The Ties that Bind

by the7Saviors

A Colt's Ideals

It had been a few days since Shining Armor had decided on his plan of action and he still hadn't had a chance to speak with Frigid Gale.

Every time he went to the dining hall, he hadn't seen the thestral mare sitting anywhere. He was beginning to get frustrated because he was still in the dark as to what was really going on.

He tried asking his caretakers, to no avail. The only actual responses he would get were to ask Frigid Gale herself or to buck off and not to ask questions he didn't want to know the answers to.

But he did want to know -- that was the problem.

He was dying for answers to what was going on and what it had to do with his sister. Unfortunately all he could at the moment was continue his morning workout routine in his still rather spartan bedroom and complain to himself silently.

At least he was in an actual bedroom this time around, and it was fairly spacious. He had moved what little furnishings there were to the middle of the room and set about galloping laps around the outer area, trying to rid himself of his frustrations as he worked up a sweat.

It was around his sixteenth lap that there came a sudden knock at the door.

He slowed to a trot and headed towards the door. He stopped for a moment to catch his breath before pulling the door open, revealing the largest, stockiest, pale blue earth pony mare he'd ever seen.

"Um..." he began awkwardly, "can I... help you?"

She stared at him for a moment, her hard hazel eyes boring into him. He frowned and stared right back at back at the mare.

"Can I help you?" he repeated more firmly.

The mare eyed for another second before giving the colt a smirk.

"Well, you've got a pair on ya at the very least," she finally said in a soft, airy voice that didn't fit her frame in the slightest, "good to know, kid, you'll need that kind of attitude if you're gonna hang around here for very long."

Shining Armor furrowed his brow and said nothing, still somewhat caught off guard by the mare's voice. The mare chuckled lightly and her smirk turned to an amused grin.

"It's the voice, right?"

The colt blinked and shook his head rapidly.

"Well I... no, I didn't mean --- it's just..." he groaned and looked away, a red flush showing easily on his light grey face, "sorry about that, I just... didn't expect it is all."

The mare openly laughed and Shining winced in embarrassment.

"It's fine, hon," the mare said after a moment, "nopony ever does, and the reactions never get old," she smirked once more and held out a large hoof, "name's Stone Heart."

Shining looked from the offered hoof to the mare it belonged to, then back to the hoof. He tentatively raised his own hoof to meet hers and she smiled.

"Relax," she said as she lowered her hoof, "I ain't gonna bite. Seriously, what happened to that bravado you were showin' just a second ago?"

"I don't know," Shining replied, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, "I just... you just caught me off guard I guess. Wasn't expecting somepony like you to answer the door -- not that that's a problem or anything, just... y'know... ugh."

Shining covered his face with a hoof as the mare laughed again.

"Again, don't worry about it," Stone Heart replied, still chuckling, "it's not you, hon, I just have that effect on ponies," she shook her head and turned around as she spoke, "anyway, I came here to tell you Gale wanted to see you," she blew her navy blue mane out of her face and began trotting down the hall, "I'm supposed to take you to see her so let's get goin' already."

Shining's eyes widened and a victorious smile crossed his face as he followed after Stone Heart.

"So what's your story, hon?" Stone Heart asked casually as they made their way down the hall, "how'd a colt like you even wind up here?"

"Didn't Frigid Gale tell you?" Shining asked with a bemused frown, "with how long I've been here, I would've thought that'd be common knowledge by now."

"Well it ain't," the large mare replied, "Gale didn't really tell us anything about you, just that we needed to make sure you were watched and comfortable."

"Naturally," the colt replied with a roll of his eyes, "well I'm not really comfortable talking about it right now," he lowered his gaze to his hooves, speaking in a quieter tone, "it... it still hurts to think about."

"Ah, shoulda figured," Stone Heart replied with a knowing nod, "got a chip on your shoulder, do ya?"

Shining frowned at the mare.

"No, it's alright I get it, hon," she said raising a hoof defensively, "a lot of folk here are like that. Don't wanna let anypony in or talk about their issues."

"So I've heard," the colt muttered before turning to Stone Heart, "and what about you?"

"Me?" Stone Heart replied, looking down at the colt with a raised brow, "you wanna know about little old me?"

Shining raised his own eyebrow in response.

He'd hardly call the mare 'little', not that he would say that to her face.

"Well, why not," he replied instead, "you'd be the second person to tell me anything," he shook his head in exasperation, "with how tight-lipped everypony is around here, I'm beginning to wonder how this place even functions."

"Ah, we do well enough," Stone Heart replied, "orders come down from the top, we follow em', simple as that."

"But that's not good enough," Shining replied with a frustrated shake of his head, "you need open communication. You need to be able to gauge the morale of those beneath you. You need to know if you can trust them to have your back and they need to know that you'll do the same for them."

He snorted angrily and looked away as he ranted.

"Without proper communication, the whole operation falls apart," he said quietly, "I'm sure these ponies and griffons would open up a bit more if Frigid Gale would just stop and spend some time around her troops -- listen to their problems y'know?

"It's all about building trust. There needs to be trust between commander and troops and between the troops themselves. You can't have real trust without proper communication."

"We're not a military organization, hon," Stone Heart replied after a moment, "that just isn't the way we do things."

"It doesn't matter," Shining continued with another shake of his head, "military or no, she's still in command of a lot of ponies and griffons. You're all relying on her to lead you to victory and if she doesn't take the time to interact with her subordinates, you'll all fail when it counts the most -- whether it's from outside elements or a tra--"

"Ya might wanna zip it now, hon," Stone Heart whispered as they reached a large black double door at the end of the hall, "we're here and the boss is just inside. Also..."

She gestured to the hall behind Shining and the colt turned to see several ponies eyeing him warily -- some dangerously.

"If it helps..."

He turned back to Stone Heart to see her staring at the door with a solemn frown.

"If it helps," she whispered before looking down at the colt, "I do agree with you," she leaned closer and smirked, "but try to take your own advice and open up a bit will ya?" she winked and straightened up "show em' how it's done, hon."

She gave him one last smile before turning and trotting back the way they came. Shining blinked in confusion and called out after her.

"You're not coming with?" he asked.

"Nah," she called back with a wave, "boss asked for just you. Good luck, hon!"

Shining watched her go for another moment, and furrowed his brow. He had all but forgotten he'd asked the mare for her story during his rant and never got to hear it. He let out a heavy sigh before turning to the double doors.

"Alright Shining Armor," he muttered to himself, "don't be intimidated, just say what you need to say."

He gave another sigh before pushing one of doors open and trotting inside.

As he stepped into the room, he shivered.

It was freezing in here and he feel it even through his coat -- as though the chill had settled into his very bones.

He decided then and there that he didn't like this place.

"Oh, hey kid!"

Shining looked ahead of him and finally noticed the room itself. It was large and dimly lit -- the overhead lighting casting an eerie amber glow over everything.

A large, long table sat in the middle of the room and there was a raised platform with a desk at the end of the table near the back. It was there that Frigid Gale sat leaned back in her chair as she waved merrily to the colt.

Shining also noticed Red Storm and a burly grey and white griffon each sitting at the long table. Red Storm paid him no mind, but the griffon eyed him incredulously. He turned to Frigid Gale and it looked as though he would say something.

He apparently thought better of it and closed his mouth as he turned and glared at the colt. Shining Armor swallowed nervously and put on a determined face before trotting further inside the room.

"Nice to see you again after so long," the thestral mare greeted as Shining approached, "you can just take a seat next Red Storm over there."

Shining nodded silently and trotted over to the offered seat. He hopped onto the chair and glanced at the stoic red unicorn next to him. Red Storm's attention however, was focused on the thestral mare as she spoke again.

"Alright so now that everyone's here we can get started," Gale exclaimed as she clapped her hooves together excitedly, "but for those of you who haven't been in here yet, allow me to welcome you to the the War Room!"

There was no reply.

Frigid Gale huffed and leaned against the desk -- her head propped on a hoof.

"You guys are no fun, you know that?" she complained before sighing and rolling her eyes, "alright fine, straight to business then -- at the very least I have some good news for you all anyway..."

She steepled her hooves on the desk and smiled at them all.

Shining stiffened in his seat.

Something had changed.

He couldn't tell for sure, but that strange bad feeling he had been getting from the thestral mare had multiplied tenfold. Her smile was pleasant but her eyes were incredibly cold. He saw the griffon tense up just as he did and that just confirmed to the colt that there was something wrong here.

Red Storm didn't react at all.

It was then that Shining realized getting through to Frigid Gale would be harder than he thought.

A lot harder.

The colt turned to face Frigid Gale and his eyes widened in disbelief at the thestral mare's next words.

"We did it, guys... we found her."

Author's Note:

I know I'm the one that made the character, but I can't help but like Stone Heart. She reminds me of like, a really cool aunt or something.

Anyway, it seems there's another Shiny chapter on the horizon.

Comments

[Titan Commander Sebaste]

Uh oh...

[Mal_Havok]

Duh Duh Duh! Development

[Chronoimpared]

O H
D A M N
S O N

[Venerable Ro]

Ah, it's just the one group then? not a secular rebellion and a nightmare cult working in parallel? Drat.

As to open communication, If the resistance is operating in a cell-format, and they'd better be, then open communication is exactly what you don't want.

[The Cynical One]

Kind of a short Shiny chapter we got here. I find it hilarious though that Shiny is improving the uh... do they have a name? never mind the name but Shiny is helping the ponies Twilight REALLY doesn’t want to be found by.

[Prince Leviathan]

Stone Heart reminds me of that one woman from the Rugrats.
Phil and Lil's mom