world isn't ideal, far from it, and it turns out I'm not strong enough to be that guy. I can't shut you out, Kenzi. Maybe it would be better for both of us if I could but, I can't. You're too deep beneath my skin." Thunder laughed darkly. "You're my weakness, Kenz."

Kenzi's furious expression melted into one of compassion. "Aww, come here, big guy." She buried herself in his mane, her body warming the top of his head as she wrapped her around his horn. "You won't ever have a reason to regret letting me in, okay? I won't ever give you reason to regret it. You're not getting rid of me, Thunder Shield."

"Just don't get hurt, okay?" Thunder asked, trying to see her and failing. "If anything happened to you...I couldn't handle it."

"Don't worry, big fella, you've got my back," Kenzi said. "Like I got yours."

Thunder laughed. "Yeah, you do, don't you? I suppose, with less than an hour to go, we'd better start packing for Ponyville."

Comments

[Lelouch Vi Britania]

Grogar is rather full of himself isn't he?

[Scipio Smith]

4183088

Yup. He's a cross between the devil and the Dark One from The Wheel of Time, so I think it fits. Plus G1 canon Grogar was no slouch for ego either.

[Lelouch Vi Britania]

4183210
yeah, it really shows. "I killed twilight sparkle" every 5 minutes. The lady doth protest too much, methinks.

[Iron Nebula]

All I really want right now is Celestia's reaction when Twilight comes back. I love reaction scenes. Still, the story is pretty good and I like Grogar as a villain. I just hope this doesn't turn into an OC shipping fic. Sometimes those ones lose sight of the original plot and focus too much on the romance.

[BringBackSonicSatAM]

Insidious and CKD seem to be a step up in henchponies for Grogar when compared to that (literal) kiss-ass Bray. Out of curiousity, do you see him still being voiced by Michael Bell in this, or by somebody else?