Chapter Eight: Golden Truths
“Of the North…Paladin…hmm,” Celestia muttered, standing alone in the main Canterlot library. A powerful magical spell was currently scanning the entire area; useful for locating individual phrases among the millions of pages in the massive wing of the castle.
“Wait a minute.”
Her horn glowed golden briefly, a communications portal spinning into existence in front of the Alicorn.
“Auntie! How are you?” Princess Cadence called, setting aside a feather and parchment. “What can I do for you?”
“Hey there Cady, I don’t have much time currently, but I’d love to chat later,” Celestia explained. “I was wondering if you had any mentioned in your library records about somecreature called the Paladin of the North?”
“Does this have to do with scattered reports I’ve been hearing of a rather large armored hippogriff averting a disaster in Canterlot last evening?”
“The very same. One of your subjects read some runes on his armor; I should have a full report for you within a day. Anyhow, I’m in our library running a search now but I thought I’d best ask you, since you’re geographically nearer to where our interesting friend may be.”
“One moment,” the portal twisted, the Alicorn on the other end teleporting to her own library.
“I’m glad you caught me; Flurry is still taking a nap. Let me see…” the powerful hum of a searching spell then bled through the portal.
“I’ve got a few Paladins in our records. Paladin of Hope, that’s a pony, Paladin of the Lost River, nope, that’s a gryphon, Paladin of Love, another gryphon? Huh, wouldn’t expect that. Paladin of the Wayward Gods, that’s a Kirin, oh! I do have a match!” Cadence exclaimed, levitating the correct book over and flipping through the pages.
Her eyes widened in surprise, the Alicorn looking at Celestia in shock.
“Celestia.”
Celestia’s own jaw dropped on seeing the picture in the large book Cadence was showing her. Crudely drawn and yellowed with age, the simple sketch showed a rather familiar sight. Standing on his hind limbs with a large, pointed staff stretched out in front of him an armored hippogriff held a sword in his other claws, beak wide in a battle-cry. A group of more detailed ponies and other creatures were crouched behind him- eyes wide in fear as a wall of flame surged against a shield blossoming from the hippogriff’s staff.
The description underneath the picture was the final piece to confirm the matter to Celestia, the ruler’s eyes narrowing slightly.
‘The individual referred to as the ‘Paladin of the North’ protects separated inhabitants of a village from the violent eruption of Mount Pentanu. *addendum. Further attempted interviews with the inhabitants were puzzling, as nocreature could recall how they were shielded from the blast. The artist himself remembered drawing the depiction the day after the event but couldn’t recall the reported ‘Paladin’ at all when asked about the matter three weeks later.’
“Thank you, Cadence. I think that’s all the information I need. Time to talk with our friend.”
“Well, this is going to be an interesting discussion,” Nacreous mused as Fori tossed a small ball of energy up and down in her clawed hands.
“Well, you made the choice.”
“Indeed, I did and I don’t regret it. Not having so many secrets is…freeing. If anyone can understand, Celestia will, of that I have no doubt,” Nacreous sighed, sitting in the gardens under the cloudy sky, the previous day’s events still fresh on his mind.
“And of your other-”
“She doesn’t need to know about that, nor does anyone else until the time is right. That said I think that moment will come sooner rather than later. For now, I just need to be honest. I have no more big secrets other than that one matter, and this is enough to process as it is,” the hippogriff admitted, staying quiet for a time. Distant hoof falls caused his ears to perk up, blue eyes flickering to Fori. “I just hope she still trusts me.”
“Well, I still do, but you’ve certainly surprised us all,” Celestia remarked, trotting into the small secluded clearing. Her eyes widened in surprise on seeing the ethereal feline leaning against a tree, light purple form glowing ever so slightly.
“I…”
“Fori, Princess. Nice to meet you,” the cat entity quipped, waving to Nacreous as she vanished with a soft ‘pop.’
“I was not expecting that, to say the least,” Celestia muttered, a soft chuckle leaving Nacreous’s beak.
“Join the club. I guess she trusts you enough. I hope I have not shaken such feelings in you concerning me too much. I think we have quite a bit to discuss.”
Celestia’s mouth moved into a pensive line, the Alicorn sitting down next to him.
“Quite a bit indeed. And no, I still trust you, but I have quite a few questions.”
“I will answer them gladly. I…that was one of the things that was ‘close to the chest,’ Celestia. While there may be a few more surprises, that was a big one.”
“And that’s an understatement. Nacreous, I talked to two victims, and they brought up some fascinating points,” Celestia replied. “The first was a changeling who said when you used that gemmed weapon, it felt like standing next to the crystal heart. The other, a crystal pony, was able to read two runes on your armor. I did my own research into that.”
“Oh?”
“Mount Pentanu. There is a single record, a crudely drawn picture of a large armored hippogriff shielding some villagers from an eruption, and apparently he was called the Paladin of the North,” she paused, looking at the hippogriff cautiously. “Am I to assume that was you?”
The hippogriff was quiet for a time, finally nodding slowly.
“I’m surprised that such is even mentioned. Yes, but I have not taken that title for well over a century.”
Celestia blew a strand of her mane off her face, nodding knowingly.
“Well, that explains a few things…yet opens many other questions. May I ask how? Why? Where? When?”
A soft chuckle met her ears, Nacreous not appearing to mind her questions in the slightest. If anything, the large hippogriff appeared almost more relaxed.
“In that order? Let me see,” he mused. “How? By training with numerous martial art and weapon masters, they being part of a rather obscure group in the eastern kingdoms before the Storm King enslaved their lands, which also answers the where. Why? Because I wanted to have combat experience and the groups goals aligned with my own. When? About eight hundred years ago.”
Staring at the hippogriff in surprise, Celestia blinked and let out a slight cough.
“I admit I was not expecting you to be so forthcoming.”
A carefree smile on his beak, Nacreous shrugged his large wings in response.
“Understandable, but in that aspect, I have nothing left to hide. One less thing to spin around inside my head is all the better for me. I’m just glad my skills and talents could save lives. Well, and my armor, which has to get most of the credit.”
“Speaking of…”
“Paladin of the North, Celestia. In the northern and southern polar regions, a unique metal is oft found, as you saw during the Storm King’s invasion,” Nacreous explained. “It repels magic of any intensity with near perfection. However, mining and refining the material in sub-zero temperatures in such a harsh environment is a tricky ordeal indeed. That is how I was able to block the blast though. As for the other magic, that’s…well, I still have some secrets, Celestia,” he added with a grin. “To that end, I wish you had told me about her.”
“The mare?”
“Yes. That links it all together. The pathogen, the cult, and, of course, the Windigos. She made a pact with them, of all creatures, why….?” he whispered.
“You know of her?”
“I know her. The mare’s name is Malise Icemane. She’s the witch who tricked me into using the paw a thousand years ago. Clearly, her appetite for suffering allied her with spirits that desire the same,” Nacreous grunted. “I have fought Windigos and their influence before, Celestia. That is why I was able to dispatch her so easily.”
“Is that what the group you were a part of did?” the Princess ventured to ask.
“Not solely, no. They wished to help others, simply put. Preserve balance, make the world a better place for all; that sort of thing. Sadly, such ideals alone cannot usually defeat an overwhelming army, as they discovered over three hundred years ago. However, concerning some of the magic I wield…” he added, shoulders shrugging with a sigh. “It is thanks to a few tribes of creatures I once helped out. At the time, they faced a Windigo onslaught; and gifted me some of their artifacts after I healed their leaders from a particularly nasty set of events,” he then waved a set of claws at Celestia.
“So, there you have it. We now know the threats are tied together, and you know, well, quite a bit about me.”
Celestia still appeared to be processing it all, the Alicorn’s brow furrowing.
“Indeed, and yet you are still a hippogriff of surprises.”
“Keeps life interesting!”
A smile now tugged at Celestia’s features as she nodded in agreement.
“That’s for sure. So now…?”
“Now, I would hope we can continue on without much change, at least between us,” Nacreous admitted. “All that has changed is that you know my full capacity, if the need arises,” His ears then flattened, claws tracing patterns in the grass briefly. “I am sorry for concealing all of this, but I didn’t know how to tell you, or if it was even necessary.”
“Well, I imagine that might have changed if you knew we were fighting Windigos, would it not?” Celestia quipped, prompting a nod from Nacreous. “So, fair is fair,” she then paused, looking at the hippogriff curiously. “If I may ask, can I see you in this fabled golden armor that Commander Shifting will not keep quiet about? I sense he may be a bit jealous.”
Activating the spell, Nacreous stood as the armor began to assemble across his frame, ‘leaves’ blowing in with more regularity than before. He couldn’t help but grin as Celestia’s violet eyes continued to widen, the hippogriff then standing in front of her clad head-to-tail in thick golden metal.
“Ta-da!” Nacreous exclaimed, taking a half-bow to the Alicorn. “Paladin Nacreous Thunderwing at your service.” He grinned, prompting a giggle.
“Thunderwing?”
Nacreous grinned, opening his wings slightly.
“Suppose I never told you my last name; yes, and aptly named too. My clan used to help ships during storms…but more on that later.”
Celestia nodded, smiling widely as she looked over the Paladin and the intricate armor that covered his entire body.
“Fascinating, and the magic surrounding it is old, ancient and powerful,” she mused, standing in front of him once again. “Thank you, Nacreous, I can see why it was quite the…erm…talk…” Her words drifted off as Celestia’s thoughts abruptly began to clash. As her eyes looking at the amused hippogriff once again, the Princess’s cheeks began to redden, a slight shiver running down her spine.
“I see what Luna meant,” she muttered, prompting a curious head-tilt from the hippogriff.
“Hmm?”
“Nothing!”
Shrugging as he sent the armor on its way, Nacreous couldn’t help but chuckle at seeing the flustered Alicorn.
“Well it had to have been something. You’re sporting some rather natural makeup called ‘a blush,’” he teased, a hoof waving off his words.
“Just…” her violet eyes met his own, then darted away to focus on anything but the hippogriff. “The armor suits you well.”
Nacreous grinned, deciding to push his luck a bit. Trotting over to Celestia, he lowered his head to look up at her, a wide smile still on his beak.
“Oh? Reaaaaaaallllly?” he asked, getting an ever-pleasant giggle in response as Celestia shoved his face away.
“Yes, really.”
His face quickly returned to her vision, still glancing up at the Princess with a cheeky smile.
“Well, yay! I-hmmm,” Nacreous mused, blue eyes narrowing slightly as his gaze drifted upwards. “You’re still wearing your mane down.”
Celestia nodded, once again shoving his face away with a smile, the hippogriff retreating to sit next to her.
“I thought it time to change things up a bit.”
“I think it’s a good change.”
“Oh?”
Nacreous nodded, letting his eyes drift over the Alicorn briefly and made sure she saw such, which did nothing to help the still-present blush on Celestia’s cheeks.
“Definitely.”
Looking away rather shyly, Celestia tried to quell the butterflies in her stomach; the entire casual manner of flirty bantering both energizing her yet at the same time, pricking at her nervousness of the unknown.
“You know, if it were a noble flirting with me like this, I’d probably have sent Philomena to chase him off by now,” Celestia remarked, prompting a huff from Nacreous.
“Flirting? I’m not-” the hippogriff paused; claw raised halfway as though in objection. “…huh.”
Celestia blinked, more surprised than anything.
“That wasn’t intentional?”
“Well it was, but not with such a blatant and planned intent,” Nacreous mused, his brow furrowing. “I enjoy seeing you smile and laugh; and I’m not about to lie and deny that you’re quite an attractive mare,” his ears pinned back, the Paladin wincing slightly.
“I didn’t mean to cross any lines, Celestia.”
“You didn’t.”
The immediate response returned Nacreous’s ears to their upright state, the hippogriff starting to smile once again.
“You’re sure?”
A nod was Celestia reply, the alicorn waving a hoof at him.
“I’m just new to all this. You’re so sincere; it’s a bit much but in a good way.”
“Not like the bluster of nobles with some ulterior motive?”
“Exactly.”
Nacreous hummed in thought, wings rustling as he tapped a few claws on the ground.
“Well, my only motive with such things is to make you smile, and to…perhaps let you know what I think of you. If that’s alright.”
“I’d have told you if it wasn’t, Nacreous.”
He smiled, noticing how the Alicorn still appeared rather pensive.
“Bit for your thoughts?”
Celestia glanced over to him, her own shoulders shrugging.
“Just wondering if it’d be appropriate to ask you on a definite date.” she mused, apparently her mouth having moved faster than her mind, judging from the widening of her eyes in surprise. “Ah…”
“I’d love to.”
Blinking at the soft response, Celestia looked over to Nacreous, the hippogriff simply smiling.
“I know the idea was to see how our outings go, but if the feeling of such is mutual, I have no objections,” he explained, prompting a smile from the Princess.
“I…still need to figure out the details,” she admitted, a soft laugh causing Nacreous’s sides to shiver.
“Well, we have plenty of time. I’m just-you have those sorts of feelings for me?” he ventured to ask, eliciting a simple nod from Celestia.
“Well, in that sense the feeling is mutual. Assuming we had another outing or two, I was going to pose that same question.”
A rather tender smile dawned on Celestia’s features, prompting the hippogriff to continue.
“I am still a bit surprised you trust me, the secrets and all that,” he added, ears flattening briefly.
“Nacreous,” Celestia immediately replied, violet eyes looking over to him. “From the time you’ve arrived you’ve done nothing but save my life, protect my ponies, and help everycreature as best you can. Everyone deserves to have privacy and thus far, all you’ve shown me is that you want to help, and have helped both me, and my subjects. For that, I’m grateful beyond words.”
A slight flush turned the hippogriff’s cheeks purple for a few moments, Nacreous bashfully tracing the ground with a few talons.
“Well, when you put it like that, I suppose it sounds a bit better. But…thank you, Celestia.”
She smiled, nodding as they both looked out across the gardens for a few quiet moments.
After a time, it was Nacreous who looked over to her, blue eyes swimming with concern. His keep gaze picked out the tired lines on the Alicorn’s face, and the slight tensing of her jaw as Celestia’s thoughts were echoed through her demeanor.
“Celestia, we’ve talked a lot about me, and while that’s warranted considering the events, I want to know if you’re doing alright?” Nacreous asked, deep voice soft and sincere.
The simple question prompted a pause from the Alicorn, her ears flattening briefly.
“Truthfully? I don’t know, Nacreous,” she admitted. “We just got attacked by the Windigo forces, you are both a doctor and a paladin, and I’m still figuring out how to feel….” Her words drifted off, Celestia shaking her head slowly. “It’s a tad overwhelming, to be honest, and that’s also a new feeling in and of itself.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
Celestia sighed, shaking her head.
“No, I don’t think-” she then paused, wings drooping slightly. “Yes, actually. Just stay here with me, please?” she whispered.
Nacreous nodded, staying silent at her side for a time. Celestia’s gaze was fixated on the grass at her hooves, mind clearly spinning and trying to find a logical path.
“Would a hug help?”
A soft chuckle left Celestia’s muzzle, the alicorn shrugging.
“Perhaps; I certainly wouldn’t be opposed.”
Shifting to stand in front of her, Nacreous gently wrapped his arms around the troubled Princess, her head resting against his shoulder. To the hippogriff’s surprise, Celestia immediately scooted closer, actually pressing into his feathers slightly, her forelimbs hugging Nacreous’s torso tightly.
“Celestia?” he whispered, prompting the slightest shiver from the alicorn.
“That wasn’t the whole truth, Nacreous,” she whispered. “But I’m still working on explaining that in an emotional sense. A hug most definitely helps.”
Nacreous’s feathery arms held Celestia a bit tighter, the alicorn shuddering in his grasp.
“You’ve got a lot on your plate, huh?” he asked, feeling her nod in reply. “Emotionally and politically?”
“To say the least.”
“Well, I’m happy to help with both of those, as best I can.”
“I’d say you’ve helped far more than you realize, even until now.”
“Oh?”
“I’ll explain later…” she paused, letting out a slight huff. “I’d like to explain later, after I have time to collect my thoughts.”
As Celestia spoke, Nacreous didn’t miss how her own forelimbs tightened slightly around his chest, the alicorn leaning into the hippogriff’s embrace ever so slightly. Taking another gamble, the hippogriff reached up to run his claws through Celestia’s mane, rubbing the back of her head gently.
Another shiver ran through the Alicorn’s frame, this time accompanied by a bit of dampness that soaked into Nacreous’s feathers.
“Celestia?” he asked softly, a shake of the head warding off any further questions. The Paladin didn’t say anything further, simply continuing to cradle the Princess in his arms.
For having the ability to vaporize a mountain at whim, she’s surprisingly vulnerable. Nacreous mused to himself. Perhaps that is the reason though. To have that sort of power and not be able to vanquish your own inner battles? That must be difficult indeed. I suppose I can relate to that in a sense.
As he continued to gently run a set of talons through the alicorn’s mane, Nacreous couldn’t keep a caring smile from dawning, his own emotions rising to the fore.
How long did you wish for this, think even this simple gesture was out of your reach?
Does she even know how much it means? Even something as simple as this?
The answer was obvious, even if rhetorically asked.
Perhaps she’ll find out soon enough. I’d prefer that if I’m going to date her after all.
Courting Celestia, who would have thought?
Someone who won’t fade or forget….
That final thought made Nacreous’s jaw clench, the hippogriff’s hug tightening ever so slightly if for but a moment. A few tears welled up in his eyes but didn’t quite fall, the hippogriff’s beak quivering slightly. Feeling Celestia shift in his arms, Nacreous forced down the lump in his throat with a shaky breath.
When did I stop hoping for this? Dreaming of it? When did I accept that this possibility may never…
“Thank you, Nacreous,” Celestia whispered, pulling away ever so slightly and wiping at her reddened eyes. “If I’m being honest, having someone actually be able to hug me is a rather attractive feature, among other things.”
Nacreous smiled, large wings flaring slightly as he waved a set of talons over himself. Celestia’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly in curiosity, picking out some dampness in his eyes.
Interesting. You’re hiding something else from me, Nacreous. And I don’t mean your other secrets, but something more personal. Quite the interesting hippogriff; And then there’s me; a crying wreck. Well, I guess that means I’m finally coping. A thousand years of repressed trauma, for the lack of a better term…
Thank you, Nacreous. I’ll try to explain how much you just being here means to me.
No, I will explain, just…not yet.
“Well, it’s the first time my size has been a positive in this respect, so you are most welcome. It’s also rather nice to be able to hug someone without worrying that I’ll squish them.”
A soft giggle was Celestia’s response, along with a slight final sniffle.
“Well, I certainly wouldn’t object to such gestures in the future.”
Lots of such gestures…
Lots and lots.
“Well, considering you asked me on a date, consider such a given.”
The pair looked at each other and then promptly laughed, each of their heads shaking back and forth.
“This is quite a strange ordeal, huh?” Nacreous asked, Celestia then nodding in reply.
“Very. But it feels as natural as can be expected. And I’d say emotional honesty can forestall quite a few issues. There aren’t any other secrets which might come up?” Celestia asked, glancing over to the hippogriff.
I don’t expect you to tell me, but still…
“I…” his wings drooped ever so slightly. “There are a few things, but I’d say being a Paladin was one of the big ones. I would like to be as honest as I can with you, Celestia. Some of this is also being honest with myself.”
“Nacreous, I still trust you, even if you’ve still got a few surprises left,” Celestia mused, a bit of spark returning to her violet eyes. “I’d say that’s part of the fun.”
The hippogriff smiled, Celestia then letting out a curious hum.
“May I ask you something, Nacreous?”
“Of course.”
“What do you really want?” Seeing the Paladin blink in surprise, Celestia gestured to him with a hoof. “When I first asked you that question you hesitated, just like I do when asked a question I don’t feel comfortable giving the first answer on my mind. I’d like to know what that is.”
For the first time since they met, Celestia saw the hippogriff look genuinely shocked and rather unsettled. His wings drooped slightly, ears flattening as Nacreous’s blue eyes averted themselves. His beak seemed to quiver slightly before the Paladin took a few deep breaths, looking to his claws.
“I…”
Celestia waited, finding the complete transformation rather astonishing. If anything, it looked like he could use the hug she so desperately had sought moments ago.
“I’m sorry, Nacreous. I didn’t mean to pry too deeply,” Celestia whispered, the hippogriff shaking his head.
“It’s not that. It’s simply…I don’t know a good way to phrase it. It’s so simple but complex. Do you have any parchment?”
A quill and piece of paper was produced with a flash of Celestia’s horn, the hippogriff scrawling down a few notes. A slight, almost relieved smile dawned on his beak as the item was handed back.
“Perhaps a game for that answer?” he suggested. “I’ve written down a few authors, and their accompanying riddles. They all have the same answer. Solve that, and I’ll explain more. No cheating and getting help from anyone though.”
As his blue eyes met her own, Celestia’s heart immediately began to nearly thud out of her chest. Swimming behind Nacreous’s gaze was a flurry of emotions; nerves, fear….and hope.
“I do enjoy a challenge,” she mused. “And on solving it, I promise to tell you my answer to such a question. Fair is fair.”
“Fair is fair then,” the large hippogriff whispered, his sudden and rather vulnerable posture making him much more huggable.
Down, Celestia. Goodness what has gotten into me?
Other than a handsome hippogriff who is both interested in me and able to understand the weight of a thousand years?
….totally hug-valid reasons.
A soft chime interrupted them, Nacreous glancing at his now-unhidden silver gauntlet.
“Well, back to the medical center I go,” he remarked, glancing over to Celestia with a gentle smile. “Until tomorrow then?”
“I think so. I would love to have dinner with you, but I need to quash some noble gossip; half of which is now true,” Celestia replied with a genuine grin.
“Oh?”
“Well, half of it is that I’m dating a certain hippogriff, and the other half is that I purposefully spiked Countess Drudge’s soup with a pepper mixture. Thankfully, I doubt we’ll have to deal with much noble fuss until after this crisis, since that is the primary focus.”
“…Did you spike the soup?”
Celestia pouted, which mixed rather well with the grin she was trying to conceal.
“Honestly, no, I didn’t. But I really, really wanted to.”
“Ah the bane of self-control…well, I look forward to talking to you later, Celestia,” Nacreous replied, a rather sly grin sliding onto his beak with a wink as the hippogriff reached a wing over to give the alicorn’s shoulder a nudge, “and hearing what you come up with for a date idea.”
The blush on the Alicorn’s face was enough to clearly put an extra spring in Nacreous’s step as he trotted off,
Does it take so little to get me blushing? Perhaps so… Yet I certainly don’t mind.
Another thought cemented itself into Celestia’s consciousness, her brow furrowing briefly.
While we have talked a lot about him in a general sense, I haven’t asked how Nacreous is doing. He has been so caring and asked that of me; I’m ashamed to not have returned the favor.
Tomorrow, or whenever we next meet. There’s definitely something behind his eyes that made me wonder such a fact. But for now…
A cheery smile then returned to Celestia’s face as she trotted down the halls, making a detour into the royal library.
I’ve got a few minutes. I want to see what this riddle is.
After locating the rather dusty volume, Celestia looked at the parchment Nacreous gave her, flipping through the pages.
Luna would probably know this.
Finding the selected passages, Celestia’s mouth pursed into a thoughtful line.
“I hurt the most when lost, yet also when not had at all. I'm sometimes the hardest to express, but the easiest to ignore. I can be given to many, or just one. I’m rarer and more valuable than gold, but easier to lose,” she whispered, a few options running through her mind.
“Self-worth? Hope? Recognition?” the ruler mused, the second option making her heart ache slightly with realization.
Hope. Nacreous, underneath it all, do you really lack that for yourself?
A bit more development...yay character growth! The layers to the Paladin being peeled away, while Celestia deals with a new (but not unpleasant,) reality.
And no spoilers for the riddle! 
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I had three minutes until I started work when this popped up in my feed. I had to wait four hours to read it and you didn't disappoint. I think you said something in an earlier chapter about nacreous being glad to hug someone without crushing them so a "I said it once and I'll say it again" comment thrown into that moment would fit.
From the moment I was thinking about in chapter 6, he made a comment about how hugging a smaller pony would result in squishing them.
9866650
I'm glad it lived up to your expectations!
And yeaaaaah. It's small things like that I hope to touch on that just builds the relationship between the pair. It's something so taken for granted, but for an individual always looking down physically on others, how much would it mean to be able to just hug somecreature totally?
of coarse you meant hippogriff here.
9866708
Thank you for that catch! How did I....
9866713
I suggest keeping a watch out for windigos, I hear they like causing trouble.
9866748
Naaaaaaah!
The answer to this riddle has a hole in the middle,
And some have been known to fall in it.
In tennis, it's nothing, but it can be recieved,
And sometimes a person may win it.
Though not seen or heard it may yet be percieved,
Like princes or bees it's in clover.
The answer to this riddle has a hole in the middle,
And without it, one cannot start over.
9866953
Oooooooh that's good.
9867387
I cannot claim any credit for that one: it comes from a book.
It was the first thing to go through my head after I read the first line of Nacreous's riddle.
9867391
Fair enough! And I think it's a really good one too!
Huh. I would've answered Love for that riddle.
Speaking of love, seems the romance is going ahead quite fast, maybe a bit too fast for my liking.
Oh well. It's not like they have thousands of years of repressed romance in them.
9872160
I'm trying to set a certain pace- also one that is affected by current events. I.e. in a time of crisis, you may become fast friends much sooner than otherwise (and so forth.)
9872442
Like what happened on the outbreak of WWII?
9873084
Or conflict in general.
You, author, are very good at creating unique, interesting, and complex mostly/completely original characters. Especially Stormwing (I believe that was his last name).
9878920
Why thank you! Honestly, Nacreous is one of the more complex characters I've tackled (up there with a certain human in the Lookout story.) And close- Thunderwing
9878936
Ah. I can never seem to remember last names unless it’s mine, Ian’s, Aedra’s, Fenix’s, or Icy’s. Even my best friend in real life (my only friend, really. Honestly, seeing what the rest of the kids my age are like, I’m grateful that I only have one friend.), I can barely remember his last name even after knowing him for between four and six years.
9878952
I'm also horrible with names, so I totally understand. (Have gotten better somehow though....)When I was in college, people were like 'HEY!' and I'm going 'you're the person...from the place.....hi?'
The ultimate ctrl+f command.
As for Nacreous, it's not too surprising that he's like a walking Chamber of Secrets after living and surviving for over a thousand years. Yet, the prospect of just what those secrets are is rather intriguing. Also, I expected that Celestia would meet the beings residing within him but didn't think she'd be meeting one of them this soon. She seemed to take it rather well though. Lastly, the riddle. Based on how it read to me, the main solution that made the most sense to me was "Love". Guess I'll know in the next chapter or so if I was right in my thinking.
P.S. Meant to mention this last chapter but I was pleasantly surprised to see that reference to "The Greatest Showman". It's such a great musical and all the songs in its soundtrack are great. Personally, "Tightrope" is one of my favorites but I could (and have) listen to all the songs multiple times.
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Quite an interesting chapter indeed! I don't know why your comments didn't send me a notification weeks ago- sorry about that! And I thought the Greatest Showman songs fit rather well in this case.
Far east, maybe the runes are meant to read from right to left, so Paladin of the North.
Yeah, like that.
This made me go back and look. Chapter two, he introduces himself as "Doctor Borealis." Complete with documentation. Then later is referred to by Gaudi in his head as Nacreous, and eventually asks Celestia to call him that instead of Doctor. Nopony bats an eye, so presumably that was included in the documentation.
But that would mean he gave his full name officially as "Nacreous Borealis" and had been doing so at least often enough to have documentation and medical licensing from every known nation of the world, as I believe it was put. Even though this would now appear to be a fake name.
So, minor point of plot there: he has given his last name, he just gave a different last name. Might be worthy of comment?
Sunbutt, if Philomena were in this scene, she'd be in the corner cackling madly and encouraging him. That phoenix is reliable like that.
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It's meant for a middle name- Nacreous Borealis Thunderwing. Should have made that more clear...but I suppose it works as just 'another' name.
...ok and Phil. totally would.
boy do you love hugs.
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