The Chronicle of the Return

by DracoUnis

Night of Their Lives, Part 1

"Are you certain the jacket fits comfortably? I'm a little worried it might be a bit tight across the shoulders." Rarity fusses, trying to tug my outfit around with her magic while our group makes its way to the Ponyville train station.

For my part, I just keep fighting down the temptation to bop the white unicorn on the horn. "The suit fits perfectly, Rarity. Now stop messing with it so I can walk in a straight line." Blue sparkles stop appearing on my clothes and the designer grins sheepishly. "Thank you."

"Woohoo!" Pinkie bounces ahead of the rest of us. Her outfit flounces along with her movements as she runs and bounds about. "We're gonna have so much fun, and the food is going to be so yummy because it's a banquet put together by the Princesses. I'm so glad the Cakes gave me the night off because they're catering and now I won't get in trouble for eating any of the food before it leaves the kitchens…"

The rest of us follow the hyperactive pink mare. Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, Big Macintosh, Rainbow, Spike, and even Fluttershy, all of us dressed to the nines and ready to rub elbows with the best and worst of Canterlot high society. I look up to the mountainside capitol, the white walls gleaming in the late afternoon sun. Mac notices my hesitation and falls back to walk next to me.

"Nervous?" he asks.

"Yup."

"How come?"

"Just wondering what it's going to be like when I finally meet these other humans." Nerves and uncertainty cause me to run a hand through my hair. "Nothing's ever certain when it comes to my kind, Mac. Literally anything could happen."

"In a castle surrounded by the best of the Royal Guard, watched over by both Princesses of Equestria." The big guy raises an eyebrow, challenging me to come up with a counterpoint.

I sigh, "You have a point there, Mac. I'll just have faith that it'll all turn out for the best. Thanks."

"Eyup," he says and trots to catch up with the mares. We reach the platform and we talk amongst ourselves to pass the time. A few more well-dressed ponies gather around and wait for the express train to pull into the station. I turn my gaze upward to the castle city once more.

This is going to turn out to be an interesting night.

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I've got to hand it to the Princesses, Canterlot Castle is much more impressive up close. The walk up to and through the castle gates gives me the appropriate impression of the power and prosperity of the nation the building's residents rule. The drawbridge is a nice touch too, few castles have a moat that turns into a waterfall.

The ponies and I enter the main hall last, letting the other Ponyville guests enter ahead of us. Up a short staircase the two rulers of Equestria stand regally, greeting each guest that climbs up to the entrance to the ballroom and party grounds past them. It's a good thing we're the last in line, because we get special attention.

"Twilight Sparkle, I am so glad you could come!" Celestia greets us warmly. She's looking just as gentle and powerful as ever, although now I have a better understanding of the power I feel flowing from her. "Of course I'm happy to see the rest of you as well. Luna and I are very grateful that you all took the time to be here tonight."

Luna steps forward and addresses me, "You would be Lanternlight, I presume?"

"Yes, your Majesty," I say as I put my right fist into my left palm and bow to the sisters. "It is an honor to finally meet you, Luna."

Perplexed by my odd mix of manners and casualness, the night princess answers. "Likewise, sir. I believe that this is your first visit to Canterlot. How do you find the city?"

"It is certainly a unique and striking place, especially at sunset."

Celestia smiles like I said something funny. "Yes it is, I think the white walls pick up the colors of the sky nicely. Now, as you are the last guests to arrive we should go in and mingle for a while before they bring out dinner." Twilight and I glance at each other while the other ponies agree and walk into the crowded ballroom with Luna.

"Excuse me Princess, but Lanternlight and I would like to have a word before you get too busy." The purple unicorn looks very nervous, but that's understandable since she probably thinks she's making demands of her teacher and idol. She can be a little weird when it comes to Celestia.

"Of course," the white alicorn says.

We wait until the others are inside the ballroom. Once the hall is empty of everyone but the three of us, I ask the question that has been plaguing me for a week. "How many?"

I don't have to elaborate. "There are three other humans attending the banquet tonight; a man, a young woman, and a little girl. None of them appear to be hostile or have ill intent towards the ponies or each other. You can rest easy, Guardian."

I let out a breath that I never realized I'd been holding. Celestia's a good judge of character and I already know she wouldn't let anyone or anything within sight of Canterlot if it was going to hurt her subjects.

"Are there any humans who have come to Equestria but are not attending the banquet?" Twilight asks. "Surely more have come back than just four by now."

The white alicorn sighs and furrows her brow. "That's a much more difficult question to answer. The three here are the ones we know have been living in Canterlot for the last few months. We know of at least ten others who have appeared in cities and towns scattered across the country. I believe that there are many more that arrived in the wilderness and remain there still. After the banquet, Luna and I intend to send out search parties to comb the countryside for any lost humans."

"Thank you Celestia, I feel a whole lot better now that I know that you're handling this seriously," I say.

"Do you have so little faith in me, my brave human?" Is she teasing me? If so, she's got the best poker face I've ever seen.

"Having faith is one thing, knowing is quite another," I say humorously, testing the water. To my slight surprise that elicits a short laugh from the white-coated princess. "I should go and mingle. I'll see you at dinner."

"And I should find my brother," the smaller purple unicorn says, much to my surprise. "We really need to catch up, and I want to introduce him to Big Macintosh. If I can find you before dinner I'll introduce you too, Lanternlight."

I kinda feel sorry for Mac. "Sounds good," I say as we both enter the crowded ballroom. Peering over the sea of colorful heads, backs, and formal wear, I begin my quest for something that has eluded me for the last three months.

Human interaction.

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A few minutes of fruitless searching later, I get yanked aside by Rarity. "There you are, Lanternlight. There is somepony here that you just have to meet." She's got my hand enveloped in her magic, making it almost impossible to escape. So I just go along with it.

The unicorn pulls me across the room to a small crowd surrounding a dapper, blue-maned unicorn stallion. The surrounding ponies are all well dressed and hanging off of the stallion's every word in a way that is almost disturbing.

"Fancy Pants, may I introduce my friend and the guardian of Ponyville, Lanternlight," Rarity lifts a hoof daintily in my direction. "Lanternlight, this is Fancy Pants, a very influential financial advisor in addition to running his hereditary toy company."

"I say, it is absolutely smashing to meet you good fellow," Fancy Pants says as he nods in my direction. "I hope you don't mind me saying so, but you have built quite a reputation for yourself. Everypony in Canterlot has heard of your deeds, defending Ponyville from a monster attack and unlocking what was probably the most tantalizing archeological site in the nation being the two best known. Very impressive if I do say so myself."

The crowd around us murmurs in agreement, their curious looks causing me to break out in a sweat. I'll take another Landshark attack over being the center of attention like this. "I was just doing my duty sir."

"Humble, a very admirable trait in a stal… oh, my apologies," the unicorn stallion clears his throat and corrects himself, "in a man." Fancy's entourage choruses its own approval but Rarity notices my nervous fidgeting and speaks up on my behalf.

"Lanternlight has many admirable traits, the last few months have been rather interesting as we have gotten to know him better. Speaking of which, may we pull you aside and have a talk in private?" The unicorn directs a quick but blood-freezing glare at the ponies surrounding us. "It will only take a few minutes. We would never dream of frittering away your precious time on ourselves, dear."

If anyone in the crowd has any objections the words die in their mouths when they catch that blue-eyed gaze. Fancy Pants himself appears to be oblivious. "I can always make time for you and your friends, Miss Rarity."

The three of us walk away, exiting the room and entering a little side hallway that probably connects the party rooms to the kitchens. A few ponies trot past here and there but the hall is mercifully empty. I sigh in relief, happy to be away from the crowd.

"I usually just ignore them," the unicorn stallion says slyly as we walk by a pair of servants carrying trays of drinks.

"Huh?" I must sound so intelligent right now.

"Those ponies. I find it much easier to deal with their kind if I just imagine they aren't really there every now and then. And they truly aren't, in a subtle but very important way." We stop in front of one of the castle's many tapestries and the conversation really starts. "Now my lad, I must ask what you think of Canterlot so far?"

"It's a lot bigger than it looks from Ponyville, but I like it. There's a lot of interesting architecture, especially around the castle."

The stallion grins and polishes his monocle on his waistcoat. "It's always nice to know that one's hometown has made an impression." The monocle is replaced and he turns his attention towards the mare accompanying us. "And of course it is always a joy to see you in town, my dear. You're looking just as smashing as always."

Rarity blushes a bit and bats her eyelashes even as she waves off the compliment. "Oh, you flatter me sir." The two of them share a laugh, making me feel like a third wheel. "And how is your lovely wife Fleur doing? I haven't seen her yet tonight. Is it true what I've heard and you two have finally…"

"Fleur, couldn't come tonight, I'm afraid." Fancy's voice grows quiet with emotion. "She needs time to recover from the… accident."

Okay, if I'm understanding this situation right then this just got a whole lot more awkward. I kinda want to comfort the guy, but from the look in a certain white and purple unicorn's eyes she's already on the case. Then I see a way to gracefully extract myself from the conversation.

"Excuse me," I say as I walk away from the two white unicorns. Fancy Pants nods solemnly before he begins to pour his heart out to Rarity, who stands ready to comfort her famous friend. Purposefully ignoring their conversation, I make my way over to the man standing by the door to the kitchens.

He is a rough-looking man, only a few inches shorter than me and packed to the brim with muscle. Brown hair streaked with a few strands of iron grey top his head and form an impressive mustache, both of which look as though they have been groomed recently. His eyes are a warm, earthy brown that glows slightly. His suit is a fine-pressed but battered navy blue dress uniform, bedecked with a few military medals and emblazoned with sergeant's chevrons on the shoulders. An old scar runs across his right cheek from underneath the eye almost to the ear.

From this angle I cannot tell if he has a duty mark or not, but hopefully it will come up in conversation.

"Hello, sir. I've been looking for you."

The man nods at me and adopts a neutral stance, his arms relaxed at his sides. He's ready if I try to start trouble, but isn't looking for it. "Hullo. Heard that there would be another bloke at this party." British accent, obviously military, and sizing me up while I do the same. "You the one that was in the papers a few weeks ago? Lamp-light or summat?"

"Patrick Vjorskir, Lanternlight, royally appointed guardian of Ponyville and amateur magician." Introduction done, I put my hand forward and look him in the eye.

After a few tense seconds, the man grips my hand in my own and gives it a firm but friendly shake. "Sergeant Brian 'Ironsides' MacLond, retired from Her Majesty's Special Air Service. Pleasure to be meeting you. You American? Your accent's right but the surname throws me right off."

"It happens a lot," I laugh, "my grandfather was Norwegian and smuggled himself across the Atlantic under an assumed name. What about you? Scottish?"

"On me Mum's side, but I was born and raised in Wales." He grins at me and speaks in English rather than Babel, "Now we're both immigrants to a land of pastel-colored, magical, miniature horses. Me old squad would be laughing their arses off if they could see me now, they would."

"If it means not being lost in the wilderness or dropping into Griffon territory, then theoretical ridicule is a small price to pay." I respond, also in English.

"Got to say lad, you're a good bit younger than I expected. Reminds me of some of the lads I booted out of Selection back on Earth." Brian gives me another appraising look. "They say you've been here the longest. You must know a thing or two about livin' here, right?"

"After almost four months? I certainly hope so. I'll answer your questions if I can."

"Okay, first off: where can a red-blooded man like meself get his hands on a nice steak or three around here? All these greens are fine, but I need a bit of meat to round out the old diet, y'know?"

I grin at that question. "Okay, this might be unpleasant for you to hear," I immediately reconsider that statement. "Probably not though. Equestrian law states that all civilized carnivores have to hunt wild animals for their meals. The ponies do keep livestock but it's more a matter of partnership than domestication. So there are no butcher shops, no pre-packaged steaks, and certainly no burger joints. I recommend investing in a good bow and knife."

The other human sighs sadly. "So if I want a bacon sandwich..."

"Oh, don't get me started on bacon," I groan. "The only wild pigs in the area are boars, and those guys are almost more trouble to take down than they're worth. Almost."

Brian laughs. "Looks like I'll get some use out of my survival training yet."

"Lucky you. Anything else you want to ask?"

"Err, yeah, it's about a problem I've been having. Sleeping." The former SAS operative gives me a cautious glance but otherwise refuses to reestablish eye contact.

"Oh, that. That's one of the weirder things about living here, and I had trouble with it at the beginning too. Basically we have to sleep in a geomantically active area in order for our bodies to rebalance our natural magic flow," I say proudly, finally getting a chance to show off my hard-earned knowledge.

"Huh?" Brian asks in confusion, completely deflating the confidence I had built up. It also reminds me that I need to establish what he does and doesn't know.

"Okay, you know how unicorns use their horns to move things around?" The man nods, prompting me to continue. "That's one of the most common expressions of a force called magic, and it is everywhere in this world. It's how the pegasi influence the weather and earth ponies maintain the land. Every living creature here can influence it and is influenced by it. Humans included."

"So if I don't sleep in a place with a lot of ambient magic, my body gets all confused?" he asked, looking a bit confused himself.

Knowing anything more in-depth would either go over his head or take way too long to explain, I just say, "That's one way of putting it." With a smile and a nudge I begin to guide him back into the party proper. "Let's go talk to the Princesses about finding you a place to live. Who knows, they may even offer you a job!"

How hard can it be to find towering, majestic, flowey-maned alicorns in a crowded castle? Pretty difficult, actually. Brian and I have spent the last fifteen minutes making our way through the ballroom, garden, and a few of the lounges and sitting rooms that the party has spilled into. Neither of us have seen hide or hair of the two ponies we seek.

So with little else to do, and to distract myself from the crowds around us, I start up a conversation. "So I see you have your mark already."

"What now?" he responds, a bit distracted. To clarify I point to his back, where a metallic grey crusader shield is emblazoned. The shield itself is covered in dings and spots of rust, but it gives the impression of unyielding solidity. Noting where I'm pointing, the sergeant rolls his eyes. "Oh aye, that ruddy thing. Been there since I got to this world. The ponies always seem to think it's important for some reason."

My brain hatches a bit of a plan, all to confirm a little theory I have. I change the subject a before I give in to the impulse to explain Duty Marks directly. "So how did you get your call-sign, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Oh that's a story, lad," Brian taps his nose and grins at me as he launches into his tale. "T'was my first op with the SAS, and we had to extract some hostages from the arsehole of South America. I had point as we crept up on the compound where some terrorists were holding hostages, including some British embassy workers. Some blighter spots us and takes a pot-shot. The bullet ricochets offa me cheek," he pats the scar on his face, "but I hardly felt it at the time and just took the shooter out."

"You should have been knocked out, at least," I say with no little astonishment.

"That's not all. When the op started to go south I ran interference while the others got the hostages out. Ran around the place firing me weapon, cursin' up a bloody storm, and drawing all kinds of fire. Me squad was shocked as hell when I made the rendezvous. Medic took one look at me and told me that I was lucky to be alive. I had been shot forty-six times. Thank God Almighty for body armor, it stopped most of the bullets and the rest missed anything vital."

"Why Ironsides though? Would have been just as easy to call you Tank or Juggernaught or something like that." We peak into another lounge while I speak.

The ex-SAS man chuckles. "I was raised by me Mum to be a real gentleman, one of those real old-fashioned ones. It didn't escape the squad's notice either, especially when officers or ladies were about. So they dubbed me Ironsides after those old warships from the late 1800's."

"Clever," I say, ready to clinch the point. "What made you decide to distract those terrorists all by yourself?"

Brian scratches the back of his head. "I don't know if I can answer that right. I mean, I'm a soldier, trained to kill and perfectly aware that my life could end at any moment. It comes with the job. But that night, those terrorists had dragged civilians into a battlefield. They never asked for that danger, the uncertainty of whether or not they will make it to see the next day. I knew, right at that moment, that I had to keep those people safe. Don't matter if I have to use me own body as a shield, I'll keep innocents safe from harm."

I snap my fingers as he finishes his sentence. "And that is why you have your mark!" The other man gives me a look that is equal degrees confusion and exasperation. With a smile, I explain the meaning and significance of a Duty Mark and the old tradition of taking a name after earning one. He gets it as we continue walking, having abandoned our search for the moment in favor of the conversation.

That is, until our talk is interrupted by my favorite lavender unicorn.

"Lanternlight!" Twilight shouts from across the room, waving one hoof frantically to get our attention. Brian, or Ironsides, points in her direction. I shrug and lead him through the room to Twilight's group. With her are both Big Mac and Applejack, along with two ponies that I am not familiar with. "Lanternlight, this is my big brother, Captain Shining Armor of the Canterlot Royal Guard." A unicorn stallion almost the size of Mac gives me a big smile and a nod, "And this is his wife and my sister-in-law, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza of the Crystal Empire."

A pink alicorn with a yellow, pink, and purple mane rolls her eyes and lifts her hoof for me to shake. "Just call me Cadence, please. Who's your friend?"

"Oh, this is Brian MacLond, Ironsides. Formerly a sergeant in the United Kingdom Armed Forces Special Air Service regiment. Brian, I'd like you to meet Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, and Big Macintosh." I point to each pony as I introduce them.

"A pleasure to meet you all. Ladies, Your Majesty," he sketches a bow to Cadence before casually saluting Shining. "Captain."

"Sergeant," Shining salutes back. "Nice to meet you Lanternlight. Twilight sent us a few letters about you. It's always good to hear that my sister is making new friends."

"Shiny," Twilight groans.

"Nice to meet you too, Captain." I shake the unicorn stallion's hoof and fall into the conversation, keeping an eye out for any figure that might be the other two humans present. As time goes on the group splits into two different conversations. Ironsides and Shining discuss military stuff while the rest of us look on.

"Well, it looks like they hit it off," Cadence observes dryly.

"No kidding," Twilight responds, rolling her eyes as the two soldiers blather on.

"So Twilight, you're finally dating!" The pink alicorn's sudden change of subject causes freezes both the purple unicorn and her big red coltfriend in place. "And with such a handsome gentlecolt too. Why didn't you say anything?"

"I… w-we… uh," the lavender unicorn stammers for a few seconds before her anxiety explodes. "Mac, Shining, BBBFF, fighting, ruin party, Gala all over again. Disaster!"

Macintosh pats his panicking marefriend on the back, "Calm down sugar. No need to panic." The big guy guides his significant other through the process of recovering from a panic attack. Cadence and I share a chuckle at the rather typical sight.

"Oh, you two are very good for each other," the princess says through her laughter. Done teasing the couple, she turns to see me looking around the room and the smile dissapears from her face. "Oh… I'm sorry Lanternlight, are we keeping you from looking for someone?"

Caught, I shrug and wave her concern off. "I'm just trying to find the other humans here. See if I can help them at all."

"If it helps, I think I saw the younger girl in the sitting room across the hall."

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I take a few moments in the hallway to study the girl before I approach her. She looks to be no more than ten or eleven years old, with black hair and ocean-blue eyes. The dress that hangs from her gangly frame looks to be a hastily modified pony dress made of felt. The outfit is a shade of purple that would give Rarity an aneurism. She kicks her legs against the seat she's occupying, studying the empty room with the bored expression of a kid waiting for something interesting to catch her eye.

Might as well give the kid something to do. Tapping my knuckles on the doorframe to get her attention, I step into view and give her a smile. "Mind if I join you?"

I don't know if she's surprised at being approached by another human, or that I'm even asking her permission at all. "Uh, sure," she says uneasily. She watches me carefully while I take a seat on the fainting couch across from her.

"My name's Lanternlight," my hand extends forwards. "I live down the hill in the village of Ponyville."

The girl eyes my hand warily before giving it a brief shake. "I'm Tabitha." She releases my hand and reclines back into her couch. "Are you the man that's been in the newspapers lately?"

"That would be me, yes."

"Did you really fight off a giant monster?" There is a spark of interest growing in her eyes.

"To be honest, my friends and I tricked it into a trap and had the Guard haul it away. And it wasn't all that big." My humility is lost on the girl, who begins to lean forward.

"Is it true that you were the first one here?" she asks.

"The first that we know of. Humans might have appeared outside of Equestria before I was zapped in." This girl's questions are starting to remind me of a certain unicorn.

"Do you know how we got here? Obviously magic, but what kind of magic?"

Latching on to a topic that would let me segway into others, I begin to lecture. "That's a long story, Tabitha. Long ago a man called Ignus ruled over the humans of this world, and in the aftermath of a civil war he cast a spell to…" A squeal from the girl cuts me off before I can get very far.

"We can cast spells? We get magic?" She jumps off the couch in her excitement, all but shoving her face into mine. "What is it like? Do you know it? Can you show me how to use it?"

As rapid-fire as her questions come, this girl has nothing on Pinkie Pie. "Yes, obviously, long answer, I do, and maybe." Tabitha quiets while her brain processes my answers. Seeing an opening, I pounce on it. "My turn! How have you been doing here in Canterlot? Are you feeling all right, any problems sleeping or anything?"

The girl sits back down and averts her eyes, clearly uncomfortable with answering my questions. "Uh, I'm fine. The princesses helped me get settled. They even made sure I had a place to sleep and everything."

"Really," wow, those two really are on top of things around here. "So where are your parents, still on Earth or do you know if they will be coming later?"

"Doesn't matter to me," she says with the kind of anger only a kid her age can hold. "My real mom and dad are dead and my foster parents never really cared about me anyways."

O-kay, the kid has an issue with her pre-Return life. Good to know?

Before I can make any effort to console the girl or even apologize for unwittingly bringing up a sore subject, someone barges into our little bubble of awkwardness. A unicorn stallion almost as tall as Shining and Mac steps into the room, his blonde-maned head held high. He gives the two of us a condescending gaze before making a shooing motion with his hoof.

"If you two creatures would kindly leave, I require some privacy. All these commoners have already ruined my day and I don't need two glorified gorillas making it worse." Why the… He doesn't even have the courtesy to mutter that last part. Just stated it right to our faces.

"Hey, we were here first!" Tabitha says with perfect playground incredulity. The snobby unicorn is taken aback.

I sigh, wondering how I keep getting into these kinds of situations. "I'm sorry sir, but the young lady and I are having a conversation. I don't know what your opinion of us is but there is no call to be rude." Regardless of what one might assume, diplomacy is an important skill for a martial artist to practice. Less people get hurt that way.

Despite my efforts to disarm the situation, the unicorn remains annoyingly affronted. "How dare you beasts talk back to your betters. Do you know who I am?"

"I've never had the pleasure of meeting you before." Believe me, we would both remember the encounter.

"I am Prince Blueblood, nephew of Princess Celestia herself." He tosses his head and I swear he uses something to make sparkles out of nowhere. "You may beg for forgiveness now."

Yeah, it's getting more difficult keep myself from toasting this guy by the second.

Tabitha beats me to the punch, not literally, thank god. "Okay, well, what do you do?"

"What?" Blueblood asks, his ego easily punctured.

"Well, if you're a prince, then you have to be in charge of something, right?" Blueblood's right eye twitches. "Like protecting Canterlot, or the Royal Guard." I see a little bit of red creep up under his white fur as the little girl continues to innocently belittle him. "Even maybe running the nation's money. It'd be embarrassing if your aunt didn't think you could do anything." There is a sound not unlike a steam whistle as the ne'er-do-well prince's face twists into a mask of rage and embarrassment.

My instincts and self-imposed training take over, throwing me between the pre-teen girl and the enraged unicorn stallion. My body tenses and I ready to make the first strike the minute I see his horn light up.

But that doesn't happen, because the unicorn bursts into tears right in front of us.

"Y-you shouldn't speak to me like that. Just you wait, I'll tell my auntie and have you thrown into a dungeon!" Openly weeping, Blueblood runs out of the sitting room like we had just set his tail on fire.

"Does Canterlot even have a dungeon?" Tabitha asks me in confusion. I simply shrug in response.

At that moment the far more regal Princess Cadence walks in, looking down the hallway that her relative just galloped through. "What happened?"

"I have no idea," is my honest answer.

The pink maned alicorn shrugs off her confusion and speaks to me. "Lanternlight, dinner's almost ready and they'll start seating any time now. You should probably go to the gardens and get some fresh air. You're smoking."

I glance down at my balled up fists, only now conscious of the smoldering heat emanating from my knuckles. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." As we leave the room I shake my hands to dissipate the lingering heat and magic. When I part ways with the girl and pony, I hear Cadence introduce herself to Tabitha.

My walk through the halls of the castle is a long one, maybe because now I have nobody to distract me from the curious stares of the ponies that I pass by. Luckily the trip to the nearest garden does not take long. The cold mountain air clears my head immediately, allowing me to take a few minutes to enjoy the night sky and the moonlit view of the immaculately kept grounds from a terrace.

I lean against the railing and take a moment to enjoy the peace and quiet before plunging back into the party. Why am I wound so tight tonight? Sure, being in a castle full of people (or ponies in the local parlance) who I don't know and who are paying extra attention to me is part of it. There's also the fact that, from Twilight and company's stories alone, I have a sneaking suspicion that large celebrations are trouble magnets in Equestria. I'm half expecting a dragon to come roaring through the walls at any second. Not that I would have half a chance to leap into action myself with the two elder princesses here.

Still, I have the sense that something important is about to happen. Maybe not catastrophic, but important.

The door behind me opens and closes, heralding the arrival of a new visitor to the terrace. Oh well, the privacy was nice while it lasted.

That's when I hear a very familiar voice say, "Holy crap, Patrick?"

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Sokka says: To be continued.

Rainbow Dash: Dun dun duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun.

Sokka: Very nice.

RD: Thanks.

A special thanks to Bemmo for agreeing to be my editor.

Comments

[Sparklight]

Me old squad would be laughing their arises off if they could see me now, they would."

arses.
That may have been due to pronounciation, but they'd pronounce it arse anyway. You Americans and your asses.

"Lanternlight, dinners almost ready and they'll start seating any time now.

dinner's or dinner is

Damn, you had to end it there, didn't you? I was starting to enjoy myself.

[Bemmo]

Aw man, you spelled my name wrong

[DracoUnis]

1611927 Whoops, sorry.

[Bemmo]

1612027
Hehe, all better

[nightmaster0]

Look's like he's about to get a blast from his past.

[Enyal1o]

this is awesome
also damn you cliffhangers

[Oddboy]

I like it. I was a bit iffy about this story at first, I'll admit, but that passed quickly enough. Nice bit of world-building, too.

Upvoted and favorited and eagerly awaiting the next chapter!

[AethersLight]

Great story.I can't wait for the part 2 chapter.This is definitely going in my top 5 favorite story list.

[The Special Unicorn]

Vjorskir doesn't sound like any Norwegian name I've ever heard and I'm Norwegian myself. I mean, it's similar. Maybe that's good enough, but it reminds me of Icelandic or Finnish more than anything.