A strange creature in Equestria

by sykko

Strange visitors in the night and unwelcome visitors in the morning

Author's Note:

So I finally got this chapter written after several browser crashes, a rewrite or two, losing several paragraphs already written multiple times, a three day creative burnout and going stir crazy from the quarantine.

I do want to add a trigger warning in here for a segment containing mild homophobic comments, being a bisexual man it made me feel uncomfortable writing it.

As always thanks for reading and I shall attempt to take all criticism as constructive.

Night had fallen on the eventful day. It was nearing midnight and all was quite except for the occasion clip-clop of the night patrols often Ponyville constables.

Cadance and Shining Armor laid next to each other in one of the guest bedrooms of Twilight's castle. Neither of them could sleep, maybe it was the unfamiliar bed, maybe it was because they were used to the sounds of their own castle. All they knew for for certain was they couldn't sleep, something felt...off.

Shining Armor sat up in bed and looked over at his still awake wife. "Can't sleep either?", he asked.

She shook her head slightly. "No, something feels..."

"Off.", tey both said.

"I'm going to take a walk, see if the night air can help me relax.", Shining said getting up. He levitated a light colored cloak over him. "I'll be back in a couple of hours."

Cadance walked over to him and kisses him. "Don't stay out too late." She adjusted the hood on his cloak. "When you get back, if I'm not in bed, I'll be in the library."

As they walked side by side through the hallway, they paused at Twilight's door. They heard her inside crying. This time of year was hard on Twilight. Fifteen years ago her fiance had been killed by timberwolves and in her distraught state she had miscarried their foal she was carrying. She gestured with her hoof to Shining with a look on her saying "I've got this". Nodding he set off towards the stairs.

Cadance knocked on the door softly. "Twilight, I'm going to get some tea and go to the library. If you want to come down and talk, I'll be there." She heard no answer, just more soft sobs. Quietly Cadance made her way to the kitchen. She put on the kettle and a box of chamomile tea bags. She opened the icebox, finding some strawberries and apples. Taking them in her magic, she sliced them up and put them on a plate. She opened the pantry and levitated a pack of Twilight's favourite cookies onto a nearby tray. Soon the kettle was singing, she levitated to the tray, wrapped it in a cozy, then placed two cups, saucers, small plates and some napkins on the tray. She then levitated the tray and walked out of the kitchen.

Cadance had been sitting in the library for nearly thirty minutes reading an old tome about the six upright champions and their war against the Nameless King. She levitated the cup to her lips and twisted her mouth in a slight scowl that the tea had grown cold. Using her magic she reheated it. Taking a pleased sip of the warm liquid. She levitated a slice of strawberry to her mouth when she heard a soft sound at the library door. *tap tap tap* She figured it was Twilight finally coming to get some tea and talk. Clearing her throat, she said in a warm tone, "Come in." She heard the door open and close. Listening for a few seconds she didn't hear the sounds of hooves clopping or the clicking of clawed feet. Standing up, she turned expecting to see Twilight, Shining or Spike, instead she was shocked to see something entirely.

A translucent figure of a human female was gliding gracefully and silently towards her. Her simple white dress and flaxen braids gently blew in a breeze that wasn't there. Her translucent bright blue eyes sparkled, a kind smile was on her face.

Spreading her wings, Cadance took a stance of aggression and dominance. She threw a shield around herself, ignited the magic in her horn and lowered her head preparing for a charge. Snorting and scraping her hoof on the floor, she growled a challenge, "From where do you come specter! What is your purpose here?!"

The figure paused and bowed slightly. "Fear not Sky Queen, Matriarch of Love, I come not as an enemy.", the figure said softly in a voice like gentle wind in reeds.

"Who-what are you?!", Cadance said flapping her wings aggressively and taking a few aggressive steps forward.

"In life I was the betrothed of Harald Irontoothson. You may call me Ilga.", the specter said.

Cadance thought on what Ilga had said. "So you're dead?"

"Yes."

"What assurances do I have that you're not here to harm me?" Cadance felt it was a solid question.

"The dead are not permitted to harm the living, Sky Queen.", Ilga replied.

Cadance lowered her shield and assumed a more regal posture. She kept the magic in her horn lit. "Would you care to sit? Some tea or something to eat?, she said in a more polite tone.

"Thankest thou, but nay.", Ilga said softly as her form sat down, "The dead have no need for food or drink."

"Why are you here?", Cadance asked, "I thought the dead rested amongst the stars."

"Ponies may dance amongst the stars, but my people enter the Great Hall to prepare with our ancestors for the great sundering. As for why I'm here, the gods have granted me a time to treatise with thee and thy sister."

Cadance was taken aback slightly. "S-so what is it you wish to talk to me about? I seriously doubt I can offer good council to the departed."

"The council is mine to give.", Ilga said in a near whisper, "First I wish to treatise on the matter of thy sister's heart. She grieves for her betrothed. But what she isn't aware of or may she simply denies it, is that an ember has been softly burning for some time. It may well soon enough erupt into a fire that will make her burn for another. Sky Queens and Sky Kings may mourn for eternity, but their hearts can learn to love."

"Is that why you're here?", Cadance asked, "To tell me about Twilight's love life?"

"Nay Matriarch of Love. That is not my only purpose.", Ilga whispered, "I come to speak of the matters of Harald's heart and bring a dire warning."

"What of the matters of his heart?" Cadance raised an eyebrow.

"Another has sparked a tiny ember in his heart, though he knows it not yet." Her smile stretched farther.

"You want me to intercede on their behalf?", Cadance asked, "Or would you prefer me to impede in their potential love"

"Nay, neither.", Ilga responded, "The living are granted the pleasure to repeatedly sample the bittersweet wine of love. Though a small piece of his heart will always belong to me and he shall always mourn me unto the end of his days, he must be allowed to taste love again."

Ilga rose from her seat, her face turns stern. "Thou must be one of the chosen to test the Rimewalker on the three shortest days of winter. Only with pain, fire and blood shall he finally ascend and be worthy to receive his final marks. I leave thee with these final warnings. The great pretender treats with he who was banished from death and a nightmare that prowls in the shadows. Thy allies in a nearby land and those whom lurk in the mines below shall be taken and twisted. If the Rimewalker falls, then this land will fall, only ashes and tears will remain, leaving the other five champions only the dead to avenge.

After Ilga had finished, she silently glided past Cadance. "Fare thee well Sky Queen, Matriarch of Love. I hope I am allowed to treat thou again under more fortuitous times." She glided to the door and silently opened it.

"Wait! Where are you going?", Cadance asked as she stood and turned.

"I go to treatise with thy sister. What must be said is for her ears alone." The door silently closes as Ilga passes through.

Twilight sat up in bed. The tears flowed down her cheeks. She picked up the picture frame on her nightstand in her hooves. It held the last picture the she and her fiance, Flash Sentry had taken together before he was killed fifteen years ago. He had a big, goofy love-drunk smile on his face, she had a "I have big surprise" smile on her face.

A fat tear fell on the glass of the picture frame as she remembered the events of that Nightmare Night.

He had gotten in late, brought in by Shining Armor's own personal pegasus chariot. He had been honorably discharged from the Crystal Empire army and was ready for their wedding on Winter Wrap-up.

Another fat tear falls on the glass.

Seconds after the picture was taken, she tried to tell him she was two months pregnant with his foal when a badly injured mare galloped into town hysterically screaming for help. She and her family lived several leagues outside of Ponyville. They were bringing their foals, nearly a year old into town to celebrate their first Nightmare Night when they were attacked by a pack of timberwolves.

Another fat tear.

Flash and Applebloom had been together in one of first search parties. After an hour they found the foals hidden under an overturned wagon. Before they could get the foals out, the timberwolves had descended on them still hungry for blood and pony flesh. When the next search party has found them Applebloom was barely conscious, trying to fight off the timberwolf still latched on her neck, her leg was badly mangled and her hoof hung on by a thread.

Another tear.

The badly mangled remain of flash on the morgue table was barely recognizable as a pony. Only one flank was able to give a positive ID until the blood and DNA testing a few days later could one hundred percent confirm it. Crying she begged whatever power would listen that he wasn't dead and it was a case of mistaken identity. A pain in stomach made her collapse to the morgue floor.

Another fat tear.

She awoke in the hospital bed. Her friend were all gathered around her. The doctor entered and with a sad expression on her face told her she had miscarried. Her heart momentarily froze as the realization that the last piece of Flash had died. She began hysterically screaming.

Another fat tear.

At his funeral her friends had to restrain her when she tried to fling herself in his grave on top of his coffin begging to not leave him in that hole by himself. Celestia had awarded him the Royal Sunburst Medal of honor. Luna had awarded him with the Lunar Crux of Valor. Cadance awarded him the Ruby Heart of Courage. All three medals were presented to his parents in a simultaneous ceremony. He had been buried in Ponyville under the willow tree where he had proposed to her.

Though this all happened fifteen years ago, it still hurt like it like it was yesterday. She remembered last year a new lieutenant that had recently transferred under Rainbow's command had smiled at her. She didn't know if it was his smile, his chiselled jaw, his barrel chest or something else entirely that made her feel warm in her face and chest. Her friends pushed and cajoled her to talk to him. She wanted to talk to him, but it felt like it betraying Flash's memory.

She held the the picture to her chest wishing she could feel his heart beat against her breast and his warm breath against her cheek again.

A soft noise was at her bedroom door. *tap tap tap*

Placing the picture on her bed, Twilight reached out with her magic and locked the door. She thought it was Cadance or Spike checking on her.

Again there was the soft sound at her bedroom door. *tap tap tap*

She turned to the door ready to tell whoever it was to go away. She stopped, the hair on her spine prickled and she sat in silence staring at the door. The next thing she saw nearly made her jump out of her skin.

The specter of Ilga glided through the door. "Is it thy custom to bar the door when a visitor calls upon thee?", she asked, "Or hast thou in thy sorrow forgotten thine manners?"

"Who...what...huh?!", was all Twilight could muster. Squenching her eyes shut a few times, she shook her head several times. "Either I'm dreaming or I am hallucinating.", she finally said.

"I assured thee that thou art most certainly awake and thou art sane.", Ilga said.

"Who or what are you?", Twilight said asked.

"In life I was the betrothed of Harald Irontoothson. Thou may call me Ilga.", she replied. "First allow me to congratulate thee for sacred embracing Harald into thy clan. It does not bode well for a Rimewalker to live clanless."

"I had read in old books about how ponies in ancient days would bind themselves in sacred bonds, I guessed that his traditions weren't that different much different.", Twilight said, "I guess I got lucky or I wouldn't be seeing you here right?"

"Thy perception is wondrous, Matriarch of the Evening. But the gods may have sent me to speak with thee even if thou hadst not bond with him.", Ilga said calmly, "Do not rely solely on ancient tomes and volumes of lore lest thy sight become as dusty and dry as they."

"I remember Celestia giving me similar advice nearly twenty-five years ago.", Twilight said a slight smile curling the corners of her mouth.

"But I didst not come to give thee advice on tomes and lore.", Ilga said, "I have come to give news and a warning."

Twilight bristled slightly.

Ilga leaned in close. "Thou must be one of the chosen to test the Rimewalker in a trial of fire, pain and blood so he may ascend and receive his final marks."

"He must face a gauntlet?", Twilight asked.

Ilga nodded. "Thy vision dost see far." Ilga leaned close to Twilight's ear. "Blood and tragedy is coming to this land, the Rimewalker must stand or this land will fall. Keep the Matriarch of the Sun close to thy sight, traitors hide in plain sight, if thou keep thy sight sharp the hand of the curs can be prematurely forced." Ilga glided towards the door. "Fare thee well Matriarch of the Evening. I hope I am permitted to speak with thee again under more fortuitous settings."

Twilight watched as Ilga phased through the door. "I hope so too.", she whispered.

Shining Armor had been walking on the abandoned Mane street of Ponyville. The only things that disturbed the slightly chilly night was the soft clopping of his hooves, the one or two bedroom lights of ponies doing late night paperwork, the chatter or squeak of nocturnal critters and the occasional pair of constables.

Shining stopped at the fountain in the middle of Champions Square, it used just be called Pony Corners until Twilight had renamed it fourteen years ago to commemorate the eight ponies that were killed that fateful Nightmare Night fifteen years ago. She had even commissioned a new fountain, it was the only expensive artwork Twilight had ever paid for. Shining Armor sighing, took in the whole fountain.

The fountain was simple and mostly unadorned fountain made of pure white white marble, the cutie marks of the element bearers were carved in various places. But the main event, as it were was a large smooth column made of a rare black marble with gold veins. A hammered gold banner wrapped around the column that read "In memory of those who sacrificed everything save honour". At the top of the column there stood statues made of cast bronze in the exact likeness of the six earth ponies, one unicorn and one pegasus that died that night.

Shining walks around the fountain, pausing to snap a quick salute at each statue. He stopped of the pegasus, snapped to attention and saluted like he was facing a superior. Every time he was in Ponyville he would do the same ritual, he had done a similar ritual while he was a palace guard back Canterlot when he had time off from duty, back in the Crystal Empire several had seen him doing a similar tradition and it had become an unofficial tradition in the Crystal army. As turned to walk back towards the castle he was caught off guard by what he saw.

It could have been Harald except he looked older and was translucent. The dark fur he wore on his shoulders, light brown braided hair and beard blew in a wind that wasn't there. His translucent green eyes sparkled like emeralds.

"Greetings.", he said in soft voice that sounded like a distant wind blowing across snow drifts, "May the peace of the Moon be upon thee."

Shining Armor took a guarded stance and lit the magic in his horn. "Who or what are you and where did you come from", he said coldly and calmly with a slight growl of a soldier.

"In life I was the father of of Harald Irontoothson. Thou may call me Ulfric.", the figure replied, "I have been permitted an audience with thee by the gods to give thee a dire warning of the fell events coming."

Shining rolled the words over in his mind momentarily. Gesturing with a hoof to a nearby bench he dims the magic in his horn until it is a barely visible glimmer.

Silently Ulfric strides over the bench and sits down, a neutral smile never leaving his translucent face. Shining Armor stood across from him pacing slightly, his hooves making soft clopping sounds.

"What reassurances can you offer me that these dire warnings you are about to deliver are true?", Shining asked.

"Only by the evidence of thine own eyes and ears can I reassure.", Ulfric replied.

"But what if they are playing tricks on me?"

"Dost thou not trust thine own senses?"

Shining Armor sighed. "I could give you a long-winded speech about "being more of gravy than grave" from that old hearth's warming book, but I think that Twilight could recite it much better than me." He placed a hoof between his eyes and rubbed slightly before sighing again. "Trying to make you swear an oath to speak only the truth would be pointless because if I catch you in a falsehood, how would I seek legal or civil action against the dead?" He sighed again. "I guess I have no choice but to trust my own intuition on the matter."

"Thou art most wise.", Ulfric replied, "First the dire warnings. Keep thy wits about thee and thy senses sharp, traitors hide in plain sight in the courts of the Sun and Moon. Only through a challenge of retribution might their ringleader be revealed and the remainder shalt be forced to prematurely act."

The words he just heard made him feel uneasy. A traitor, no make that multiple traitors were in Celestia and Luna's courts. Did they know? Had they infiltrated the royal guards? It made his head spin and he had to sit down. "Why would anyone want to betray the royal family? How much danger are we in?"

"The great pretender will promise things he has no intentions of actually giving.", Ulfric said softly, "Be wary, the fate of this land stands upon a knife's edge. The Rimewalker must stand or this land will fall to ashes and tears leaving the five others to avenge only the dead." Ulfric rose from the bench, strode over Shining Armor and placed a hand on his shoulder. "On the three shortest days of winter the Rimewalker must be tested by fire, blood and pain to ascend and receive his final marks, thou must be one of the chosen to test him."

Shining sat on the bench feeling flabbergasted. The general side of him began making battle plans, creating war preparedness drills and casualty estimates. The guard side of him began making plans to root out and capture the traitors. The leader side of him began working out plans for recruitment, intelligence gathering, materials acquisition and rationing. While Shining sat in thought he felt something akin to icy must on his shoulder. Looking over he saw Ulfric's hand on his shoulder.

"Fare thee well noble chieftain. I have others I must treat with.", Ulfric said, "I hope I am allowed to meet with thee again upon more fortuitous circumstances." Turning, he stood and silently strode off fading into the shadows.

"I as well.", Shining Armor whispered before turning and slowly back to the castle.

On Sweet Apple Acres Harald sat on a stool near one of the many hand pump wells. He absentmindedly chewed on a slice of apple while polishing the last of the nicks out of his axe. He let his gaze drift across what he could see of the homestead. He first looked over to the big main house, even in the dim light of the moon he could clearly see the bright red paint. He then looked over to the smaller house, a brilliant blue two story ranch house that Big Mac had built for Sugar Belle after they had married. He turned his head to the barn, hearing Big Mac rattling through things. He had come out twenty minutes earlier and had offered to help make rounds along the property lines. Harald was not one to turn down an extra pair of eyes, especially one that knew the land much better than him.

While rubbing the sore muscles in his shoulders he had thought back to the chores he had done that day. Granny Smith had called it "light work", he chuckled softly at it. Lugging bales of hay, stacking bushels of apples and barrels of apple cider on wagons and carts pulled by ponies who worked for a pony named Diamond Tiara, repairing broken apple buckets, loading apples into into an old machine that ground them into cider, harvesting the last two fields of corn and wheat, splitting boards for fences and chopping firewood. He smiled at how tight knit and hardworking the Apple family is, it reminded him of his now dead relatives. He thought how Big Mac's son Red Delicious worked next to him nearly as hard. He frowned slightly remembering how the pony had to stop working occasionally when an attack of dry wheezing and phlegmy coughs would strike him. When the attacks happened the pony had to breathe medicine from a crooked tube called a "puffer". When had asked Granny about it, she had told him that when he was a yearling colt that he nearly died when he got sick and the disease had left his lungs scarred. That made him admire the young stallion's inner strength even more.

Big Mac opened the barn door, drawing Harald's attention. He had an old brush hook slung across his back and was carrying a sack in his mouth that had several metal objects clanking in them. As he walked up he laid the sack and brush hook on the ground. Opening the sack Big Mac fished around in it for a second before drawing out a small tin with his hoof and tossed it to Harald. "Fer yore sore muscles. Stinks tuh high heavens but it'll make them feel better.", Big Mac said, "Jus' use a lil bit."

Opening the tin it contained a goopy translucent grey substance. The smell almost instantly slammed into his throat his throat making his eyes water, cough and gag. "Hellfire! This stinks worse than the crease of an Ursa's thigh that has been left to rot in a pit of flaming brimstone!", Harald weakly croaked. Dabbing a tiny bit on his fingers before quickly snapping the lid back on the tin, he rubbed the substance on his sore shoulders. First it felt cold as ice on his skin then it warmed up, feeling like a blanket left close to a fire. Soon the pain and stiffness went away in his shoulders. He passed the tin back to Big Mac. He wanted to ask what the substance was made from, but decided against just in case it was actually made from the thigh crease of an Ursa left to rot in a pit of flaming brimstone.

Big Mac had lit a small fire pot and placed a heavy round iron stand over it. He filled an old tin coffee pot and rinsed out two tin coffee cups at the pump well. He placed the coffee pot on the stand over the flame, placed a steel filter in it, scooped a few spoonfuls of reddish-brown powder in and put the lid on. Looking up at Harald he said, "Perk up juice. Made from ground up chestnuts, chicory and chili peppers. Taint coffee, but it'll knock the chill off an' keep yer eyes open. Daddy an momma use tuh drink it on nights like this when they was on watch." Soon the pot was boiling and Big Mac blew out the fire pot. He filled the two tin cups then gestured to Harald.

Both quickly drained their cups. Wincing, they shook their heads and coughed. The tiredness and chill washed away from them. Removing the sheath from the brush hook, Big Mac inspected the blade, licking his hoof he inspected the sharpness of the blade, then returned the sheath to the blade and strapped it to his back. "C'mon Harald, we gotta inspect the back fence. Sumpthin knocked a section down a coupla nights ago an' after we fixed it we set a few snares. Let's see if anythin' tripped th' snares." Hoisting his axe across his shoulder, Harald walked alongside Big Mac into the the shadows of the night.

Back in the main house Applejack and Rainbow Dash were laying in bed holding each. Applejack couldn't sleep. She stared down at the sleeping form of her wife, forelimbs tightly wrapped around, nuzzled deeply in her chest. It made her grin each time she shifted her weight Rainbow would squeeze her tighter, nuzzle deeper into her chest and would mumble something about "warm spot".

AJ grinned broadly, broadly and whispered, "Rainbow Dash-Apple, how did Ah get so lucky to have somepony as good as you?"

"You didn't get lucky, I'm just that awesome baby.", Rainbow said half awake, "Now quit messing up my warm spot."

AJ nuzzled Rainbow's cheek. "Ah woulda figured youda done snuck down to th' kitchen and snuck you some apple pie outa th' icebox by now."

Rainbow opened her eyes to slits as the corners of her mouth curled up wickedly. She nuzzled under AJ's chin, slid one of her forelimbs down to her rump, slid one of her hind legs between AJ's hind legs and hissed in her ear, "The only apple pie I'm hungry for ain't in the icebox." Her wings flared as she bit down on AJ's neck lightly.

Applejack bit down hard on her lip as her eyelids fluttered. She slowly crept her hoof down Rainbow's flank as she felt herself being slowly pushed on her back.

A soft sound was at their door. *tap tap tap*

Frustrated, Rainbow flopped on her back and threw a pillow over her face. "Ugh! Get the door! Granny probably needs help with her bonnet again."

Frustrated she grumbled as she got out of bed and stepped loudly over to the door. Yanking it open she expected to see Granny or Applebloom or Red Delicious, instead she saw the spectral form Ulfric. "AAAHHHH!", she screamed scared and startled. She stumbled backwards tripping over her hooves. As she fell to the floor a blue blur streaked over her.

Hearing her wife scream and trip, Rainbow rocketed out of bed landing hard on the floor between AJ and whatever had scared her. Taking a quick assessment she was momentarily stunned that she was facing a specter. A yellow and red streak barrelled past the door shouting "HEY CREEP!" before crashing into the end of the hall. Hearing AJ groaning as she got to hooves. She slowly backed to her wife, wings flapping aggressively, she crouched in a fighting stance and gave a snorting growl. She began champing her teeth and frothing.

Applebloom had finished adjusting her brace and prosthetic hoof. Her shift for night watch started in a couple of hours, but she couldn't sleep anyways. She decided to go downstairs and make some coffee, there was no way she was going to drink that nasty perk up juice unless she had no other option. As she stepped out the door she gasped in shock at the specter standing outside AJ and Rainbow's room. When she heard Applejack scream she charged at the figure. When she heard her prosthetic crack she thought, "Buck it! Ah only got one shot!" She pushed herself as hard as she could go ignoring the pain shooting up from her stump. She lowered her head and leaned her shoulder in for a full speed body block. Instead of colliding solid, she felt like she just passed through icy mist. She didn't have a chance to be surprised or skid to a stop as her prosthetic hoof shattered and she tumbled into the wall at the end of the hallway, smashing her face into it. White flashed across her vision as the world went fuzzy. She tasted copper in her mouth, smelled iron in her nose and her stump felt like it was on fire.

Applejack groaned as she stood up from the floor, shaking the cobwebs off. She saw her wife backing up to her. "Ah'm okay."

Rainbow extended a wing protectively in front of her wife. "Stay back Applejack!", she growled.

AJ looked to the door seeing the specter then saw Applebloom streak by. She heard her baby sister crash into the wall and groan. AJ stamped the floor with her hoof and snorted.

"Applejack no!", Rainbow growled again, "Stay behind me!"

"But Applebloom is hurt!", AJ exclaimed, "Ah gotta try an'-"

"Stay behind me!", Rainbow half snapped half growled cutting her off.

That's when she saw it. The roaring inferno in her wife's eyes and the flecks of foam at the corners of her mouth. "Oh shi-", the sound of Granny Smith's door snatching open cut her off.

Granny Smith snatched her door open. "What in tarnation is goin'-" She froze for quick moment seeing her youngest granddaughter sprawled on the floor at the end of the hallway, her oldest granddaughter in her room with her granddaughter-in-law using her wings as a shield and the back of a translucent human in front of her. "Sweet Celestia!", she exclaimed as she moved for her old hickory billy club as fast as her old legs could carry her.

"No!", Applejack shouted as she charged past Rainbow.

Rainbow snarled as she launched off the floor like a bullet.

AJ leapt to tackle the figure only for her mind to go blank, dumbfounded that she just grabbed nothing. She failed to notice until too late that she was careening headfirst to the floor. She tumbled across the floor and crashed into the wall. The world went dark as she slumped limply in a heap.

Rainbow snapped through the specter's head fast and hard. If she had struck something solid it would have exploded into mush. Champing her teeth hard, she accidentally bit the inside of her cheek. The tiny trickle of blood turned the now dripping froth from her mouth pink. Adrenaline had set her brain on fire. Her mind perceived her wife tumbling away limply, her sister-in-law laying on the floor and her grandmother-in-law running for her life. The last rational synapse switched off as her brain exploded in a firestorm. "Protect my family!", was the only thought her mind could scream at her. With her vision turning red, she turned to face the specter that was already facing her. "Don't hurt my family! RRRRAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHH!", she roared like a savage beast going blind with red rage. She became a whirlwind of flailing punches and kicks. Froth flew from her mouth, splatting on the walls and floors.

Granny Smith turned hearing her granddaughter roaring. She moved to her door as fast as she could and gasped at the horror of her granddaughter-in-law completely lost to blind frenzy. To her right she saw Applebloom sitting up gripping her stump with her good hoof, to her left she saw Applejack blinking back to consciousness on the floor a gash above her left eyebrow trickling blood down the side of her face. She moved over to Applejack avoiding hurricane Rainbow Dash-Apple. She helped AJ to her feet. "Applejack! Are yuh okay dearie?"

Applejack snapped back to consciousness almost immediately upon hearing a familiar roar. A roar she hadn't heard since five years ago on their anniversary trip to Fillydelphia. They had bought tickets to watch some terrible romcom. The movie was so bad it was unwatchable, so they started making out. When too many ponies in the audience had complained, several of the ushers had tossed them out the backdoor into the alleyway. They had decided to make out in the alleyway. That's when a gang of thugs had jumped them. Even though she had fought like a mare possessed, there were just too many of them and AJ had been pinned to the ground. They would have raped her or worse, that's when Rainbow had exploded in a blind frenzy. Two off duty constables had seen the attack commence but weren't able to get across the busy street in time. When AJ had finally been able calm her wife down, Rainbow had kicked and stomped six of the thugs into unconsciousness, two died in the hospital from their injuries. Rainbow had been busted up pretty bad where one wailed on her with an old wrench. Rainbow had refused medical help until AJ was in an ambulance. Outside of some bruised ribs and a dislocated jaw, AJ's injuries were fairly minor. In times like those she's glad to be an earth pony. Rainbow's injuries were much more severe. The main bone of her right wing was shattered, a compound fracture of her left forelimb, her left shoulder had nearly been torn out of socket, two fractured vertebra in her neck, three cracked ribs, a fractured jaw, a hairline fracture on her eye socket and a major concussion. She spent three months laid up in bed and another six months in physical therapy. The pins in her wing and leg still ached her when bad weather blew in from the Everfree. Rainbow took it all in stride as she would fight until there isn't a drop of blood or whisper of breath in her body for anypony she loves, but has only ever flown into a rage when she thought AJ's life was in danger. Now her wife was in one of those rages.

Rising from the floor as Granny Smith helped up. "Ah-Ah'm fine Granny. I jus' knocked mahself silly for a moment." She winced when Granny Smith touched the cut on her forehead. She looked to Rainbow and then over to Applebloom. "Ah'm okay Granny.", she said, "Go tend to Applebloom, Ah've got Rainbow."

Granny Smith nodded and made her way over to Applebloom.

Applejack walked to Rainbow.

Ulfric looked to her then back to Rainbow, a slightly annoyed look on his face.

AJ held up a hoof to him and mouthed, "One moment please." She cleared her throat. "Rainbow, calm down! Ah'm okay.", she called out in a loud voice.

Rainbow kept flailing away while frothing unintelligibly.

Stamping her hoof AJ shouted, "Rainbow Dash-Apple! You get yerself down here raht now! Dun make me do this th' hard way!"

Rainbow continued to flail wildly.

"Okay, hard way it is!", AJ said spitting on her hooves. Jumping up she grabbed Rainbow's tail in her teeth. Straining, she pulled her down to the floor, wrapping her fore and rear limbs around Rainbow in a bear hug.

Rainbow wiggled and twisted out of the bear hug. "Ngh!", she snarled, "Defend family!" She launched herself off the floor.

AJ leapt, grabbing one of Rainbow's forelimbs between her forelimbs and spun using her greater strength to try and pinned wife against the wall. Rainbow wrenched her forelimb loose. AJ wrapped her forelimbs around Rainbow's body and squeezed her, not to restrain her but to hug her. "Ssh! Ssh! It's okay it's okay! Ah'm safe!", Applejack said in her wife's ear, "Come back tuh me! Ah need you tuh come me!"

Over the raging firestorm in her brain Rainbow heard her wife calling out to her. As the red faded from her vision the world came back to Rainbow Dash-Apple. She felt her wife hugging her and begging her to come back. Rainbow wrapped her forelimbs around Applejack. "I'm back Applejack. I'm back. When I saw you laying on the floor I thought that ghost had hurt you and my mind went back to Fillydelphia.", she said her voice cracking. Rainbow snapped her eyes up seeing the specter of Ulfric silently striding over. She spun AJ behind her. "Get behind me Applejack!"

"Fear not fierce one, the dead are not permitted to harm the living.", Ulfric said in a soft voice like distant wind blowing across frozen seas, "The gods have permitted me to treatise with thee."

"Come on downstairs, Ah'll put on some coffee an' we'll let yuh speak yer peace.", AJ said.

"Applejack, I don't fully trust him. Do you think we should be talking with him.", Rainbow said.

"C'mon Rainbow, it's th' polite thing tuh do. 'Sides Ah dun think he could harm us even if he wanted tuh. An' 'sides look at him, Ah think he's Harald's daddy.", AJ said. A wry smile sprsewingross her face. "If you do this one thing for me, after lunch tomorrow well crack open that old bottle a' one-oh-five we been saving.", she said giving Rainbow a wink, "An' we'll see if you can give me a few more winks."

"Ugh!", Applebloom exclaimed, "Could y'all not talk lahk that when Ah'm literally eight paces behind y'all. Granny, could you bash mah head in with yer beatin' stick so Ah dun have that mental image anymore?!"

"Now now Bloom don't be like that, yer sis rolls her eyes when you go all a flirtin' an' a teasin' yer stalionfriend when he's on leave. 'Sides Ah used tuh tease yet gran'daddy the same way in front of yer daddy.", Granny Smith scolded.

Rainbow turned to Ulfric. "You got off easy buddy!", she said. Spitting on her hoof, she extended to Ulfric. "So what's your name stranger. Is it true that you're Harald's dad?"

Ulfric grasped her forelimb in his hand. "Thou may call me Ulfric and aye, in life I was the father of Harald Irontoothson."

Rainbow shuddered slightly as it felt she just stuck her forelimb in icy must.

As they gathered in the kitchen, Applejack grabbed a clean washcloth wet it and wiped the blood from her face and forehead, then tossed it in a nearby basket. She fetched a first aid kit from under the sink and placed it on the table. She grabbed a clean towel from the cabinet, opened the freezer and pulled out some ice cubes, making a cold compress for her sister, then carried it to the kitchen table.

Rainbow helped Applebloom out of her brace. She sucked through her teeth at the bruising and swelling on her stump. She inspected the brace and frowned at the damage it had sustained.

Applebloom sighed as she put the icepack on her stump. "Ah know, don't even say it. Ah'm gonna hafta go tuh th' doc tumarah, Ah've been putting it off fer too long. Jus' pass me th' sling an' Ah'll go in th' mornin' before Ah go tuh th' office."

After they finished with the first aid kit and making coffee, Applejack turned to Ulfric. "So what was it you were wantin' tuh talk about?"

"I come with dire news, a warning and a message of hope.", Ulfric said quietly. "The great pretender and his ally are beginning their moves against thy allies in a nearby land. They shalt corrupt many of them and thou shalt be required to slay many former allies. On the three shortest days of winter the Rimewalker must be tested with pain, blood and fire so that he might receive his final marks and ascend." Ulfric strode silently around the table. "Blood and tragedy are coming to this land. The Rimewalker must stand or this land shall shall fall to ashes and tears leaving the other five only to avenge the dead." He silently strode to the door saying, "Fare thee well. I hope I am permitted to treatise with thee under more fortuitous settings" He phased through the door and faded into the shadows of the night leaving the four Apples flabbergasted.

Rarity lay in her bed unable to sleep. She rolled over in bed a few times before deciding to get up. She decided to go to the kitchen and make some tea, maybe get a late night snack. As she went downstairs and quietly trod into the kitchen. She sees Sweetie Belle sitting at the table sipping a cup of tea and looking through some bridal catalogues. "Couldn't sleep either?", Rarity asks.

Sweetie shakes her head. "No. I'm not sure why, probably just nerves as I'm getting married in a few weeks.", she says sighing, "I still haven't picked out a dress yet. I was hoping you could help me pick one out, considering your expertise in fashion."

Rarity smiled as she as she walked over to her sister and closed the catalogues. "I was going to save it as a surprise for the day before your wedding day, but instead consider it an early wedding gift for you and Bright Star." She gestured for Sweetie to follow her. As they walked onto the boutique floor, she pulled sheets off of two ponyniquins. On one was a beautiful wedding dress and on the other was a dashing velvet tuxedo. "These were grandmother's and grandfather's wedding ensemble. I've been spending the the last two weeks adjusting them. You'll be so ravishing that Celestia and Luna will be green with envy."

Tears sparkled with tears. "Rarity, I-I don't know what to say.", she said her voice cracking with joy, "They're perfect!"

Rarity returned the sheets. "If mother and father were here still, they'd agree. Now they're not finished, I still have few seams to mend and adjust them to both of your measurements." Rarity hugged her sister.

There was a small sound at the door. *tap tap tap*

"Now who could that be?", Rarity asked. She walked to the door and opened it. "I'm sorry, but we are clo-" She paused in shock staring at a translucent human female, her white dress and red braided hair blew in a wind that wasn't there, her translucent blue eyes glittered, a small smile on her face. "Oh my!", Rarity exclaimed softly as she took a step backwards in surprise. Clearing her throat, she regained her composure. "Can I help you?", she said raising an eyebrow and trying to sound more annoyed than startled.

Sweetie Belle pointed her horn at the specter and ignited her magic. "Who are you?", she said in a tone trying to hide her fear.

"Many apologies.", the specter said in a soft voice like a distant breeze across thatched roofs, "Thou mayst call me Ingrid. In life I was the mother of Harald Irontoothson." She bowed politely looking over to Sweetie. "Fear not, the dead are not permitted to harm the living. I have been permitted by the gods to treatise with thee. Might I enter thy abode?"

Rarity stepped aside gesturing with her while shooting a glance to Sweetie to keep her guard up. "But of course darling. Would you care for an aperitif or some hors d'oeuvres?"

Ingrid silently and gracefully floated in. "Thankest thou, nay. The dead have no need for food or drink."

Rarity gestured to the kitchen. "Come join us, we were just sitting down for evening tea. We have plenty of you decide to change your mind."

As they made their way to the kitchen, Rarity gestured to one of the chairs, "Please take a seat darling." She began making herself a cup of tea.

Ingrid sat in one of the already pulled out chairs.

Sweetie walked up and sat near her. "So why are you here?", she asked.

"I bring thee news. Some some dire, some good.", Ingrid said softly, "I also bear a warning."

Rarity paused for a moment before continuing to make her tea. She walked over to the table levitating her cup and stirring the tea with a spoon. "Okay now to discussing the news.", she said sitting down, "Give me a little bit of the good news first then give me the bad. I've always preferred to put a drop of honey on my tongue before swallowing a bitter pill."

"Thou shalt be witness to the moment when Harald finds love again.", Ingrid said softly, a slight smile on her face. "Steel thyself as the servants of the great pretender are moving against the allies of thy land. A nightmare prowls the dark places and shrines of evil seeking to free its brother.", Ingrid said her countenance turning four. She faced Rarity and Sweetie, "The Rimewalker shall be test with blood, fire and pain to ascend and receive his final marks. One of thou shalt be chosen to be his cruelty for the test."

Rarity choked slightly on her tea, covering her mouth with a napkin as she coughed. "A thousand pardons!", she said as she finished coughing, "That was a bitter pill. Please continue darling."

Ingrid continued, "Blood and tragedy is coming to this land. The Rimewalker must stand or all that shall be left is ashes and tears, leaving the other five champions only the dead to avenge." Ingrid rose from her seat. "Fare thee well. I must now go treatise with another. I hope I am permitted to speak with thee again on happier times." She glided to the kitchen door and phased through it.

"I hope so as well.", Rarity said quietly to the figure of Ingrid passing through the door. She and Sweetie stared at each other in a flustered expression of what had transpired.

Fluttershy opened her eyes at the sound of several of the animals she was talking care of downstairs were squawking, screeching and growing. Looking over at the clock she sighed. "I just got to sleep.", she grumbled softly. Sighing, she said, "One of them must have had a bad dream. I'll go settle them down." She nuzzled the four great grandchildren of Angel Bunny that had curled up on her. "Michelle, Leon, Ralph, Dawn, I need to get up." The four bunnies blinked awake, stretched and gave tiny yawns. She giggled at the cuteness as she helped them off of her and placed them on the warm spot where she was laying. Walking to the bedroom door she paused when the sounds downstairs stopped as abruptly. A slight shiver ran up her spine. "Something feels off.", she said quietly to herself.

A soft sound at her bedroom door made her jump. *tap tap tap*

Fluttershy grabbed a fire poker she kept by her bed in her hoof. She took a deep breath to calm herself. Opening the door quickly unsure what to expect, she stumbled backwards and squeaked in surprise at the translucent form of Ingrid. All four bunnies shot up to their feet, hopped off the bed and scurried in front of Fluttershy. They bounced up and down on their hind paws with their front paws held in a boxing stance. The bunnies glared at the specter, Leon with his lapis lazuli eyes, Michelle with her tangerine eyes, Ralph with his ruby eyes and Dawn with her plum eyes.

"Fear not little ones, the dead are not permitted to harm the living.", Ingrid said softly a friendly smile on face.

Fluttershy gingerly stepped over the four bunnies and slowly jabbed the form of Ingrid with the poker watching it harmlessly pass through. She propped the poker next to the door and turned to the four bunnies, gently extending a wing. "Come on. Let's get you all back in bed. Thank you for being so brave, but I'll be okay." Ralph stepped forward, crossed his front paws, twisted his face up and stamped his rear paw. "Don't be that way.", Fluttershy softly scolded, "I promise I'll okay. If you do this for me, I promise I'll make make a vegan pizza for you all tomorrow with extra carrots and radishes." The other three bunnies nudged Ralph. The four bunnies began squeaking and gesturing at each other. Finally Ralph relented and nodded. Fluttershy giggled and scooped up all four bunnies, she nuzzled them before placing them back on the bed. She turned back to the specter of Ingrid. "If I may ask, who or what are you?"

"Thou may call me Ingrid. In life I was the mother of Harald Irontoothson.", Ingrid replied softly. "I have come in these dark times to deliver to thee news and a warning."

Fluttershy gestured to a chair by her desk. "Would you....uuummmm...care for a seat?"

Ingrid gracefully and silently glided to the chair then sat down.

Fluttershy noted that neither the floorboards nor the chair creaked. "Is it good news or bad news?", she asked turning to Ingrid.

"Some is dire, some is glad.", Ingrid replied.

"Give me the bad news first.", Fluttershy said bracing herself.

"The servant of the great pretender moves against the allies of this land to capture their younglings and turn them into weapons of darkness. His spies hide in the open in the court of the Sun andMoon, they will attempt to make a move against the Rimewalker. When the pretender fails he will move against thee to wound the Rimewalker's soul.", Ingrid said in a plaid tone.

Fluttershy swallowed hard. "W-what's the good news?"

"Thou wilt feel the heart spark. Thou shalt discover the thunderbolt that can restore life or take life and thou shalt share it with others of thy tribe. Thou shalt become the fount of strength the Rimewalker will have to stride through the enemies of this land as if they were dead grass.", Ingrid said with a slight smile on her face, "On the three shortest days of winter thou shalt be one of the chosen to test the Rimewalker with pain, blood and fire. Thy heart shalt rejoice upon his ascension and receiving final marks."

Fluttershy sat quietly contemplating as Ingrid continued.

"Blood and tragedy is coming to this land. The Rimewalker must stand or this land will fall into ashes and tears leaving the other five champions only the dead to avenge. A creature of nightmares stalks the land searching for its brother and one banished from death pulls the strings searching for the heir of the Nameless Evil." Ingrid rose from the chair, leaned over to Fluttershy and whispered in her ear, "Fret not, courage and love will carry the day." She glided to the door. "Fare thee well, I hope I am permitted to speak with thee again upon happier times."

Fluttershy followed slowly watching as spectral form slowly faded into the shadows of the night.

Fluttershy felt a tugging on one of her rear hooves. Turning she saw all four bunnies standing behind with bewildered looks on her face. "I know, I'm a bit confused too.", she said, "Let's get back to bed."

Luna was standing on the balcony observing the stars through Twilight's telescope. The fur on her haunches prickled making her raise her head. "From whence dost thou come spirit?", she said coolly.

"Hast it been so long that thou hath forgotten the feel mine presence my beautiful Moon?", a familiar voice replied softly.

Luna quickly turned with tears glistening. "Of course I've never forgotten my sister and my champion and lover!"

"Let us find thine sister. We have much to discuss and little time to do so.", Jorgen began silently striding towards Celestia's room.

Celestia on her bed, sleep had refused to come to her. A blue flash surprised her as she saw Luna's face beaming at her. "Luna?", she said startled, "What has you so elated..." She felt the fur prickle along her spine. Turning she said, "Spirit, from where...Jorgen!"

"Aye mine brilliant Sun. I have come in this dark hour, we have much to discuss and little time to do so." Jorgen paused turning to the wall, "I feel thou watching me. Didst thy mother teachest thou it is rude to drop eaves? Come and reveal thy presence."

Flurry Heart appeared in a flash of multicolored light. "My apologies, I felt your presence and the presence of five others, I had to look to make sure no one was in danger."

"Thy valor is commendable young one. We have much to discuss on this eve.", Jorgen said running his spectral fingers along Flurry's mane as it momentarily flashed ethereal. All four began talking quietly.

Pinkie laid in bed snoring quietly next to Cheese Sandwich. A twitch in her stomach made her wake up with a slight snort. She perked her ears up and heard a couple soft giggles from downstairs. "Looks like my visitors are here.", she whispered to herself. She gently moved Cheese's forelimb from around her shoulder and placed it by his side.

Cheese Sandwich rolled over, gave a loud snore and mumbled in his sleep, "I can't eat any more chocolate chip pancakes boneless. Okay maybe one more stack."

Pinkie smiled broadly at her husband as she tip-hoofed to the bedroom door. She pulled a squeeze bottle of oil out of her mane, squirted some on the hinges and quietly opened the door. Tip-hoofing downstairs, she returned the oil bottle to her mane and followed the sound of quiet giggling. As she opened the back door, she saw a ball roll by.

Peeking her head out the door jam Pinkie saw two spectral human children, a boy and a girl rolling a ball back and forth between them, occasionally giggling. Pinkie giggled at their playing. The two children quickly clambered up to their feet and awkwardly bowed. "You're Harald's brother and sister? And I right?", Pinkie asked her voice swinging upwards.

"We are...or were.", the boy replied softly, "How did you know?"

"Pinkie sense.", Pinkie responded matter-of-factly, "Tummy twitch told me you and your family were coming to visit me and my friends." Pinkie gestured to the swing set. "Soooo....what are your names?"

"MY-my name is Helga and this is my brother Olaf...err...that's what you can call us.", the girl said.

"Now I know you both want to tell me some icky wicky news about a very bad pony, a yucky changeling and some griffons. I've already read the above paragraphs and earlier chapters. I rather play on the swings.", Pinkie said. The two spectral children looked at each other confused before running to the swings. Pinkie turns to the fourth wall, grabs it and whispers, "Let me play with these ghost kids until their family comes to get them sykko, you focus on finishing this segment of the chapter, it's already gonna be over ten thousand words."

Shining Armor walks into the castle, he levitates his cloak onto a hook in the foyer as he enters into the main room, his mind going a league a minute. To his left he saw Flurry, Celestia and Luna come out of Celestia's room with stern looks on their faces, ahead of him he saw Cadance walk out the library with the same look on her face, above and to his right he heard Twilight's bedroom door open, her eyes were still red from crying as she walked to the railing, her face bore the same expression. "You all saw similar things too?", he asked hoping his face wasn't as stern as theirs.

The five mares paused, giving each other tentative glances before nodding one after another slowly.

"Sunuva-"
***************************************************************

-The next morning-

The next morning as the sun was just a sliver above the horizon, the Apple family and Harald were sitting around the kitchen table finishing up breakfast. Harald was drawing a diagram on a piece of parchment with a piece of charcoal he had fished out of the fireplace and sharpened to a point while popping the last few pieces of fruit absentmindedly in his mouth.

"Wutchu drawin' there?", Applebloom asked around a mouthful of flapjacks.

"Huh? Oh! I was making a diagram of a loom.", Harald responded, "I was thinking of stopping by Lady Rarity's after midday. I was hoping to assemble it if she had the parts. I promised I'd teach her how my clothes were made. It shouldn't take more a couple of hours to put together and start teaching her how to make clothes.. Then I've got to stop the Sky Queen's keep to have her inspect my wound.", he rubbed it where it was itching him, "If I have enough daylight afterward I'm going to drop by Lady Pinkie's and teach her how to make sweet rolls. If I'm not back before dark I'll pull a double watch tonight."

Granny Smith walked over to the diagram, put her glasses on and studied it for a few moments. "Ah think Ah still one o' those dohickies out in th' ole storage barn. If'n it's not in too bad a' shape Ah'll have Big Mac or Applejack drop it off by Rarity's fer ya. Now it'll be made outa iron rather than wood, but it should save you some time. If'n it's in to rough a' shape, I'll buy ya some lumber from Diamond Tiara's store." Granny looked to AJ and Mac, "Y'all don't mind tuh much." She looked to Rainbow's disapproving look, "If'n y'all do that fer me an' don't put up too much o' a fuss, I'll rent y'all a room at the ole inn fer tonight, maybe throw in a vintage bottle of one-oh-five."

Harald rose from his seat, put the diagram in his backpack and bowed to Granny Smith. "You honor me with too much kindness honored Elder. I'll be indebted to you." Gathering up his things he headed to the door. "I'll start splitting wood this morning."

Applejack called after him, "Don't wear yerself out, yuh gotta help us applebuck in the west field this mornin'!"

Harald nodded quietly as he walked out the door. Soon the sound of an axe splitting wood was heard.

"OH! 'Fore Ah forget", Granny Smith called after him, "My gran' niece Babs is comin' in to town this afternoon with her hubby an' their new foal. They's gunna help us out fer the rest o' th' month with th' applebuckin'. If'n yuh don't mind well put ya up in a new room."

"Nay honored Elder, 'tis fine. You have shown me ample generosity already.", Harald hollered with a happy tone in his voice, "It will be a good thing to hear the sounds of a youngling."

"C'Mon RD-A, we gotta gather up buckets outa th' barn an' get a couple a' wagons.", AJ said.

AJ and Rainbow made their out to the barn.

Several minutes later two pegasi landed in front of the main Apple house. Both had pale blue coats, the male had a greying blonde flat top mane with short cropped tail, the female had a long, freshly styled rainbow colored mane and tail. They trotted up to the porch casting scornful glares at Harald and knocked loudly on the front door.

"Ah got it Granny!", Applebloom called from behind the door. She opened the front door. "What can Ah-" She paused with a stunned expression on her that was quickly replaced with one of anger and revulsion. "What are you doing here?!", she asked angrily, the venom dripping visibly from her voice.

"Who is it Bloom?", Big Mac asked trotting up, "Oh." His face became hard and stern.

The male pegasus narrowed his eyes in contempt at Big Mac. "Where's Rainbow?", he asked spitefully.

Harald began cinching his weapon belts around his waist, his instincts told him there might be a fight, he slid his axe into its ring. Wiping the sweat off his brow, he sat on the chopping block.

Big Mac pushed past his sister and out to the yard, making the pegasi step back tentatively. He whistled out to the barn and shouted in his deep voice, "Rainbow!"

The rest of the Apple clan made their way out to the porch, none to pleased expressions on their faces.

The male pegasus sneered at Harald and asked spitefully, "What's the ape-thing? A new pet?"

Harald didn't know what an "ape-thing" was, but he knew when he was being insulted. He rose to his feet and placed his hand on the pommel of his sword. Setting his jaw, he locked eyes with the pegasus and started staring him down. A wrinkled green hoof rested on his forearm. Darting his eyes over he saw Granny Smith shaking her head. He moved his hand from the sword pommel, but he didn't let it drop and instead moved it to his midsection. His muscles trembled with anger, but he was taught too well to disobey an Honored Elder so resigned himself to plant his heels...for now.

The barn door opened and Rainbow flapped out with a slight grin. "Yeah, Big Mac? What did you-" She momentarily froze in the air, her expression morphing into one of shock, anger and hurt. She landed on the ground, her breath became shaky as she was holding back her anger and tears. "Mom?! Dad?!", she said her voice cracking. She cleaned her throat trying to regain what little composure she could, she failed. "Th-the last time I saw either of you *hsnf* me and AJ were still dating. *hsnf* You called me an a-a-a *hsnf* a-an abom-abom *hsnf* abomination. *hsnf* A-a-and *hsnf* you said that you didn't want *hsnf* want t-t-t *hsnf* to see me again, th-that I-I *hsnf* I was dead to you." Tears of hurt and anger began to roll down her cheeks. "Why are you here?", she asked, her voice was a wavering croak.

"We're here to inform you that your grandmother died.", her mother said, her eyes two pits of contempt.

"Gam-gam died?!", Rainbow exclaimed as sadness mingled with the other emotions, "W-when is her funeral? *hsnf*"

Applejack walked up and stood next to Rainbow, glaring daggers at the two pegasi.

"It was about three months ago.", her father spat out contemptuously.

"WHAT?!", Rainbow shouted, her voice a shrill with anger, "You couldn't have been bothered to write a letter? Something on the likes of 'Dear daughter that we no longer claim, We write to inform you that your Gam-gam has died and this is when her funeral is. Signed, your former parents'?!" She stepped forward, anger burning in her eyes. "But no!", she said prancing in an over exaggerated manner, "You both had to come down here in your haughty manner, thinking you're better than everypony else attitude, to do what? So you could hurt me in front of my family?"

The male pegasus reached into his flank pack and pulled out an urn with a key tapped to it. He unceremoniously tossed it too her. "Here! Don't know why she left her remains and the key to her safe deposit box in Canterlot to you."

Rainbow awkwardly caught it out of the air.

"And by the way, a family is between a stallion and a mare, not between a sicko and a perverted dyke.", he continued, "Mares marrying mares and stallions marrying stallions! Disgusting!" He spat on the ground.

Rainbow sat on her haunches, tears of anger and hurt streaming down her cheeks. "What happened to my parents that used to cheer themselves hoarse at every accomplishment I had, no matter how small they were?" She held her face in her hooves weeping.

The male pegasus sneered. "That was before you decided to be an abom-OOF!"

Applejack cut him off with a right cross to his jaw, knocking him to the ground.

He glared up at her from the ground and growled, "You bitch!"

Applejack was beside herself with anger. "HOW DARE YOU!", she shouted, her anger boiling over, "YOU COME DOWN HERE SPOUTIN' SUCH FILTHY WORDS IN FRONT A' MAH FAMILY!" She snatched her Stetson off her head with her hoof and bit down on it before throwing it hard on the ground. "NOPONY AN' AH MEAN NOPONY TALKS TUH MAH WIFE LIKE THAT! RRR!", she ground her teeth and spat on the ground, "YOU TWO MAKE ME SICK! AN' TH' ONLY ABOMINATIONS AH' SEE HERE ARE YOU TWO!"

The female pegasus stamped her hoof and snorted.

Applejack narrowed her eyes at her and glared. "You want some too?", AJ growled, " Jus' gimme th' excuse."

"Are you going to sucker punch me too you filthy dyke?", the female pegasus spat back.

"Oh-ho-ho-ho, that's it sister!", AJ snarled lurching forward, raising her hoof to throw another punch.

A big red hoof shot out and grabbed Applejack's forelimb. In her anger, she hadn't seen him come down off the porch. "Eenope.", Big Mac said in his deep voice, "They ain't worth it." He pointed his hoof to Rainbow.

AJ nodded and walked to her distraught wife. Wrapping her forelimbs around Rainbow and began shushing her. "It's okay, it's okay. Ah got ya."

Granny slowly walked off the porch, looking up she smiled as she saw an orange pegasus with vibrant pink mane and tail flying back towards town. "Y'all go on into town.", she said to Rainbow and Applejack, "Ah'm givin' y'all the day off. Ah'll have some bits an' a bottle a' one-oh-five sent tuh y'all in a piece."

As the two began walking down the path Rainbow's former mother snorted stomped and made a lurch towards Big Mac.

"Dun do nuthin' we'll both regret.", he growled softly.

Rainbow's former father rose to his hooves and rubbed the corner of his jaw. He glared hateful daggers at Big Mac.

Big Mac held his ground until he knew AJ and Rainbow were well on the road to town. He then turned and started walking to the farmhouse.

"Where you going big red?", the male pegasus spat, "I thought this party was just getting started!"

Big Mac paused, sighed, then continued walking to the house. "Celestia, gimme the strength tuh not kill a pony.", he whispered to himself.

Feeling incensed, the male pegasus snarled, "Yeah, that's right! Walk away! Just like that filthy pervert you call a sister."

Big Mac snapped around, his eyes blazing with anger.

"Struck a nerve did I?", Rainbow's father mocked.

Macintosh began stalking forward. "You low down no good son of a-"

Granny Smith held up her hoof stopping her mountain of a grandson in his tracks. She gestured to the farmhouse.

"Yes Granny.", Big Mac said turning back to the house and walking inside.

Applebloom followed him inside.

"Sugar Belle, bring out a jug of triple-x an' some bits, Ah'm gonna have Harald run 'em into town fer me.", Granny called out.

"Yes Granny.", Sugar Belle said. She gestured to Red Delicious who was taking a hit of his puffer. He followed her in once he had finished with his puffer.

The male pegasus flapped over to Harald and flew up getting in his face. "And you, you filthy ape-thing! You've been staring me down the whole time. Get yourself a good eyeful?" He sneered at Harald.

Harald seethed. He ground his teeth, if this winged pony kept insulting him he wasn't going to be able to hold himself back much longer. His mind was a battleground of two conflicting teachings, on the one hand he had been taught since he was a boy to not disobey the commands of an honored elder, on the other hand growing up in his culture and his years of warrior had told him that talking as such to even the humblest members of society would get their skull cleaved in twain and that part of his brain demanded blood. His hand involuntarily twitched towards his sword before he could catch himself, he consigned himself to rest his wrist on the pommel of the sword. He glared hard into the eyes of the pegasus, bit hard on his lip, a small trickle of blood slid from his mouth and mingled with his beard.

"What's the matter? Can't speak? Or are you too stupid to speak?", the pegasus mocked before shoving a hoof into Harald's shoulder, "Just say-URK!"

With a blur of movement and flash of steel Harald had grabbed the pegasus by his neck with one hand while pressing the tip of his under the pegasus' chin, a trickle of blood ran down the blade. Harald narrowed his eyes at the pegasus as he growled out, "You must have a death wish if you think you can speak contemptuously to those have not harmed you and then think you can lay a han...hoof on a Rimewalker like he was some mongrel."

The pegasus flailed in panic trying to escape the vice-like grip on his neck and the tip of the sword under his chin. Trying to gasp for air, his vision began to blur at the edges.

Granny Smith clacked her front hooves together loudly. "Alright Harald, let him go. I can handle him from here."

Harald hesitated for a second before tossing the pegasus roughly to the ground. He stood over the pegasus who was now giving deep panicky gasp of air and spat a gob of saliva on his face. "Vile cur!", Harald snarled, "If you ever speak another foul word of this family again or lay a hoof on me again, I shall make a cloak from your hide and wear your guts as garters!" He pulled a rag from his waistband, wiped the blood from his sword, returned it to his scabbard and tucked the rag back into his waistband.

Sugar Belle walked out the front levitating a small pouch of bits and a jug of booze, she paused catching the tail end of the events that had just transpired. Clearing her throat she said, "Granny, I've got the bits and alcohol you asked for."

"Thank ya kindly.", Granny said sweetly, "Harald, be a dear an' take those into town fer me an' give 'em to Applejack an' Rainbow when find 'em. Then ya can go do whatcha need tuh with Rarity, Princess Twilight an' Pinkie."

Harald bowed politely and turned walking to the porch. He took the pouch and jug out of the air. He paused by the chopping block to pick up his backpack and cloak, then walked down the path towards town.

After Harald had walked out of sight, Granny Smith turned her head to the house and called out, "Big Mac, you an' Sugar Belle come sit on the porch, Ah might need y'all tuh throw out some trash fer me ina lil few minutes." She began to walk back and forth in front of the two pegasi slowly.

"Tsk tsk tsk! Such a shameful act y'all had to put on here this mornin'", Granny scolded shaking her head, "Usin' such filthy words not only on yer own young'un, but also on my gran'babies. If Ah had a half a' mind I'd wear a switch out on both o' yer rumps an' wash yet mouths out with soap."

Granny Smith paced back and forth slowly looking at the two pegasi glaring at her.

"Ah still remember that night when Applejack an' Rainbow Dash got back early from their trip to see y'all.", she continued, "That poor filly was beside herself with hurt an' grief. She cried fer three days tryin' tuh figure out why her momma an' daddy would say such horrible things. It broke mah heart tuh see such a strong an' tough mare have her heart shattered because a couple a' ponies cared more fer their own hate that they fergot tuh love their own foal." Granny walked over to the porch and sat on the steps with a grunt. Sighing she continued, "An it don't make a lick o' damn sense then an' it still doesn't."

"In the book of Neighviticus it says-", the male pegasus said before Granny Smith cut him off.

"Ah know what it says! You shouldn't go by a dusty ole book was written before the foundation o' Equestria an' th' rise of Celestia an' Luna. 'Sides don't it say in First Solar that ponies should love each other like Celestia loves us? Don't it also say in th' book o' Puddinghead that ponies should rejoice in all acts of love?"

The two pegasi shifted uncomfortably before casting indignant looks at Granny Smith.

Granny rose from the steps with a grunt and sighed. She slowly walked over to the two pegasi and continued, "Ah still remember all them years ago when Applejack was still a school filly, Ah had noticed that she never seemed to show much interest in colts her age an' Ah remember feelin' more'n a lil bit o' concern. An' then one day when she got back from school ahead fear in her eyes an' skinny legs were a tremblin'. When she told me she liked fillies, it caught me off guard an' at first Ah felt a might indignant. Ah wanted to say so many things, but when Ah looked in those scared lil eyes, all Ah could see was that filly Ah loved who had jus' laid her soul bare before me an' Ah knew that anything Ah was gonna say before was outa mah own fears an' misunderstandin'. Ah coulda went on some tirade, but all Ah knew in that moment was that that was mah gran'daughter an' whether she liked colts or fillies or both or neither, Ah still loved her. If ya were tuh ask me in that moment Ah'd say that Ah didn't understand it. Ah sometimes still dun understand it. But it don't matter one lick whether ah understand it or not, only that she's honest with everpony an' herself an' whoever she's with makes her happy."

Granny sighed as she began to pace back and forth slowly again. "Now it weren't easy fer an ole mare like me to tuh raise three foals on mah own after their momma-n-died, but Ah did the best Ah could. An' Celestia knows Ah made mah share of mistakes. But when Ah see how those three grew up, Ah can rightly say that Ah'm proud o' 'em."

The female pegasus sneered as she said, "Well maybe if you had raised them better then your-AH!"

Granny Smith back-hoofed her across the mouth. "Now you ain't got no right to say how I raised my gran'babies considerin' how you treated yer own flesh-n-blood!", she snapped with anger flashing in her eyes. "Ah'm done here. Big Mac, Sugar Belle, Ah please throw this garbage offa may property!"

The front door creaked open as Applebloom walked wearing her high constable uniform. "Ah've got from here Mrs. Apple." She gestured down the path leading up to the house where six members of the Ponyville constabulary, two earth ponies, two pegasi and two unicorns were walking up. "Stormfront Dash, Windy Acres Dash, by th' authority granted to me under Princess Twilight Sparkle and the Ponyville charter, you are under arrest. Lay on yer bellies, keep yer wings folded and place your hooves on yer heads."

"What?!", the male pegasus exclaimed, "Why are you arresting us?! We have done nothing wrong!"

Applebloom stepped off the porch and said louder with a strong authoritative tone in her voice, "On yer bellies, keep yer wings folded and place yer hooves on yer heads! Yer under arrest fer disturbin' th' peace an' criminal trespass on royal property. You can comply, but Ah hope you try to resist or fly away." She narrowed her eyes with a smirk.

The two pegasi begrudgingly complied.

"Very good.", Applebloom said, "You have th' right to remain silent. You have th'-"

Twilight landed flanked flanked by four Canterlot royal guards interrupting Applebloom. "High Constable Apple, the crown requests that thou remand Stormfront Dash over to us. It has come to our attention that he committed battery against Equestrian nobility."

"What?!", the male pegasus exclaimed rising from the ground.

Two guards approached him and pointed spears in his face. "On your belly!", one of the guards commanded.

Twilight produced an old parchment. "Jorgen the Irontooth was crowded fifteen-hundred years ago as High Lord Defender of Northern Equestria and one of six Lord Commadants of the Equestrian military. Harald Irontoothson being his heir has al rights, privileges and responsibilities of that station." She passed the parchment to Applebloom. "We think thou shalt find all is in order."

Applebloom read the parchment, then bowed. "All seems to be in order highness."

Twilight held her head high in a regal pose. "Stormfront Dash, under our authority as Princess of Equestria all thy property and holdings are hereby seized and sealed until the finality of thy trial. Guards, please inform him of his rights under the Equestrian Constitution."

The four pegasus guards surrounded the male pegasus. The lead guard began reading him his rights, "Stormfront Dash, under the United Kingdoms of Equestria and the Crystal Empire you are under arrest for battery with malicious intent on a member of Equestrian nobility. You have the right to remain silent, if you give up the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a trial of your peers. You have the right to fair treatment while being held in custody. You have the right to an advocate, if you cannot afford an advocate, one will be granted to you by the crown. You have the right to make an official statement once in custody. You have the right to a fair and impartial trial by a jury of your peers. Do you understand your rights?"

Stormfront Dash nodded.

"Do you wish to make an official statement at this time?", the lead guard asked.

"No."

"High Constable Apple, may we use a holding cell at Ponyville jail until we can procure transportation to Canterlot?", the head guard asked.

"Yes you may. If'n you ask Granny Smith, she might let y'all borrow a wagon.", Applebloom replied.

"Thank you, but the holding cell will suffice for now.", replied back.

Applebloom proceeds to put Windy Acres Dash under arrest.

In Ponyville Harald was following the sound of Rainbow's crying. Several minutes earlier he had run into Twilight and had recounted to her what had transpired on Sweet Apple Acres, needless to say she was angry and had left quickly to retrieve several constables. Several minutes later he had seen her fly over with several royal guards. He had searched the town for nearly thirty minutes when he caught the sound of Rainbow crying. He tracked them to an alleyway between two boarded up shops. "The honored elder had me bring you these.", he said handing them the pouch of bits and jug of strong spirits.

AJ took the jug and gave a sly grin. "Well Mrs. Apple, seeing that Granny gave us a jug o' her infamous triple x, we had best buy ourselves a bottle a aspirin 'cause tomarah we're gonna be hung to the over." She popped the cork and took a swig. Wincing and coughing, all she could utter was a weak "Yup!"

Rainbow took the jug and took a swallow. Coughing, her eyes went crossed for a quick second. "Woo!", she exclaimed. "When we get that aspirin, I'm gonna have to get a bib too, 'cause it's gonna be sloppy tonight." She offered the jug to Harald. "Care for a slug big guy?"

Harald took the hug not knowing what a "slug" was, but he inferred that it meant a swallow. Immediately it felt like he had poured liquid fire down his throat followed by a warm feeling in his stomach, his skin sprouted with goose bumps. He passed the jug back to AJ who promptly returned the stopper.

"Day drinking?", a prim and proper voice said from behind, "What ever is the occasion?"

Harald looked over his shoulder seeing a white unicorn with a royal purple, expertly coiffed mane.

"Oh hi Rares! Care for a drop?", AJ said.

"As tempting as it is, I must say no. The last time I drank Granny Smith's triple x, I woke up with the worst hangover.", Rarity replied, "Now what calls for day drinking, especially with the end of cider season coming so soon?"

"Well you see...", Rainbow balked before sighing and continuing, "my parents decided to show up at the house to tell me that Gam-gam died three months ago." She up an urn with a key taped to it. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Then they decided to rile everypony up. The only good thing out of it is that she left me her penthouse in Las Pegasus and what ever she had in her safe deposit box in Canterlot."

First anger then sadness played over Rarity's face before she centered herself back into a neutral expression. "My my my darling, that is harrowing news." She walked over and gave Rainbow a tight hug. "Yes I think I shall take that drink." Levitating the jug in her magic, she popped the cork and moved it to her mouth. "To the memory of dear sweet Gam-gam Dash.", she said before taking a swig. Returned the cork, she levitated the jug to Rainbow. "I'll leave you both to it Mrs. and Mrs. Apple.", she said coughing as her eyes watered.

"C'mon Rainbow, let's get that bottle of aspirin and then rent that room", AJ said. Rainbow nudged her. AJ snickered as they walked away, "If's it's gonna be as sloppy as yuh say it'll be, Ah don't think a bib'll be enough, we'll hafta get yuh a poncho." "Yahoo!", Rainbow shouted as she jumped in the air clicking all four hooves together.

Rarity chuckled as she shook her head happily. "It's hard to believe those two have been married for nearly ten years, they still cavort like newly weds." She turned to Harald, "So Monsieur Harald, what brings you into town on this morning?"

Harald took his backpack off and began fishing through it. He pulled out a folded up piece of paper and passed it to her. "You wanted to know how my clothes were made. I wanted to repay you patching my tunic by teaching how my people made our clothes."

Rarity took the paper in her magic and unfolded it. Levitating a pair of reading glasses from her flank pack to her face, she began looking the diagram over. "Oh my Monsieur Harald, this looks like a diagram for some kind of loom." She looked at the drawings of hands next to some parts of the diagram and segments of fingers next to other parts of the diagram, then she looked over at his hands. "I take that these are measurements of some sort?", she asked pointing a hoof to the paper.

Looking over at the paper, Harald replied, "Quite astute. The first draft I made had the measurements made in my native runes, but then I realized that you might not be able to read them."

Rarity folded the paper back, then levitated it and her reading into her flank bags. "Let us go to my boutique, I'll get get the measuring ribbon out and set about converting these measurements. I'll talk to a handypony or two about constructing it for me."

"The honored elder said she had an old iron loom that she'd be willing to loan you if it was in good condition. At least until you can get one built for yourself.", Harald replied.

"Honored elder? Oh! You mean Granny Smith? Celestia bless her!", Rarity replied back joyously. As they continued walking and talking softly, Rarity looked up seeing Fluttershy trotting up. "Good morning Fluttershy!", Rarity said pleasantly, "What brings you to this part of town this morning?"

"Good morning Rarity and Mister Harald!", Fluttershy said as she smiled warmly.

Harald looking at the smile on the yellow pegasus with pink mane brushed over the side of her face. He suddenly felt warm, but he wasn't sure if it was her smile or a residual effect of the strong drink from earlier.

"Did you hear?", Fluttershy continued, "Stormfront and Windy Acres have been arrested."

"Whatever for darling?", Rarity asked, her ears perking up ready for some fresh juicy gossip.

Fluttershy looking up at Harald and seeing him blush made her blush as she hid her face behind her mane. Catching herself, she took a deep breath and let it out. Clearing her throat quietly, she continued, "Apparently Mr. Harald is Equestrian nobility and Stormfront hit him. He's being charged with assaulting him." She tucked her face back behind her mane to hide her blushing smile.

Gasping, Rarity turned to Harald looking for bruises or marks. "Is it true darling? Are you Equestrian nobility and did that nasty cur Stormfront strike you?"

Harald clearing his throat turned from Fluttershy and looked to Rarity. "As far as I being a chieftain of this land, I can honestly say that I know not. There is an old story handed down in my family that my ancestor the first to hear the name Irontooth was given some land holdings and a title. I'd have to ask the Sky Queens if there is any veracity to that claim. As far as the male winged pony striking me, I can honestly say he did not strike me, he however did cast insults at the good Apple family, then at me, then flew up in my face and shoved me with his hoof."

"So your ancestor was given land holdings and a title, but you're unsure if you're nobility. Darling, that sounds as an awful like you're the legitimate heir to nobility.", Rarity politely retorted, "As far as being shoved, that's close enough to being struck for legal reasons."

"As far as myself being a chieftain, I shall have to ask the Sky Queens. As for myself, I have little use for lofty titles. Give me the open sky, ample game, a few honorable individuals and a someone of strong spirit to share my life with and I'll be happy.", Harald responded bluntly.

"That does sound nice.", Fluttershy said softly from behind her mane.

Harald blushed slightly.

Rarity raised her eyebrow slightly at the reactions Harald and Fluttershy gave. She she thought back to the words that the specter of Ingrid had said to her. To be sure she decided to change gears and push them gently into the right place. "Fluttershy darling, Monsieur Harald has agreed to teach me how to make clothes like his chapeau. Apparently his people use looms to weave them. Granny Smith said she had an old loom she could loan me until I can have my own made. Because of your amazing knowledge of sewing, I figured that you might be able to pick up on it faster than I and you could help me to learn. Would you care to join us at the boutique?"

"That's it. Dangle the bait out there and see if she comes up for a bite.", Rarity thought to herself.

"We'll...um...ah...um...", Fluttershy stammered and blushed behind her mane, "...I mean if it's to help you learn a new way to make such pretty clothes...um...I mean I guess I can.", she said peeking an eye from behind her mane.

As the three of the them walked to Rarity's shop, Rarity would dart her eyes sidelong at Fluttershy and Harald, stealing glances at them. She gave the slightest of smiles as she saw Fluttershy push her mane away from her face and give a small blushing smile. Her smile spread a little further ever so slightly when she saw Harald smile back to Fluttershy. Rarity began to prattle vapidly about the latest fashion trends, trying to hopefully give the impression that she was oblivious to what was going on just a few paces besides her. Rarity gave a small crooked smile edge closer to Harald and gently brush her body against his hip before blushing and talking a few steps away. As she watched Fluttershy out of the corner do the same little dance of brushing up against him slight Pluto blush and back away again. "Come on Fluttershy, go for it!", Rarity exclaimed in her head.

When they reached the boutique, Rarity levitated the key into the lock and opened the door. She gestured to the door. "After you.", she said to Harald and Fluttershy. Harald bowed politely, gesturing towards Fluttershy and then the door. Fluttershy entered, followed by Harald, Rarity took up the rear. After they had all entered the boutique, Rarity gently closed the door and latched the lock. "Would you care for some refreshments? Coffee, tea?"

Harald felt flushed and his stomach felt jittery. He chocked it up to the strong drink. "Some coffee if you please.", Harald replied, "That draught I took earlier was strong and I'm feeling a little out of sorts."

Rarity smiled slightly. "It is strong isn't it?", Rarity responded in a friendly tone. She turned to Fluttershy, "And you Fluttershy? Your usual chamomile?"

"Ginger tea please. If you don't mind.", Fluttershy replied demurely, "My stomach feels a little bit...fluttery."

"Come and sit in the kitchen while I prepare the refreshments.", Rarity said turning to the kitchen. She smiled broadly as she heard Harald and Fluttershy following her.

Harald and Fluttershy sat at the, he grunted uncomfortably at the how low the chair was before curling a leg under him.

"A thousand pardons darling.", Rarity said to Harald, "I forgot how tall you are. Allow me to make you more comfortable." She levitated several cushions from the other room and stacked them in the chair.

Sitting back down he nodded his thanks. Looking across the table he saw Fluttershy stealing a glance at him. As his eyes locked with those two glittered sapphire pools, his cheeks and ears felt hot. He chalked it up to the strong drink from earlier, but he couldn't deny there was something...enchanting about those brilliant blue eyes partially hidden behind that pink mane.

Fluttershy stole glances at Harald since he sat down across from her. The breadth of his shoulders, the the length of his limbs and body, his braided hair and beard, the length of his limbs and body, it all seemed equal parts exotic and alluring and for some reason...inviting. Her mind wandered remembering how she had never felt attracted to any stallions or mares. She remembered Twilight had asked her if she was asexual, but she knew she wasn't as she felt certain...urges and had fantasies about the characters in the cheesy romance novels she enjoyed reading. As she continued to steal longer and longer glances at Harald, her thoughts began to drift. She wondered how warm his body felt, she wondered how he smelled, she wondered how much of his body were covered by those markings, she wondered what he looked like under his clothes. Swallowing hard, she tried to push that last thought out of her mind, failing that into a box. "Don't think inappropriate thoughts about somepony...creature...being you just met yesterday.", she mentally scolded herself, "Even if he is handsome." She tried to push the lest few thoughts in a box unsuccessfully.

As she stole another glance, her eyes locked with Harald's. Her breath caught in breast as she looked into his green eyes. Her right rear hoof slid forward seemingly on its own, it bumped into his foot. "Oh...umm...sorry.", she whispered an apology, turning her face sideways blushing. As she went to pull her hoof back, she felt Harald hook her hoof with the side of his foot. "Eep!", she yelped quietly before covering her mouth with her forehooves. She leaned back on the chair to keep her wings from fluttering and flaring as her hoof began moving of its own accord slowly up his ankle and calf. Harald smiled at her which made her smile back.

Rarity turned her face to Fluttershy when she she heard her yelp softly. She grinned so wide it made her cheeks hurt seeing Fluttershy playing hoofsies with Harald. The tea kettle began whistling and Fluttershy curled her leg back. Rarity scowled at the teapot for interrupting. She levitated the tea kettle, coffee pot, three cups, a loaf of bread, butter, jam, honey, sugar and cream over to the table. "Cream? Sugar?", Rarity asked as she poured a cup of coffee.

"Just some salt please.", Harald replied.

"I forgot that you don't eat sugar.", Rarity apologized.

"It's not that I don't eat sugar.", Harald replied, "It's just that sugar is rare and we only eat it for certain special occasions like weddings, feasts and holiday celebrations, so we eat it sparingly." He sprinkled a small bit of salt on his palm, tasted a small bit of it and sprinkled it in his coffee, then took a sip.

Rarity shuddered, "I don't think I could ever get used to that darling. Even if I lived a hundred years."

"I think it's nice, Rarity", Fluttershy said softly, "Something that makes him unique."

As they finished their morning tea and coffee, there was a knocking at the boutique. Rarity walked to the door and opened it slightly seeing Big Mac standing outside. Opening the door fully she greeted him, "Good morning Big Mac!" Looking past him she saw an old iron loom sitting on the wagon. "Is that Granny Smith's old loom?"

"Eeyup!", Big Mac respond, "Got 'er fixed up an' cleaned up fer ya."

It took Harald and Big Mac twenty minutes to wrestle the heavy loom into the boutique and another twenty minutes to to get it in place. After they had gotten into place Big Mac noticed a few pins that could have been removed and let them take the whole thing apart. Aggravated, Harald huffed and flopped down on the nearby couch, wiping sweat from his forehead.

Harald stood up from the couch and walked over to the loom. He inspected the arms making sure they moved like they were supposed to. He gestured to a small bottle of sewing machine oil which Fluttershy brought over to him. He applied it to the gears, then took a large spoon of thread and began looping through the eyes on the arms. He pointed a finger to the thread he just strung through the eyelets for the benefit of both mares, "The first step is to run the material you're weaving to hold the cloth that's going to be made. Then...", he paused adjusting a few wing nuts while gently plucking the strings, "you adjust the tautness of the threads. Too loose and they won't properly hold what you're weaving, too loose and the threads will snap will snap and you'll have to restring them." After finding the tightness he was content with, he ran his fingers along the threads like he was strumming a harp then pressed gently, grunting happily at the results. Adjusting the teeth on the two sets of horizontal arms to the desired width and locked them with a key bolt, he then he then set the horizontal arms at the angles he wanted, working them a few times making sure everything was how wanted it. Giving a pleased grunt he continued, "You always check to make sure all the arms are at the correct angles before you start weaving so you make as few mistakes as possible." He wound thread around two football shaped spools and placed a measuring stick between his teeth.

Soon the boutique was filled with the soft clicks of the spools of through the threads and the loud clacks of the loom. After several minutes he had a length of cloth woven out, stopping only to undo the occasional tangle or tapping what he had woven with the measuring stick to test its tightness or test how taut the vertical threads were, adjusting the wing nuts as needed.

Rarity stepped up close putting on a pair of reading glasses to inspect the work. "I must say darling, this used a level of hoofxterity that I never knew was required for a simple tool. This will require me some time to master it.", she remarked.

"It's actually quite simple Rarity.", Fluttershy said as she was looking on thoughtfully, "My aunt used to use a similar machine before Prancington's disease robbed her of the proper use of her hooves and wings." She walked up to the loom and asked, "Do you mind if I give it a try Mister Harald?"

"No, I don't mind.", Harald replied brightly as he laid the measuring stick and spools to the side. He held a hand to what he had woven, "I've already done one hand's worth of weaving, I'll let you do another hand or two's worth to see how much teaching you need." He moved from the stool he was working at to allow her proper access to the loom. He stacked a couple of crates nearby and sat on them to observe her work.

Fluttershy soon was quickly working the loom with her hooves and wings. Soon the had woven nearly a foot of of cloth, stopping only to adjust a wing nut with a hoof or flick an errant thread with her wing. After a bit she stopped and turned to Rarity, "Come on Rarity, give it a try. It's really easy once you get the hang of it."

Rarity swapped places with Fluttershy and started working with the loom. She grumbled softly under her breath as she had a few tangles. When Harald or Fluttershy showed her how to undo a tangle it made her get cross with herself. Sighing to calm herself, she sat down the spools. "This is definitely harder than I thought.", she said sweetly, "I guess I need a few more days of practice to get better at this."

Harald worked the arms a few times tamping down the work Rarity had done. "You did well for someone...err...somepony's first time using a loom. You just have to remember to keep your lines tight and occasionally check the tautness of the threads on the loom.", he said in an encouraging tone, "Give it a few days of practice and some...uh...pony of your talent will be making whole bolts of cloth."

"Why thank you good sir Harald, I shall certainly do that.", Rarity replied politely. Soon a sly thought ran through her mind as she remembered how Fluttershy was flirting with Harald earlier. "I need to go downstairs and get some supplies for the orders I need to fill in the next couple of days. You two stay here and after I get what I need, I'll make us some brunch.", she wasn't entirely truthful as she knew she had more than enough supplies up here to complete her orders, she knew that Fluttershy and Harald were smitten with each other, she also knew Fluttershy wouldn't make a move or allow a move made against her if she knew someone was watching, so she decided to come up with a little white lie to give her an excuse to leave them alone and let what ever was going to happen, happen.

After Rarity had went downstairs, Harald rested his right hand on one of the spools near him. Fluttershy rested her hoof on his hand. She began slowly running her hoof up his arm. Harald looked into her eyes and saw that Fluttershy was smiling behind her mane. When her hoof reached his elbow, he moved his hand up to her mane gently brushing it out of the way feeling its silky smoothness. He leaned forward slightly, the smell of her mane and fur filled his nostrils. She smelled of fresh dewy grass and wildflowers, it made his heart start to beat in his chest like a drum.

As Harald leaned in close to her, Fluttershy could smell his skin. He didn't have the strong musky smell of a stallion, but more of an earthy smell, like soil after the spring thaw, it made her breath quaver in her chest. The anticipation got the better of her and she leaned into him, pressing her lips into his.

Harald ran his hands across her shoulders, down her flanks and across her back. He felt that despite her graceful build, she was heavily muscled. It intrigued him as to what she did to build such muscles.

Fluttershy moaned softly into the kiss as she ran her hoof under his tunic feeling his thick, knotted muscles. As she ran a hoof across his ribs, he jerked slightly. Fluttershy parted from the kiss and turned from head, hiding behind her mane. "Did I do something wrong?", she whispered, "I'm sorry."

Harald licked his lips still tasting her kiss. He reached out gently turning her face towards him, before brushing the mane from her eyes. "I'm ticklish.", he replied softly, "You did nothing wrong. I cannot speak for you, but I enjoyed your kiss."

Fluttershy emboldened gently flapped into his lap and leaned into him, kissing him hard. As they began exploring each other's mouth vigoursly, Fluttershy's wings wings began to flare and flutter with excitement causing the crates under Harald to tip over. As they crashed to the floor, Harald looked up to Fluttershy who was now sitting on his stomach. They shared an embarrassed laugh before she leaned down and with renewed vigor began kissing him deeply with loud wet smacking sounds. After what seemed like minutes or maybe hours, they heard a creak come the basement stairs. Both of their heads shot up as they knew that Rarity was coming up the stairs. As quickly and quietly as they could, they scrambled upright, going back to working at the loom.

Rarity had taken more time than what she actually needed looking for what she needed. As she reached the base of the stairs, she heard something something fall over, then soft laughter followed by wet smacking sounds. As she gingerly made her way up the stairs, she took extra care to step over the squeaky step halfway up the staircase. When she reached the top of the stairs, she looked through the basement door seeing Fluttershy on top of Harald kissing him loudly. "Good for you Fluttershy!", she thought to herself, "I'll head back down to give them a few more minutes of privacy." She quietly backed down the stairs. Hallway down she stepped on the squeaky step. It creaked loudly. The sounds of kissing immediately stopped. Rarity glared at the step, silently cursing it. She heard quiet clamoring and sound of the loom clacking. Scowling that she had interrupted their intimate moment inadvertently. Centering herself, she happily trotted up the stairs, humming a happy time. Noticing that Harald and Fluttershy looked a bit disheveled. Feigning ignorance, she said, "You two look like you have been working hard. Let's stop for some brunch." She noticed that they looked at each other and smiled.

"Brunch sounds nice, Rarity", Fluttershy said tucking her mane behind her ear.

As they walked to the kitchen, Fluttershy leaned into Harald's waist. "It's a start, a good start.", Rarity thought to herself. As Rarity began making brunch, she would occasionally look over to the table. Fluttershy was sitting by Harald, her hoof resting in her hand, she would lean over and kiss him, which he reciprocated. It made her heart sing to see her friend find somepony she enjoyed, even if it wasn't a pony. "What can I get you two to drink?", she asked standing over the stove.

"Just some water if you please.", Harald replied.

"Chamomile-lemon grass tea please.", Fluttershy replied.

Rarity put the tea kettle on and filled a glass of water. She went to the fridge, pulling out some fruit, cheese and eggs. She wrote on a small pad stuck to the fridge door a few things she needed to pick up at the market. She sliced up the fruit and cheese, placing them on a plate. Soon the kettle was singing. She levitated the kettle, two tea cups, the glass of water, three plates and the plate of food over to the table. "If you hold on darlings, I'll cook us up some eggs.", she said in a sing-songy tone.

Rarity fetched three small plates from the cabinet as she fried six eggs. Finishing, she placed two eggs on the each plate, then added a small garnish of lemongrass. Bringing the eggs over to the table, the three divided the fruit and cheese between each other, eating in a happy silence.

When they had finished eating, Harald helped Rarity do the dishes and put them away. Fluttershy went onto the boutique floor, pulling the cloth out of the loom. Harald looked out the window noting the shadows were getting on towards late morning. "Many apologies Lady Rarity. I have other places to be before it gets too late.", he said bowing politely, "Keep practicing with the loom and you'll catch on. If you have any problems with it, don't be afraid to ask."

Rarity curtsied back. "And a good day to you Sir Harald. I hope you come back soon. Ta-ta!", she returned in a friendly tone.

As Harald walked past Fluttershy, he bent down to her, paused, gave her a hug. She returned the the hug and kissed him on the cheek. Harald then broke the hug and walked out the door.

Rarity walked up behind Fluttershy, hearing her sigh towards the door. "Do you like him darling?", Rarity asked making her friend jump slightly.

"Well he's nice and handsome...and...he smells nice...", Fluttershy said softly, tucking her face behind her mane, "...I...uh...ah... I mean yes, yes I do." She squeed softly. "When you were downstairs...", she put her hooves over mouth, "...mmfmmfmmfmmf."

"I'm sorry darling, I can't hear you when you cover your mouth.", Rarity said smiling.

Fluttershy placed her hooves on her lap sighing. "Um...we kinda sorta...made out...", she said softly squeaking in a filly-ish manner before continuing in a whisper, "...please don't be mad."

"Why would I be mad darling?", Rarity said gently, "You're an adult and you can kiss whomever you so choose. One question, did you enjoy it?"

Fluttershy nodded.

"Do you want to kiss him again?"

Fluttershy nodded again. "Yes!", she exclaimed softly.

"Then go to him and let your feelings be known, dar-" Fluttershy was out the door in a blur before she could finish her sentence. Rarity chuckled to herself as she levitated Sweetie Belle's wedding dress over to a sewing machine. "Good for you Flutters, go get 'em!", she said out loud to herself.

Harald stood in an alleyway between two buildings trying to get his heart to slow down. Every time he thought of Fluttershy, it made his heart beat like a drum until he thought it would burst from his chest. Closing his eyes he could still see her perfect sapphire eyes, he could still smell her on his clothes, he could still taste her on his lips. He began breathing slow and even to get his heart to slow down. Hearing the gentle beat of wings he opened his eyes. Seeing Fluttershy flapping in front of him made his heart pound harder against his ribs.

Pushing her mane behind her ears she softly said, "Harald, you have something in your beard."

Putting his hand up to his beard, he asked, "What is it?"

"Me!" She leaned in kissing him hard, exploring his mouth with hers.

Initially surprise, Harald wrapped his arms around her body returning the deep kiss. He pinned her gently against the wall causing her to moan into the kiss. After an amount of time that neither man nor mare could determine, they heard an excited voice call out. "Woo-hoo! Alright Flutter-butter! Get you some! Uh-hunh! Woop-woop! Who da bad pony?! You da bad pony!"

The two broke their kiss and looked over seeing Pinkie Pie doing the pony version of the cabbage patch into the running man into the lawn mower into the electric slide. Both gave a sigh. Harald leaned back letting Fluttershy up from the wall.

"I guess everypony knows now.", Fluttershy said giving Harald a peck on the nose before flapping down to the ground, "Pinkie, please don't make a big deal out of it."

"Okay, I won't throw a "Harald and Fluttershy are special someponies" party. But I'm telling Evey pony and creature that you found your special somepony!", Pinkie said excitedly, "Ooooo, I wonder if Discord is going to be jealous that you have a special somepony and it's not him?"

"Hardly Pinkie.", Discord snorted from behind her, "Fluttershy and my relationship has always been platonic."

"Darn it, Discord!", Cadance exclaimed dropping the invisibility spell she had cast over them both, "I was hoping to have a few more minutes to be able to quietly slip away."

"Discord?! Princess Cadance?!", Fluttershy exclaimed, "I guess everypony knows now for sure."

Harald feeling a bit overwhelmed at seeing Cadance appear out of seemingly nowhere. Dropping to a knee, placing a fist over his heart and bowing his head. "Sky Queen!", he said in surprised reverence.

A crowd began to gather, murmuring at the presence of Cadance. "Alright everypony, go back about your business.", Cadance said in a clear, loud voice. When the crowd lingered longer than she desired, Cadance stamped a hoof in a sharp crack. That got the message across to the crowd. As the crowd dispersed, a few excited ponies snapped some photographs before scampering back to their business. She spoke softly to Harald, "Arise Lord-Protector Irontoothson. One who has sacred bonded with Princess Twilight Sparkle is my equal and has no need to grovel before me."

Harald rose slowly to his feet.

Discord appeared next to Harald with a snap of his lion's paw. "Okay buddy!", he growled into Harald's ear, "For your sake I hope your intentions are pure with my good friend Fluttershy. If you use her or break her heart I'll turn you into an inside out gopher with backwards moose antlers that poke you in the butt every time you breathe."

"Discord! BE. NICE.", Fluttershy snapped flapping up in his face and jabbed a hoof in his shoulder to emphasize each word, "I like him! Maybe I more than like him. And for your information buster, I was the one who kissed him." She spread her hooves wide in a dramatic motion. "I kissed him and I liked it and I don't care who knows!", she shouted.

The few ponies walking down the street stopped to gawk and murmur. Fluttershy snapped her head around to glare at them which made them decide to hurry about their business. She placed a hoof between her eyes and sighed, "I swear the rumor mill in his town will be saying by morning that I'm carrying his foals." She looked Discord straight in his eyes, "I appreciate that you're trying be a good friend and look out for me. I thank you for that, but I'm a grown behind, no, a grown assed mare and I can kiss whoever I want. If I get my heart broken, it's a risk I'll have to take. It's my heart, not yours. If you do anything to mess this up for me, so help me I'll hit you with a stare so bad you'll wish you were still encased in stone."

Discord swallowed hard, having a look like a whipped dog. A fedora appeared con his head and he took it off, placing it on his chest. "I'm sorry Fluttershy, I went too far.", he turned to Harald, "I apologize to you Mister Irontoothson. I shouldn't have threatened you." He bowed politely.

Harald bowed back. "If the situation was reversed, I'd probably have threatened your life and it would be me Fluttershy would be scolding, so forgiven."

Fluttershy hugged Discord. "It's okay! Just remember to be a good friend friend and be happy for me." She flapped over to Harald and kissed him quickly on the lips. "I'll see you later.", she said in her best attempt at a sexy, smoky voice. She then flew away, looking over her shoulder and giving Harald a smile.

Watching Fluttershy fly off, Harald gave a wistful sigh.

"What do we have here?", Discord asked, a playful tone in his voice, "I think you'he lovesick old chap!"

"Yyyyeeeeeaaaaahhhhh!", Pinkie said, parroting the playful tone, "You got a terminal case and the only cure is five hundred cc's of Flutter-butter kisses asap!" She stood on her hind hooves turning her back to him, running her forehooves along her sides and making loud kissing noises.

Pinkie and Discord fell into each other in a raucous giggling fit. Cadance put a hoof to her mouth trying to stifle her laughter. Harald smiled and huffed trying to cover up his laughter.

As Discord caught his breath he said, "And now I must depart, I've got a smooze that is going to want to hear this juicy gossip." With a snap he disappeared in a puff of smoke that spelled out "C U L8R LUVRBOI!"

As Pinkie picked herself up dusting off her coat and mane."Soooo? What do we have planned today?", she asked.

"I guess I'm teaching you how to make sweet rolls.", Harald said.

"Oooooo! Super duper yummy!", Pinkie said excitedly. "Oh hi Derpy!", Pinkie said excitedly, waving.

Derpy smiled as she waved back to Pinkie. With a loud crash she slammed into a light pole. "I'm okay.", she said shakily as several ponies came to help her.

As they entered into Sugarcube Corner Cadance said, "I'll see you two later."

Pinkie hastily scribbled down the ingredients as Harald mixed them in a bowl and then placed it in the oven, baking it for a hour. Pulling the dense conical cake out of the oven, he poured the honey glaze over it and put it back in for five minutes. Pulling it back out, it resembled a glistening mountain made of dense confectionery in miniature. Drooling, Pinkie smacked her lips and she went to wolf it down, but Harald stopped her. "You don't just gobble a sweet roll like a starving Ursa. It's meant to be shared.", he said. Picking up a knife, he cut two small slices and flipped them onto a couple of plates. Picking up a fork he cut a chunk of his slice and started chewing it. "If you try to eat the whole sweet roll in one sitting, you'll be lucky if you can move after three days.", he said around the mouthful of sweet roll.

"Shtuper juper wooper ummy!", Pinkie said with the whole slice crammed in her mouth. She cut two more slices, wrapping them up for Cheese Sandwich and Lil Cheese.

The smell of the of the sweet roll brought all four members of the Cake family to the kitchen. Pinkie cut four slices for them. They began eating the slices, making yummy sounds.

"Absolutely delectable!", Mrs. Cake said between bites.

"Mmm! What is this called?", Mr. Cake said after a bite.

"It's called sweet roll!", Pinkie said laying the hastily scrawled recipe on the counter, "And it's super duper luper yummy!"

"We have to sell it in the shop.", Pound Cake said around a mouthful.

Harald bowed. "You have my blessing as sweet rolls are meant to be shared with others." Looking outside he saw it was getting towards mid-afternoon. Bowing politely he said, "Many apologies, I must get back to the farm. I hope to see you all again. Until we meet again, health and prosperity." As he left the bakery, the small group of ponies wave goodbye to him.

Comments

[adeptusforgefather]

its rare to find such a good story that has such good details

[sykko]

10193217
Thank you. I've got nearly 30 years of amateur writing, most of which isn't very good.

[adeptusforgefather]

10193311
damn thirty years thats pretty good experience

[sykko]

10193396
Well I started in 7th grade and there were several years where I didn't write anything because of my long dealing with mental illness. If you take from when I started writing, then yeah it's nearly 30 year, but taking the periods I didn't write anything, it's closer to 22.

[adeptusforgefather]

10193424
still its a good amount of time and experience

[The_Darker_Fonts]

Fluttershy grabbed a fire poker she kept by her bed in her hoof. She took a deep breath to calm herself.

I doubt she'd have used it.

[The_Darker_Fonts]

"Me!" She leaned in kissing him hard, exploring his mouth with hers.

I laughed at this. Hard.

[The_Darker_Fonts]

Discord appeared next to Harald with a snap of his lion's paw. "Okay buddy!", he growled into Harald's ear, "For your sake I hope your intentions are pure with my good friend Fluttershy. If you use her or break her heart I'll turn you into an inside out gopher with backwards moose antlers that poke you in the butt every time you breathe."

🤣 I'm dying!