For Her Happiness, or Yours?

by Relagen

Prologue

Author's Note:

As this is my first story, it may be missing some tags that will be added later. Along with cover art.

Also, I do not have an editor yet. I only have one person proofreading it, and I do my best to edit anything she points out. If anything is not up to par, I apologize. Hopefully I can find an editor in the near future.

Stratus Swirl awoke to the tolling of the Fartrot City School bell. He counted the chimes. One... two... three... four... five... six... and seven, just as he expected. That would give him a full hour to prepare himself for departure aboard the eight o’clock train for Canterlot, Equestria. He was looking forward to his first venture to Equestria, along with meeting the short-haired ponies who dwelt there.

Stratus was a young stallion, barely an adult by the law’s standard. Most ponies still thought of him as a colt, some even treating him as such. Fortunately, he would not face that trouble in Equestria. Being a Swirl meant an inordinate amount of skill relative to his age and experience, granting him an equal measure of respect outside his native country. Along with said skill and respect came confidence, something that ponies in his line of work often depended on.

Calmly, the young stallion arose from his bed, shaking out his two-tone silver and blue-gray mane and tail before quietly exiting his bedroom to make his way to the washroom down the hall. As much as he loved his thick and fluffy coat, it took horribly long to adequately groom it, not to mention his mane and tail. He took his time freshening up and grooming himself before returning to his room to dress and pack up for his trip.

He knew that formal attire would be rather uncomfortable, especially on what he expected to be an unduly warm train. On the other hoof, dressing too casually would cause ponies to show him less respect than he needed, which may lead some to believe any official documents he may present were fraudulent. Thus, he selected a casual businesspony outfit, along with a spiffy-looking hat.

Satisfied with his appearance and having finished packing his saddlebags, he now found himself predictably famished. A glance out the window at the clock tower told him he had less time than he would have liked to have a meal before his train would depart. Fortunately, upon opening his bedroom door and stepping out to the hall, he caught the scent of delicious homemade waffles. His parents must have busied themselves in the kitchen whilst he had been making ready for his trip.

With a gentle toss of his mane, Stratus hastened down the stairway and through the parlor into the kitchen, hoping he would have enough time to partake in what might well be the last meal he would share with his parents for a year. Granted, nopony believed it would take him that long. The Swirl family were known for their efficiency. It simply wouldn’t do for him to be the first to delay in completing his mission.

The moment Stratus stepped into the kitchen, both his parents were quick to greet him, though he made no sound and they were not facing directly towards him. He was quite easy to spot at the edge of their peripheral vision with his warm indigo coat standing out against the white porcelain tiles of the floor and the cream-colored walls. With a grin, he silently strode towards the little breakfast nook and wrapped his wings around his father, embracing him from behind.

“You will have time to eat with us before the train arrives, won’t you?” his mother asked as he made his way back to the counter to pour himself a mug of steaming coffee from the Prench press setting near her.

Before Stratus could respond, his father interrupted, “The train was delayed in the Crystal Empire.” He held up the newspaper from whence he had garnished that information. “Due to weather in the region, it is expected to be a half hour late.”

“Perfect,” Stratus commented, giving his mother a peck on the cheek, “No need to rush breakfast, mama.”

Mr. Swirl’s horn glowed with cyan energy as he levitated the Prench press over to the breakfast nook to top off his own mug. “Don’t listen to the boy, Radiance. I’m starving!”

“You’re always starving, dear,” the orange mare replied teasingly. “I think you can survive five more minutes.”

“Perhaps,” Mr. Swirl nodded thoughtfully for a moment before his stomach growled ferociously, “but I can’t stop my stomach from complaining.”

Radiance, more formally known as Radiant Emissary, decided to casually change the subject. “Stratus, are you certain you’re quite ready for this?”

Her son, knowing exactly what she meant, gave her a confident smile. “Equestria is a peaceful country with friendly citizens and a rich capitalist economy. The ponies there have a deep-seated love for their royalty. As such, I need only be concerned with said royalty for negotiations. Princesses known as kind and gentle rulers should be simple enough to arrange satisfactory terms with.” He pulled some dishes from the cabinet, and silverware from a drawer, and began setting the table.

“Yes, I know all of that, but this is your first mission as a proper ambassador. Until now, you’ve mostly played envoy for your father or myself. You study plenty, for sure, and you’ve picked up a lot from us. Still, I--”

“Now, Radiance, he has to go on his first solo mission at some point in time. I’d rather it be in Equestria than the Griffon Kingdom or Yakyakistan. Why do you think I picked out this particular mission for him?”

Radiance let out a quiet sigh as she brought over the hot waffles, along with butter and maple syrup. “I was just asking if he has confidence in himself. Lord knows we both trust him more than anypony else.”

“Well, if that’s not enough to boost his confidence, then succeeding in his first mission will. Besides, those Equestrians have a lot of respect for our family. Old Starswirl the Bearded used to be rather close to Princess Celestia, you know.”

“Is that why grandfather gave you his name?” Stratus inquired, taking his first bite of waffle and making an appreciative gesture to his mother.

“Actually, that’s a thing I never asked him,” the older stallion said as he poured syrup onto his own waffle. “Perhaps I should next time I get the chance.”

As Radiance and Star began a new topic betwixt the two of them, Stratus allowed himself to get absorbed in his breakfast, mentally reviewing his plans for his first diplomatic mission to Equestria. He became so engrossed in his thoughts that he failed to notice when his plate was empty, going through the motions of eating several bites from his empty fork until the sound of a train whistle roused him from his thoughts.

“Better hurry, son,” Mr. Swirl said as he levitated Stratus’s saddlebags down the stairs and onto his son’s flanks while Radiance subtly added a snack she had packed for him into the bags.

Traditionally, the Swirl family refrained from the cliche phrases of “good luck” or “break a leg”. Instead, Radiance wished him a safe and fortuitous journey, and Star instructed him to make his family proud and bring home a cute Equestrian mare, which managed to earn a chuckle from his son.

While it was not widely known in Faroan or its cities, the Swirl family had refrained from wedding foreigners for many years. It was a pattern they started when Starswirl the Bearded passed away. Radiance was the first foreigner in the family since that time, which had caused some tension in the family. That in turn caused some stress for Stratus. Of course, he never let anypony know it, not even his parents.

After rushed but tender farewells, Stratus departed, taking into the air above the city so he could reach the station faster. Once there, he was a bit surprised to find the station mostly empty. It seemed few ponies wanted to travel to Faroan from the south, and even fewer wanted to go to Equestria.

When asked for a ticket, he presented a document bearing the signature of the Lord of Faroan declaring Stratus’s status as an ambassador to Equestria. It also ordered that all his expenses be billed to the Faroan government. The porter led him to a private luxury car, rented in advance courtesy of the Lord of Faroan. Stratus thanked the pony and stashed his saddlebags under the seat.

After taking some time to get comfortable, he pulled a book from his saddlebags just as the train started moving and settled in for the long trip ahead of him. It would be easily two days before the train would reach Canterlot. That would give him plenty of time to read some Equestrian publications to acquaint himself with any unusual customs or etiquette so as to avoid making a fool of himself. If there was one thing he was good at, it was following proper etiquette, and he knew that the way a pony presents himself could make a world of difference in how others listen to him.