The Emperor Preserves

by Centurion Pike-Wall

24~Home Guard

Author's Note:

Imperial Thought of the Day: A coward always seeks compromise

"Hey, Aquila? Ya got a minute", Granny Smith called to him.

Anton turned around, adjusting the small sack of supplies on his shoulder. "I-Sure. Is there something you need?"

The older mare came to a stop in front of him, developing a sudden interest in his hooves. The setting sun washed against her back, making her white hair almost glow. "Uh, yeah. Ah need ta ask ya a favor."

Anton set the sack on the ground, the cans and small utilities within rattling as it hit the hardened dirt. "Of course. After what you've done for me, It seems fair", he said, silently cursing himself for his weakness.

"Well, it's been almost a year since... Well, ya know..." Anton winced. He did remember; how could he forget? "Yeah. Anyhow, mah son-Eh, Bright Mac-he's been feelin' a bit down lately. Frankly, a bit's a bit of a stretch. What ah'm sayin' is-"

"Do you need me to talk to him?", Anton asked. He had already given more comfort to them than he was wanting to; frankly, any more of that kind of action to the Xenos might push him over an edge.

"Oh, heavens no", Granny Smith answered. "It's a sore subject, and... Well, not to be rude, but ya don't seem the sentimental type."

"Right", Anton replied. "So, what then...?"

"Ah've arranged fer us ta take a little trip", Granny Smith said, holding up a small photo. She handed it to Anton, who took it in his magic and examined the brightly colored picture. "Not long; just a few days to relax. Ah just want ya to look after the place in that time."

"Anything I should be aware of while doing so?", Anton asked, offering the photo back to her.

Granny Smith took it with a chuckle. "Just don't be throwin' any parties and don't drink all the alcohol, and we'll be fine. It's mostly just checkin' in every now and again; make sure nothin' serious happens like a break-in or anything. Yer welcome ta have any of the stuff still inside the icebox; plannin' on goin' shoppin' when we get back."

"Alright", Anton said. "When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow, after AJ gets outta school. Be back round 'bouts Tuesday", she said. "Ah appreciate it."

+++++~+++++

Anton walked onto the property, lazily shifting his lasgun around in his telekinetic grip. Since he wasn't really working with the Apples not being there, he hadn't bothered to eschew his full kit. He had finally grown a bit tired from the shifting of the lasgun, slinging it over his shoulder where it hit his backplate with a slight thunk. He yanked out his canteen, looking over the central lot of the main compound.

It couldn't have been less defensible if Orks had designed it. The white fence that surrounded it, the only apparent means of bordering between it and the open fields, was made of wood and, worse, was open, meaning it offered no real cover. The buildings, while tall, weren't that sturdily constructed, again being made from wood. They had few firing positions, only a few windows on the house and a small hole in the wall on the barn. He had been through this place a hundred times, but it had never really struck him how poorly designed it was.

Still, he had assured them he'd try and look after the property while they were away. And he had a feeling that, while they might be better off for it, they wouldn't appreciate him digging trenches around the perimeter or building a palisade. They were concerned enough to enlist his assistance as a guard, but not enough to install such basic security measures for a residence.

"'A broad mind lacks focus'", Anton said, lowering his helmets Photovisor. "Let's just do a sweep; it's still early. I can come back later."

The lens on the interior of the visor flickered, giving him an unobstructed view of the compound the fields beyond it. A few seconds passed, and the visor lightened up the still somewhat dark environment, allowing him to see unobstructed by the darkness all the way to the woods. He unslung his lasgun, wrapped the strap around his neck, and began his patrol.

His first stop was the barn, removing the wooden block that acted to keep the door shut, and opened it up. The interior was dark, but the photovisor allowed him to clearly make out... nothing. Well, nothing that wasn't expected to be in there. After shutting and relocking the door, he walked around the interior circle of the property, checking smaller structures like the animal pens and the silo. Again, nothing came up, and so he moved onto the main house.

Removing a spare key from it's hiding place under some kind of potted plant, he unlocked the front door and stepped inside. After locking it behind him, he walked through the dark house, not hearing anything but checking everything just to be safe. Finally, after a thorough search once again turned up nothing, he headed out onto the rear porch.

He got a good look at the fields of trees, which seemed to run from horizon to horizon in any direction. Only the darker and taller trees of the woods in the distance betrayed that image, running up past the low-hanging clouds like a bastion towering over a hab-block. Anton scanned lower on the fields-

-And finally spotted something. Two figures were on the property, relatively close to one another. One was an off-white color, standing by one of the trees. The other, meanwhile, was a dull brownish color, standing on a small plot of land jutting off of the main property.

Anton lept over the railing, hitting the ground with a thud and began to run for the fence. He slammed into it, the wooden frame stretching and slightly deforming against the impact. He skirted along the edge of the fence, finally reaching the small area where it broke off from the main compound slightly. He followed it down, coming to a stop behind the brown figure.

He stood, aiming the lasgun at him and flicking off the safety. The brown pony stood and turned around, his copper eyes widening. "What the-Who are you!?"

"I could ask the same question", Anton said, lasgun not moving from his chest. "You and your friend are trespassing."

"Friend?", the stallion asked. "It's just me."

Anton snorted, shifting his gaze slightly to the treeline. He froze, having lost sight of the white figure. Levitating the lasgun up to keep it pointed at the stallion, he scanned the treeline more thoroughly, but again, saw nothing. Had he imagined it? A trick of the light, maybe? Didn't matter; it was probably nothing.

He turned his gaze back to the older stallion, taking in some more details about him. He had a graying brown mane and an even duller coat than he first thought; he looked pretty similar to him, save for the difference in hair color. He had another of the weird local fruits as a flank mark, green and bulbous as opposed to the spherical red shapes of the Apples. "Alright then; who are you?"

"I-I asked first", the stallion said, quivering.

Anton replied, "And I'm the one with the lasgun."

"F-fine", the stallion replied. "My name's Grand Pear."

"You can call me Aquila", Anton said, silently biting his tongue for his continued blaspheming. "Now, what are you doing here."

"I-I", Grand Pear stammered.

"I'm going to need an answer, or for you to leave", Anton said.

"I'm... visiting my daughter", Grand Pear said, his head hung low.

Anton cocked his head. "There's no one here but me. Besides, I wasn't told of any relation by your name-"

"No, not any of the Apples", he said, spitting that last word out as if it were tainted. "My daughter... Y-you probably would've known her as Buttercup."

Anton looked past the old stallion, realizing what section of the property they were on. The small jutting spot was a burial site, hosting several small gravestones. Among them, one of the larger headstones had fresh flowers laid in front of them, glistening through his visor like the glitter of spire lights at night.

Anton turned back to Grand Pear, looking him dead in the eyes. "You have twenty minutes. Then I have to ask that you leave."

Grand Pear nodded. "That'll be enough. I-Thank y-"

"Don't thank me", Anton said. "Honoring the dead is a just deed. But I have been asked by the Apples to keep out intruders, and you are trespassing."

"I understand. I was under the impression no one would be here, so-"

"Twenty minutes", Anton reminded him, before hopping over the fence and entering the orchard. He began to look, in vain, for that white form...

Comments

[Late_Night]

white form was Pear's ghost, calling it now

[Fireeaters]

Something something another reference to tts from me

[Prysmkitsune]

11042902
theres a crossover story out there where celestia IS the emporer...its...interesting

[MikiStenbeck]

11129508
wat. what is the name?

[Prysmkitsune]

11129522
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/62041/the-god-empress-of-ponykind
it even has a sequal where she goes back to the 40k universe to correct some unfinished business.

[AnOnyxPolygon]

11129328
You might be right. The only other figure I can think of would be Agent Sweetie Drops, who's kind of an off-white cream color, and was stated in the last chapter to be following him. I feel like her hair (mane, whatever) would have stood out though, even from a distance.

[MikiStenbeck]

11129525
ah, thanks, :)

[Silent Wing]

I am certain this isn't quite what Granny Smith had in mind when she asked him to look after the farm.

[Silent Wing]

11129895
If I ever find one, I'll tell you

[Josiador]

11129554
It's really good, especially its sequel. Its sequel is amazing, one of my favorite fics.

[MikiStenbeck]

11131291
ooooh, nice, :D

[RanBro]

11132125
No it fanart of DSAF

[Bandit1990]

11073372
11073387
11074127

I know this topic was a while ago, but here's my two cents. If I'm going fancy, then sourdough with cheddar and either colby-jack or muenster.

But, way more often I just go basic, a couple of Kraft singles in between two slices of white sandwich bread with a bowl of Top Ramen to dip. It's cheap, it's simple, and it's real easy.