Interviews With Equestrians

by Jmaster49

Subject 299: Ceremony Part 6

“Cathartic Corkscrew,” Twilight started up her next speech, “You are Pale’s best friend, aren’t you? Ever since you both attended the Officer’s Academy, he’s always been the one who looked out for you and kept you safe. You’ve always felt like you needed to return the favor haven’t you?”

Cork didn’t need to say much. His awkward stare at the floor beneath him, and the way he shuffled his hoof pretty much gave it away.

Twilight continued, as casually as ever. “I know exactly what that feels like. I’ve had loads of friends over the years who have still stuck by me no matter how hard it gets. And the things I’ve heard that you’ve done for your friends are off the charts. Slaying monsters like mimics and surviving being set on fire--twice?! I can’t imagine how you managed, but you’ve proven that the bond you make with a friend is stronger than any supernatural disaster or enemy. No matter what happens, you’ve pushed through everything that’s stood in your way all in the name of keeping your friends safe and doing the same they did for you when you first met. That’s why I would like to present you with this Medal of Boldness…”

She levitated a medal around his neck. This one had what appeared to be an engraved tornado or hurricane in the middle. Which represented his unrelenting power.

Next was Quick--and boy this would be a doozy.

“Quick Draw...just like Corkscrew you were a childhood friend of Pale Vestige. But unlike Corkscrew, who never faltered in his loyalty to his friend, you lost your way a bit. Didn’t you?” she asked with an authoritative glare.

Quick Draw didn’t say a word. She simply took a step back with an uneasy frown on her face as she bit her lip.

Twilight would try and comfort her. “...Don’t beat yourself up. That’s not what today is for. I--as well as many others--are proud of the fact that you were willing to think for yourself and stand up for what was right. In the end, even once your views on your friend were challenged, you didn’t allow yourself to succumb to those feelings. You didn’t allow yourself to be controlled by your emotions. You focused on logic, and kept everything together. Ultimately standing by him as you all braved through the most difficult challenges you’ve ever faced. As a family.”

The yellow mare’s face slowly transformed from a state of hopelessness to a blank stare of confusion at the platform beneath her hooves.

“I…” Quick muttered a response as she wiped tears away from her face, “...I think I get it now.”

Twilight adorned Quick Draw with a medal that had a peace symbol engraved into its face. “That’s why I am presenting you with this Medal of Dignity. Wear it proudly.”

“...I will,” Quick replied, “I will…”

And at last, Twilight trotted over to me with an oddly satisfied expression on her face.

“Well, well, well,” she said in a rather sing-song-y tone, “At long last we come to the ringleader. The stallion behind it all. The head honcho. Where do I even begin with you?”

I decided to retort with a comment that I thought had some wit to it. “Well, my birth was a rather messy affair, so let’s not go that far back, eh?”

It must have been funny because a few audience members did chuckle--so there was that, right?

Even Twilight snorted--but she quickly cleared her throat to play off her reaction. “Ahem--right. Anyhow...your work is nothing short of legendary. I’d recount everything, but we’d honestly be here all day and I know you don’t want that.”

I shook my head, but was promptly cut off. “I don’t, really--”

“Nevertheless,” she went on, “I’d like to touch on something else that I haven’t spoken about very much: Your leadership skills.”

“My what-now?” I asked with a confused tilt of my head.

“The way you take control of any situation you come across. Everything from the way you convinced the public to give Cozy Glow another chance, the way you took care of her, and the way you defended yourself and your family against various enemies...and yet…” she trailed off.

Now heavily invested, I took a step forward. “What do you mean by that?”

“Well look at you,” Twilight glanced at me up and down, “You’re are, by and large--a regular earth pony. In fact, the only thing that really sets you apart from the average one is that your intellect and physical strength are off the charts. But even then, that’s something just about anypony can improve just by working their body to break past their limits. Both mentally and physically. Just...how did you do it?” From behind the princess’s wings, I could see a familiar pen and notebook ready to document whatever I’d say next.

I rolled my eyes with a sarcastic grin. “...Twilight. Everyone. There is no secret.” I started to address the audience at large. “What I set out to do was prove that literally anyone on this earth can put themselves out there and make a difference. That’s all. Do with that as you will. Because I feel like I’d just be repeating myself like a broken record. You don’t need crazy magic or heirlooms to be able to keep the ones you love safe.”

“And that’s why everyone followed you, isn’t it?” Twilight asked, “Because you proved that you could make Cozy Glow into a better pony. And from that, everyone else realized that they were able to make a difference also.”

Did she really just--? No. I need to explain myself properly. I paused, shut my eyes, and huffed hard enough to release steam from my nostrils.

Then I opened my eyes as I started to clear the air on what my goal was. “I didn’t make Cozy into a better pony. I did my job and fought for her justice. She made herself into a better pony. As for everything else you said...that’s a mere byproduct of what I did. I can’t peer into the minds of others and calculate what they will interpret.”

“Well whatever the case, I still want you to have this as a token of our--including my--appreciation.”

I watched as the medal came down over my head. I cupped my hoof against it, and took a look.

It was a five-pointed star with detailed, sideways facial profiles of all of my squadmates with myself in the middle. The center of it.

“The Medal of Wisdom,” Twilight proclaimed, “Awarded only to the highest and most esteemed individuals who serve for Equestria. Thank you, Pale Vestige. And you as well, Flash Drive, Neon Isotope, Cathartic Corkscrew, Quick Draw, and Guttersnipe Poinsettia.”

The six of us stood in line, and boldy puffed out our chests as the crowd applauded for us. We all secretly wanted to get this over with. The sense of merriment had started to wear on us, and I could tell by their uneasy smiles.

Twilight would close the ceremony with one last thing. “I now dub the six of you: Ponies Of the New Era! Or PONE for short!”

---

Yada-yada-yada--Twilight knighted us and everything took way too damn long from that point. So I’m just gonna skip over the rest.

Once the ceremony was finally over with, I was able to meet up with Cheerilee who had just come out of a meeting with the Mayor and Spoiled Rich within the Town Hall. This was my chance to finally hit her with the question.

I entered the building right as she got out of her meeting, and stopped her.

“...Cheery? Got a minute?”

“Oh--Pale? Why of course--and I see you’ve earned yourself a medal. How amazing! I wish I could have been there, but I was so busy with--”

I cut her off. “No...that’s not what I’m worried about. In fact--there’s something much bigger in the works…” I reached into the suit I had on, and pulled out that same small box from earlier. Within it was a simple, gold ring.

I opened the box, and presented it to her.

“...Will you marry me?”

“...”

Comments

[Neo4K]

I'm just gonna say it: Pale is somewhat like an advanced version of Twilight, Starlight, and Sunset put together where reformation, hidden power, and ideals are concerned.

“...Will you marry me?”

😂... Finally. Fucking finally!!!

[Jmaster49]

10874741
Wait really? You mean that even though he's an earth pony and has no special magic to speak of?

[Neo4K]

10875053
Hell...yes. Flaws and all.

[Jmaster49]

10875082
Is that a good thing? 😛

[Neo4K]

10875097
I'd like to think so. I mean, you created six main OC characters to challenge all the odds thrown at them despite their own demons and flaws. Yet, they managed to overcome them. It's like I said, it sounds like Elements of Harmony material to me. Pale, to me, is kinda like Shepherd from the Mass Effect trilogy. From his backstory, he slowly started off as a renegade kid, then slowly worked his way up to become a paragon as he grew older, thanks in large part to Miranda Rights. As a paragon, he had to make choices that effect those around him, like freeing Cozy, for example. But like Pale said, he didn't make Cozy a better pony. She did that on her own due to the support that she didn't get from her original parents. But as far as I'm concerned, she belongs with Pale and Cheerilee. They are the perfect example of what a parent should be.

Going back to Pale, he has played the paragon in his pursuit of justice for freeing Cozy. The interviews with certain ponies, individually or otherwise. During that time, not once did he went renegade until Svengallop happened. Granted, when a situation happens, he always try to find a way to keep himself on the paragon scale to alleviate a situation peacefully without violence.

Then, he was pushed to the renegade scale by two ponies who are both a criminal and a pony that disagrees with an ideal. I won't name names. You know who I mean. Even after he went renegade, others found a way to alleviate the situation to get him back on the paragon scale before it got worse.

Then, the real Grogar happened. I'll explain that another time in private. Anyway, that's my thoughts on this.

[Jmaster49]

10875145
Thank you for that analysis! I did my best to make Pale a good character that breaks through the show's cliches in order to make things better not only for himself, but for everyone. He's confident in the fact that he's made a difference in the world because he ventured where no one else did.