PonySide

by Puzzle Piece

Chapter Nineteen: When Forever Ends

“You don’t plan on throwing us in prison for all this, do you?” Mat asked weakly, gesturing toward the fountain and then more vaguely at the town around them.

“I have something else in mind,” Twilight said, though she didn’t expand on that.

Instead, she gestured to someone behind Mat. He and the other humans turned to see who it was and Mat just about had a heart attack. Descending from the lowest clouds and stepping out from doors and alleys around the square, were enough heavily armored stallions to fill an entire platoon. The golden plate mail was filled out by muscular bodies that would have towered over most of the other ponies in town. The steel spears flashed threateningly as they shifted in the hooves of the guards. Four of the armored ponies took up positions beside Twilight and one passed a scroll to her. Twilight unfurled and scanned the scroll intently, occasionally looking at one of the humans or around at the square.

“Um, where did all these armored ponies come from?” Mat asked in a hushed voice, aware that almost every one of them turned to look at him warily as soon as he opened his mouth.

“They’ve been there for our entire conversation,” the Princess said nonchalantly, not even bothering to glance at him. “I called in a detachment of the Royal Guard in case you couldn’t be reasoned with and I needed to use force to stop you.”

“Oh, right,” Mat chuckled nervously. “Good thing that wasn’t necessary.”

He grinned at the nearest guard, but apparently the stallion didn’t share his sense of humor.

“It is a good thing, Mathew,” Twilight said without a hint of amusement. “You are all very dangerous and the thought of fighting openly with you was not a pleasant one. I was relieved when I saw another way, and am equally relieved you all were receptive to it.”

“What other way was that?” Mat asked, not quite making the connection.

“Convincing you to see past your differences,” Twilight replied, looking over the top of the scroll at the Light Assault. “Fluttershy wasn’t able to tell me everything she meant to say, but she told me enough to realize you humans weren’t all beyond reason. Anthony had planned on returning to speak with me. He explicitly stated that he wanted to apologize. That was enough for me to hope the rest of you could see your battle for what it was; wanton destruction fueled by hatred.” She paused to look at one last item on the scroll and rolled it up telekinetically. “Once I’d heard the NC’s view from you and contrasted it with what I’d heard from Nathan and Katie concerning the VS, and also with Fluttershy’s take on the TR, I realized that there was enough merit to all of your arguments to warrant serious consideration of each position. I figured that, if I could get you all to talk it out and listen to each other, you would eventually understand.”

“Understand what exactly?” the Major asked.

Twilight frowned at him in frustration. “What did you just learn from all of this? You did learn something, didn’t you?”

“If you expect me to have learned that we needed to stop fighting, I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed.” He folded his arms stubbornly. “You see, the Republic never wanted to fight. We wanted to maintain the order and cohesion of the remainder of our expedition. Rebels and terrorists started the armed conflict and we attempted to end it. It was the New Conglomerate’s choice to enter into full scale war that put everything over the edge.”

“Now hold on a second, Major,” Mat interjected. “We didn’t exactly have a choice at that point. The TR were power-crazed, locking everything down and feeding off the people’s fear to grab even more power. It was do-or-die time for us and we chose not become slaves!”

“The people voted for the steps taken for their security. It was a willing transition to…”

“It was fear, not willingness,” Mat interrupted. He made a sweeping gesture at the sky. “They didn’t see what they were doing to themselves. And it wasn’t unanimous either. A majority passed that vote, but that still threw many of us who could see what was happening under the bus. Even Connery didn’t want to put those ‘security measures’ in place. He was disappointed in the people who voted away their freedom.”

“But those measures were necessary due to the violent events that threatened the safety of everyone in the expedition,” the Major countered.

Before Mat could offer a rebuttal, Katie interrupted them.

“There’s no point to arguing about how it all started or why. The fact is that it started, even though it shouldn’t have. What we need to concern ourselves with now is how to mend the damage that it has caused…without reopening old wounds,” she finished with a meaningful glance between the two.

They both realized how quickly the argument had become heated. Mat shuffled his feet sheepishly.

“This is going to be harder than I thought,” the Major said with a shake of his head.

“Naw,” Mat said with a wide grin, throwing his arm over the other’s shoulders companionably. “We NC know how to let a few stupid jokes slide. We just have to remember that we’re all on the same side now. Strength in unity, right?” He winked at the Major.

“I suppose,” Gadrik said, shifting awkwardly in the embrace. “But give me a little time. I’m still getting my head around this.”

Katie joined in on the Major’s other side, pinning him between the two.

“Don’t worry. We’ll be right here to help you through it.” She smiled at him benignly.

“Thanks,” the Major grumbled, though it sounded as if a chuckle was hiding underneath the gruffness.

Twilight cleared her throat to get their attention. When she had it, she smiled at them and spoke.

“I’m glad you were able to defuse that argument and come to an understanding between the three of you. It shows promise for your future endeavors together. But before we can move forward with anything else, we need to deal with this.”

She held up the scroll she’d been looking through and her expression became more businesslike.

“Most of the damage has been detailed in it, though the last few hours were covered quickly and will need to be reviewed for more precise estimates. I’ve informed a series of contractors to begin working on repairs as soon as I give the all clear.”

She pointed at the three humans and gave them a stern frown.

“I would be well within my rights as Princess to sentence you to many years in prison on any one of the crimes you’ve committed over the past day or so. But since locking you away would serve no purpose, least of all to help you learn from your mistakes, I’ve instead decided to sentence you to community service until all of the repairs are completed. You will begin as soon as I’ve finished instructing the Guards of my expectations during my absence.”

“Absence?” Katie asked.

“I am leaving for the Crystal Empire,” Twilight replied with a nod. “I expect to be back in a few days. You should be well underway by the time I return.”

Mat looked around, seeing every bullet hole and blast mark differently now that he would be expected to fix them all without nanites. He sighed inwardly at the thought.

“You don’t mind if I start over here, do you?” the Major asked the Princess, gesturing toward one side of the square.

“I suppose not,” she said slowly. “But why?”

The Major grunted as he started walking off in the direction of one of the houses.

“I borrowed their kitchen knife and I need to return it.”

~*~*~

Mat held the ladder as Gadrik descended.

“Was that the last of them, Finn?” he asked the Major.

It had been five days since the fighting ended and the repairs had progressed steadily. The house they were working on had been damaged by the NC’s C4 and the windows were the last to be installed. Gadrik’s uniform was stripped of its armor plates and his helmet was elsewhere. Mat’s uniform was similarly stripped of accessories. Both uniforms still bore scars from the fighting but were in functional condition after a quick patch job by Rarity. The sensation of the hot sunlight that beamed down on the Major was amplified by the exertion, and yet he found a certain satisfaction in the overall effect. Something about the manual labor gave him a sense of accomplishment and he relished it. He wiped his brow as he stepped off the ladder.

“Yeah, for this house anyway,” he said with a contented sigh. “Where’s the next one?”

Mat looked around before responding. “No idea. I’ll go ask.”

Mat walked off toward a group of ponies in construction vests. Gadrik sat down on one of the lower rungs of the ladder and waited. Ponies passed through the streets on their daily business, hardly glancing at the humans now. He much preferred the lack of attention to the fearful and suspicious looks they’d been given for the first few days. The other two had adapted well to their situation, judging from their relatively cheery dispositions. They were on first name terms now, and Mat had taken to shortening those names further. Gadrik couldn’t remember the last time he’d been referred to by his first name outside of official documentation. It wasn’t the only thing he was getting used to.

One thing he was totally used to, if not totally comfortable with, was the presence of watchful guardponies escorting them everywhere they went and never letting them out of sight. Two of them were standing in front of the house directly across the street from him, their hard, staring eyes fixed on him. Two more were on the top of the city hall building, watching Mat. There were others, he knew, but they were hidden away somewhere. His gaze shifted to where Mat and the head of the construction crew were talking and noticed that they were headed back to him.

“Where to?” he asked, standing up again when they were in speaking distance.

Mat grinned. “To the nearest and comfiest chair. We’re done!”

Gadrik blinked and looked at the pony for confirmation. Ambrosia nodded with an amused smile.

“That was the last project right there,” the head of the repair crew said, gesturing to the house behind them. “As far as I’m aware, that’s all that the Princess assigned for your community service. Not sure if you’re free now, but I don’t see any problems with you grabbing a shady patch of grass to relax in until we hear otherwise.”

“That sounds like an excellent idea,” Gadrik said. “Where do you think we should settle in?”

“I’ll bet she knows a good place,” Mat said, waving at Katie, who was walking toward them from across town square.

Beside her was a yellow pony with an orange mane and behind them were two watchful Guards. The civilian pony was pulling a large cart with him.

“Who’s the friend?” Mat asked when Katie reached them.

“This is Mr. Cake,” she said slowly, clearly confused that Mat didn’t know.

“He wasn’t with us when we were introduced,” Gadrik reminded Katie. “It was just us two who helped with that project. I believe Mathew was in the Town Hall, replacing wall panels?” He looked to the NC trooper to confirm.

Mat nodded. “Right. Well, better late than never. Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Cake. The name’s Mathew Hadley.”

“Likewise, Mr. Hadley,” Mr. Cake said warmly, shaking the offered hand.

“Call me Mat.”

Mr. Cake nodded and Katie led them over to the Town Hall, where they all sat down on the lower steps. They opened the cart to reveal an assortment of treats and beverages. Mr. Cake set about passing them around to the humans and to Ambrosia, who had followed them. Mat contemplated the pastries with mild concern until he put two and two together.

“You own that shop, the one where Pinkie Pie works?” he asked.

“I do,” Mr. Cake replied neutrally. “My wife and I own and operate it.”

“I didn’t cause any trouble for Pinkie, did I?” Mat asked in a subdued voice.

Mr. Cake frowned slightly. “Pinkie caused that trouble for herself, but she’s worked it out with us already.”

“Oh,” Mat said. “As long as it’s all behind us, I guess.”

Gadrik cleared his throat. “And there are no hard feelings between us either, I hope?”

“On the contrary!” Mr. Cake said, surprising them all with a laugh. “I managed to sneak a few renovations in on the repair list. You might have put us out for a few days, but you saved us weeks by putting in that extension on the south wall and the flooring in the kitchen.”

“Slipping one by me like that? How could you?” Ambrosia gave Mr. Cake an exasperated shake of her head before laughing the matter aside. She then turned to Katie. “So where have you been the past two days. Can’t say I’ve seen you out fixing up walls and such lately.”

“I’ve been at the hospital, helping to treat those who had been injured,” she replied solemnly.

“How bad was it?” Mat asked, leaning forward in concern.

“There were ten being treated for shrapnel wounds, stray bullets and the traumas related to a building exploding near them.” She glanced at the house Mat and Gadrik had just finished repairs on and flashed them a teasing smile. It faded quickly as she continued. “Most of them have been released already, but there are still two ponies left that haven’t completely recovered. One was in the house and suffered a deep laceration from flying debris and multiple shrapnel wounds that ended up requiring surgery to treat.”

Katie paused to take a deep breath. “The other is Applejack. While most of her injuries have been treated and are healing well, her leg is not. The blast from the claymore cut all the way to the bone and we’re afraid there will be permanent damage. Until yesterday, we were also afraid she’d remain in a coma. But she came to and she’s been improving steadily. I’m hopeful that she’ll make a full recovery…so long as she doesn’t rush herself.”

“You can’t just zap her full of nanites and be done with it?” Mat asked.

Katie shook her head. “No. I wish I could, but the applicator is calibrated to humans, and only programmed with the codes for reconstructing those who have been integrated into the Rebirthing system.”

“That sucks,” Mat said, leaning back against one of the columns.

“Was I supposed to understand any of that?” Ambrosia asked, looking to Mr. Cake for help. The stallion only shrugged.

“Not likely,” Gadrik rumbled ruefully.

Ambrosia grunted and kept listening anyway.

“The ponies have gotten by without nanites, though,” Katie was saying. “You wouldn’t believe how efficient surgeries are when the doctor has telekinesis.”

“I’ll bet,” Mat laughed. “But if you couldn’t use the applicator, how did you help out?”

“I might be out of practice with the older forms of medicine, but I am still knowledgeable. I also offered insights on the kinds of injuries they were dealing with and the best ways to treat them. They don’t often deal with cauterized lacerations after all.”

“Fair enough.”

They sat in silence then, eating the pastries that Mr. Cake had brought. At one point, Mat offered for the Guards to join them, but the stoic stallions did not even answer him. After several minutes, Ambrosia excused herself.

“I’d best get back to the crew. We had to put off another project on the other side of town for all this work here and I’ll be glad to be getting back to it. You take care of yourselves, you hear?”

They waved to her as she left and let the silence return. The clouds that drifted overhead were wispy and light. Birds trilled from the trees in the park some distance away. Katie chewed slowly, clearly distracted by her thoughts. Mat kept looking around as if anxious to find some excuse to keep moving. Gadrik ate his fill and sat still, trying to relax but finding it impossible to be comfortable with the inactivity. After a few more minutes passed, Mat couldn’t keep himself quiet.

“Hey, Finn?” he said, sitting forward to address Gadrik. “What do you think we’ll be doing now that were done fixing this place up?”

Gadrik frowned in thought. “Can’t say. The Princess may have only meant for this to be the first stage of our punishment. Or this is the worst we’ll get. It will be up to her. After she’s done with us? Who’s to say? I know I haven’t made any plans.”

“I plan to beg her to let me continue studying the knowledge and culture of their country,” Katie said in a small voice.

They both looked over at her.

“Everything may have gone wrong eventually, but in the beginning, we were getting along with Twilight so well.” She sighed sadly. “I want to go back to that and do things right this time.”

Gadrik found himself nodding unconsciously in agreement.

“I got along with the ponies I met too, I guess," Mat said. "But where I might not be the bookish type, I know that I do appreciate some fine scenery.”

He turned to look north, where the mountains framed the clear blue skies like a gateway to the rolling hills beyond.

“If I get the chance, I want to see the world. Earth is one thing. Auraxis was another. But this place is a completely different story. No TR, no war, no wormhole. Not even the New Conglomerate. It was good to have so many likeminded allies with me. But once the war started, it wasn’t going to stop, and an endless fight like that is its own kind of slavery. That doesn’t exist here. This is a whole new level of freedom.”

Mat scuffed the ground with his boot.

“Or at least it will be. You know. If the Princess lets us go and all.”

“That is a matter we can resolve now,” a voice said suddenly.

Twilight descended from the balcony above them and landed near them in front of the stairs. The Guards saluted sharply and Mr. Cake bowed hurriedly. Katie stood up and bowed low, while Gadrik bowed from where he sat. Mat nodded politely while touching his head as if to tip a hat. Twilight nodded in acknowledgement and they relaxed.

“I’ve been watching you three since I returned yesterday. I’m pleased with your work and even more pleased with how well you’ve gotten along. And I’ve decided that you are no longer a threat to Equestria. You’ve learned to overcome your differences and put the past behind you.”

“Are you saying we’ve completed our sentences?” Gadrik asked.

“I am. And I believe the time has come for you to choose where you go from here. And from what I just heard, you have some ideas.”

Twilight waited expectantly.

“Actually, I think we do,” Mat spoke up. “I might have been fighting for freedom back on Auraxis, but I wasn’t really free so long as I was going along with someone else’s agenda with no end in sight. Now, I can make decisions for me, on my terms, in my time. That’s freedom. And I can’t think of anything I’d like to do with that freedom more than to start walking in whatever direction I feel inclined to and have nothing in the way to stop me. So, with your permission, I’d like to travel this world, see the sights, and just live a little.”

“I can accommodate that request,” Twilight said with a smile. “But I will have to assign an escort to you in your travels.”

“I don’t intend to cause trouble,” Mat said defensively.

“I’m sure you don’t,” Twilight replied. “But trouble has a way of finding the unwary. The guards will not be there to stop you from causing anything. They will be there for your protection on your travels and to make sure nopony gives you trouble. You are an alien creature in our world after all. But with the guards making it official business, I doubt you’ll have to worry about it.”

“Oh, I get it. My thanks, your Highness,” he said with another tip of his invisible hat.

Twilight turned to Katie. “And what would you like to do now?”

Katie took a deep breath before speaking. “I would ask if I may study your ways and knowledge, to further my understanding of Equestria and its citizens. I understand if you are unwilling to share your knowledge…”

Twilight cut her off with a wave of her hoof. “I would be more than happy to teach you anything you wish to know. But I am afraid I will be busy much of the time with my duties. What I can offer you is full access to our places of higher learning in Canterlot.”

Katie beamed. “I would like that very much.”

“I’ll help you get settled in and I’ll make sure to check in on you when I get the chance, but our instructors and professors are fully capable of seeing to it that you find the answers you seek. What I will say, however, is that you might want to be cautious of how much of your knowledge you share with them. Many ponies will not be ready for such things.”

Katie nodded solemnly. Twilight turned to Gadrik and hesitated. She seemed apprehensive over what he might suggest, but overcame it in the end.

“What of your plans?” she asked, more coldly than she might have meant to.

Gadrik didn’t answer right away. He was still working through it himself. What Katie had said about going back to the beginning and trying again had struck a chord with him, but not quite the same way she’d meant it. He was thinking back to the beginning of his career in the Republic Guard. He had risen through the ranks quickly and found himself distanced from the rest of the general infantry. He missed those days of camaraderie. Thinking of them brought back the bitterness of losing Anthony.

No matter how belligerent Gadrik had been, Anthony never lost respect for him; never failed to go above and beyond for him. He’d always shown the same companionable attitude with the Major as with any other soldier in the outfit. Gadrik had admired the Corporal for that but it hadn’t occurred to him until now that he hadn’t done the same. Now he wished he could go back and show the Corporal the respect he deserved.

“Major?” Twilight’s voice cut through his thoughts with a tone of impatience.

Gadrik cleared his throat gruffly. “My apologies, your Highness. But what I would ask is likely to be outside your ability to grant.”

“It doesn’t hurt to ask,” Twilight countered.

“I wanted to…I wish that I’d…Bah!” He sighed, failing to put his feelings to words. “I can’t go back. I can’t do it over. Not unless your magic can reverse time?” He looked at her imploringly.

“No,” Twilight replied firmly. “Not in any useful way, at least. If you intended to prevent your whole war from happening, or even just to stop this disaster, I’m afraid it isn’t within our power to do such a thing.”

Gadrik grimaced. “Noble as that might have been, that was not my intent. I was aiming for something less grandiose than stopping the war from starting. I only wanted to repay my fallen comrade for everything he did for the Republic, and for me, over the years.” He looked at his hands and rubbed them together fretfully. “I never showed how much I appreciated him. I never gave him the respect he deserved.”

Gadrik actually had to stop speaking to keep himself from losing his composure. He glanced around furtively and the look he caught on Katie’s face told him she sensed how close he’d been to breaking his stone mask. Mat seemed to be thinking hard about something, not even blinking as he fixed Gadrik with an intense stare. Twilight was considering him thoughtfully.

“I think that, if he were here now, he’d be proud of you, Major,” Twilight said gently. “I’m sure he’d be grateful to hear you say that.”

Gadrik nodded, not meeting her eyes.

“And while we cannot change the past,” she went on. “The future is a different matter entirely. I would be willing to help you in any endeavor you choose.”

“There aren’t a whole lot of options for me,” Gadrik said despondently. When he thought of jobs or hobbies he could pursue, all he came back to was the community service he’d just completed. That and the Guards that had still not stopped eyeing him suspiciously from every side. He shook his head. “I want to repay my comrade in some way for being a truly loyal soldier and a firm friend to me. The only way I can see to do that is to do for my future comrades what I didn’t do for him. I also want to repay you for helping me to see this. But I don’t have anything to offer except my skills as a soldier. I’ve spent my whole life being a link in the chain of command. I don’t think I can learn another way. So, if it is possible, I’d like to join your Guard.”

Twilight blinked, taken aback. Katie tilted her head to one side and then looked to Twilight, waiting for her response. Mat didn’t move. If anything, he stared at the Major harder.

“You want to join the Equestrian military?” Twilight asked slowly.

“Yes,” Gadrik replied.

“And you want to serve this country?” she pressed.

“Yes, I do,” he responded, more firmly this time.

“And you want to command ponies in battle?” Twilight questioned pointedly.

“Ye‒well, no. Actually, that’s not what I want.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow at him.

“I don’t want to command anyone at all,” Gadrik explained. “I’ve had enough of that. I’ve seen what it was doing to me and where it was getting all of us. I think I could learn a lot from seeing your command structure and following your leadership. I need to see how it’s done here instead of relying only on the ways of the Republic.”

“It might do you some good to study our methods, but do you think joining our Guard is the right way to do so?”

“I don’t know if I could handle civilian life, to be honest.” Gadrik picked at his uniform and glanced around at the town. “I’ve given too much of myself to being a soldier.”

“You wouldn’t be likely to see combat with us,” Twilight informed him. “We don’t exactly have any enemies.”

“Oh, I figured as much,” he nodded. “Might not see any action, but you can be sure I won’t back down if trouble does come along.”

Twilight considered him for a long time.

“I believe I know how to accommodate you,” she said at last. “A new platoon is forming in the Crystal Empire. I could sign you on with them for their training period and see where that leads us. They will be trained personally by Shining Armor. Prince Shining Armor. My brother.” She added extra emphasis to make sure the implications were not lost on any of them.

Gadrik nodded solemnly. “I will not disappoint you.”

Twilight smiled at him unexpectedly. “I believe you.” With that, she cleared her throat importantly and addressed the guards that surrounded them. “Two of you will escort Mr. Finnegan Gadrik to the Crystal Empire where he will join the platoon in training under Prince Shining Armor.”

Two of the heavily armored stallions saluted and gestured for Gadrik to follow them. Gadrik stepped over beside them dutifully and waited for Twilight to finish.

“Two of you will travel with Mr. Mathew Hadley,” Twilight went on. “You will keep him safe from harm, being lost, or straying into foreign territory, as well as insure that his travels are not waylaid, by ponies or otherwise.”

Two stallions saluted and took positions beside Mat, who gave them apprehensive glances when their expressions remained grim and severe.

“Miss Katie Lani will be traveling with me to Canterlot in the next day or so. All three of these humans are now officially free to go. Therefore, their equipment and possessions are to be returned to them at this time.”

Twilight pointed to one of the guards and gestured toward the Town Hall. He saluted and marched inside. He returned in a minute with a large bundle which he laid out on the steps. The humans quietly picked through the items for the ones they would take with them. They refitted their suits with the armored plates and packs. Gadrik took almost everything that was his. Mat took his Mag-Shot and Mag-Cutter along with the last of the medical kits. Katie took only her medical applicator. The rest were loaded back up and the guard carried the pack over to await the Princess’ instructions.

“That should just about cover it,” Twilight said brightly. She turned to Gadrik. “I’ll send a scroll ahead to my brother. Since he already knows about you from my last visit, I should be able to fill him in on why you’re there in one scroll.” She addressed everyone again. “Good luck all of you. I hope to hear good things from each of you when next we meet.”

With that, they parted ways. Twilight and Katie stood discussing their next steps while the guards awaited the Princess’ orders. As Gadrik followed his escort toward the train station, he heard Mat trying to convince his own escort to give him more feedback than hard glares. Gadrik smiled and placed mental bets on the Light Assault’s chances.

Author's Note:

This chapter went on longer than I was ready for, so I'm splitting it into two separate chapters. Where there would normally be three sections, one for each faction, the NC and TR sections will be in this chapter and the VS will be in the next. I just figured having a chapter three times normal length could be problematic so I cut it down. The next chapter is nearly done, so it will follow this one MUCH quicker than this chapter came out.

Comments

[Puzzle Piece]

7416972 It's implied that Equestria Girls happened. The portal in the Crystal Empire is mentioned later, but it's not central to the plot and isn't even relevant until much later. It was the easiest way to keep the plot from being bogged down in the usual first contact tropes that most HiE stories stumble through. I wanted to focus as much as I could on specific conflicts Auraxians bring to the table and less on the novelty of humans in Equestria.

[Sanguine Eyes]

7418258 this was amazing. I really hope there Wil be a sequel of these three human warriors fighting to save equestria.
And more snuggling of fluttershy