VI - A Taste of the Odd World
"I'll repeat it just in case: Don't bother the guest. He is a VIP, and should be treated as such."
"Understood, Miss Shimmer."
"We will treat him with the utmost respect."
Until yesterday, Sunset Shimmer's routine consisted of practicing and improving her magic, advising the royal guard from time to time on magic, and assisting the castle staff when possible.
After all, Princess Celestia recognized her talent and personally asked her to be an official member of the castle's royal mages at her young age. Not only that, but she also had the honor of sharing an everlasting magic signal to contact Princess Celestia anytime. Of course, the same applies to the Princess.
When she met Twilight Sparkle, they became friends immediately, and the Princess was glad that two of the smartest fillies in Canterlot were getting along.
Even if they were both geniuses, they took different paths in the art of magic. Twilight chose knowledge as her focus, whereas Sunset chose experience.
And she doesn't regret that decision.
Her focus led her to be a bit more involved in the royal guard and helping in the quality of life in the Castle.
Of course, this also included helping stallions.
While peace is something that everyone enjoys, evil remains. In small but harmful portions.
Even when every mare in Equestria knows they have a duty decreed by Princess Celestia, some of them treat their stallions very badly, and the poor males can't do anything about it, being the fragile and delicate beings they are.
It's cruel, but it happens. Mares of high status abuse their power to take advantage of stallions both physically and emotionally.
This made Sunset acquire a strong sense of justice, and it's one of the reasons she is a gentlemare with every stallion she meets. She does flirt sometimes, but it's harmless compared to what other mares do to shy and scared stallions that they meet. She does it so that the stallions have a little more confidence in themselves.
It's also one of the reasons you don't mess with her because, with everything she has learned so far, many mares in the royal guard and the castle staff respect her, to the point of considering her a captain, even when technically she isn't.
But yesterday... she met an enigma.
No.
The enigma.
And his name is Aero.
Sunset heard the voice of Princess Celestia thanks to her magic signal. She was ordered to go to the throne room, and escort a stallion named Aero to one of the VIP rooms on the highest floor of the castle. It was her first time hearing about a VIP stallion.
Then, something unexpected happened. She heard Princess Luna's voice too!
She ordered that Aero was to stay in the VIP guest room right next to her bedroom. Celestia had no complaints about this and agreed to the suggestion.
Sunset knows that Princess Celestia cares about stallions the same way a mother would care about her foals, and Princess Luna is not very happy about how stallions behave nowadays.
But somehow this stallion became a VIP and has the sympathy of both Princesses.
However, all her doubts disappeared when she could finally see and talk to him.
Afraid? Frail? Not at all. His self-confidence was admirable. His personality also showed that he is not the type of pony who takes orders from just anypony.
As they headed to the top floor of the castle, Sunset was able to talk to him a bit.
At the same time, she received more info about him thanks to her magic signal with Princess Celestia, including how he is more than capable of defending himself, considering the fact that he easily subdued two royal guards.
And the most incredible thing of all is that despite being tremendously attractive, even among the lack of stallions...
He is not in a herd.
How?
Seriously. How?
This stallion came out of nowhere and is the living antithesis of today's mare society.
And she can't get enough of him.
Today, she volunteered to go and wake him up, so she can talk to him some more during a very pleasant breakfast, then go to the throne room because the Princesses have a private reunion involving him and the Elements of Harmony. At least she'll be able to say hi to Twilight and catch up.
She also brought two of the castle maid so they can quickly clean his room. Contrary to popular belief, maids are instructed, though not as much as royal guards, how to defend themselves.
"I heard from some royal guards and some butlers that he was tall and handsome." said one of the maids, with slight interest. "That is a rare combination nowadays."
"I heard he fought two royal guards and won!" said the other, with a mix of surprise and emotion.
"Ladies..." Sunset said in a tone of minimal warning to get their attention. "Remember what I just said. This is very important. I hope you can keep your hormones in check."
"We'll do, miss Shimmer." was the answer of both maids.
As they were reaching Aero's room, Sunset couldn't help but wonder...
"(If I'm lucky... will I be able to see his sleeping face? That would be nice.)"
Sunset used her magic to gently open the door. When she and both maids had a complete vision of the place...
The maids gasped loudly. Sunset was able to contain her voice and remain calm. It's good that she has faced a crisis before. Otherwise, she would have panicked by now.
There was nothing wrong in the room. Everything was in its place. Even the bed was nicely made.
Everything was ok.
Except that Aero was not there, and the large windows were fully opened.
"Tell the rest of the staff and any guard you find on your way back that the VIP Aero has disappeared!" exclaimed Sunset. "I'll inform Princess Celestia."
The maids moved immediately. Sunset didn't waste a second and contacted her Princess.
~(Princess Celestia! Aero has disappeared!)~
"Well... that should do it."
Aero was satisfied. Truly a good way to start his day and relax for a bit, considering his unique situation.
He was a bit sweaty but was already controlling his breathing to recover optimally.
He's really glad that the royal guards' training ground is also in the same location as in his Equestria. And what's more, it seems that the instruments and tools for practicing melee and ranged combat seem to be the same. Even the large square combat zone for one-on-one duels was there.
Aero woke up at the time he is always used to. Being the same style of guest room that he remembers from his Equestria, he proceeded to use the shower in his room, made his bed, and left the room through the large windows. Even with the support of the Princesses and the help of Sunset, any of the mares in the castle could do something stupid when they came to wake him up.
At the moment, he only trusts Princesses Celestia and Luna, Twilight, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash although to a lesser extent, and Sunset Shimmer.
He knows about the private meeting he will have shortly. It is clear that it will be to discuss what to do with his situation. Maybe Twilight and her friends will be there too. The Princess Twilight from his Equestria told him that she and her friends are usually called when something unexpected occurs.
With that in mind, the best thing to do to pass the time was to do his daily training. He never misses it. Always having an exercise routine before breakfast was his way of starting every day in high spirits.
It seems that getting up early is something difficult for the royal guards of both Equestrias. Aero was glad there weren't any mares bothering him. Fortunately, he has finished all his magical and physical activity exercises.
"(Should I also train my ability?)" thought the stallion.
The only time he used his wind manipulation in this Equestria was when he flew over the Everfree Forest. Since then, he has made sure not to use his ability again unless it is really necessary, or if the situation forces him to use it. So far, the only ponies who know about his ability are the Princesses, and only because they saw his memories.
! ! ! !
His area-scan spell reacted. He felt two presences approaching. The first one was up in the corridor of a section of the castle, next to the training ground. The other was getting closer to the training ground's entrance.
"(Wait. That's where she goes when...)" Aero already had an idea of who was up there, especially since the presence stopped moving. He already knew that the reason was that whoever was there was observing the guards' training place.
To see him.
The other presence kept closing in, so Aero focused his gaze on the entrance.
After a few seconds, he saw that it was a unicorn mare. She seemed to be a bit taller than normal compared to mares in general. What struck him the most... was that everything about her was familiar to him. From her colors to her cutie mark.
Especially the cutie mark.
Princess Luna was tired, but not that much compared to previous days. There was no doubt that she was in a better mood overall thanks to Aero.
As much as she wants to see the stallion, she must go to rest, at least a little. She spent the whole night doing her royal duties. Sadly, her night court was a failure and pretty much a waste of a few hours of her night.
As she made her way to her room, she managed to see something that caught her eye.
It was Aero!
"He is in the training grounds." Luna managed to see that most of the tools and objects used there were a little worn out. There was no doubt that Aero was training, and that he must have been there for quite a while.
And now his gaze was fixed on the entrance. Is he waiting for somepony?
Then, Luna managed to see that another pony arrived at the place.
"Ah... she was not in the castle yesterday." Luna couldn't help but smirk. "Let us see how you handle this situation, Aero."
Luna activated her magic and her horn glowed with a dark blue aura for a moment. After a few seconds, the spell was ready and now she could hear the two ponies below despite the distance.
"Excuse me. Are you lost?" the mare asked directly but with a bit of softness in her voice.
"(Her mane and tail, her body, and her cutie mark... how is it possible?)" Aero was calm on the outside, but he was wondering about the mare's appearance in his mind. "(The resemblance is both astounding... and creepy.)"
"Are you related to Twilight Sparkle's family?"
The question surprised both the mare and Princess Luna.
"You seem to know my sister." said the mare, her voice remaining calm.
"(Excuse me, what?)" Aero couldn't help but show the surprise in his eyes for a moment. "(Twilight has a sister in this Equestria? Well... considering the fact that Twilight is not an alicorn, a sister instead of a brother is not out of the question, but...)"
Aero knows Shining Armor better than he knows Twilight. It was unfortunate that by the time of the royal wedding in Canterlot, he was out on an official 'Elemental' mission. In the past, Aero was the superior of Shining Armor. Specifically, his captain. When he was promoted to be one of Princess Celestia's private guards, he didn't hesitate to recommend Shining Armor to be the new captain.
"(This mare... is literally a female Shining Armor. It's a bit unsettling.)"
"Yes. I know Twilight Sparkle, and some of her friends." said Aero. "As for your question, no. I'm not lost. I've been here for almost an hour."
The mare noticed that he was sweating a bit. She also noticed that many of the tools and objects used for training were showing signs of being recently used.
"If you are not lost, then where is your mare?"
Aero's expression changed immediately, and he let out a sigh showing his annoyance.
"(Here we go again...)" thought the stallion, preparing himself for another dose of 'mares are weird here'. "Sorry. Did you come here to train or to interrupt me?"
The mare was momentarily surprised by the response she received but quickly returned to normal.
"I am captain Gleaming Shield of the royal guard. Please, if your mare left you, then you can tell me. You have my word that she will receive a dire punishment for her actions." she put one of her hooves on her chest, trying to show Aero that she was really serious about this.
"There is no mare, captain Gleaming Shield." said Aero, somewhat annoyed by her insistence. "Now, I ask you to let me train in peace."
"I'm sorry, but I won't. You must come with me." said Gleaming, who started to walk towards Aero. "It's hard for a stallion to admit abandonment, but don't worry. We'll find you a mare to protect you and-"
Aero suddenly vanished, surprising the captain, but only for a moment, because he reappeared in front of her.
"Listen to me well because I won't repeat it again." Aero made sure to stare at Gleaming Shield. "I don't need a full-time babysitter watching over me. I am not in a herd nor am I interested in being in one. I have more important things to worry about."
Aero teleported back to his previous position.
"Last warning. Let me train in peace... or I'll take you out by force. "
For a few moments, there was no sound at all.
From above, Luna was happy to see how Aero was exceeding all of her expectations.
Seeing that the captain wasn't reacting, Aero took it as a sign that he could continue.
However, for an instant, he managed to see a light blue aura on his body. Aero, now a bit angrier, teleported faster than before, appearing again in front of Gleaming, who deactivated her magic.
"What is your problem?"
"Your behavior is understandable." said Gleaming, sounding a little worried. "Mares that abandon their stallions never think about the consequences. Sometimes they can go into a state of confusion or depression. There are cases like yours, where instead, you fill yourself with hatred towards mares in general, and avoid them, to the point of doing some mare activities, such as practicing combat."
Aero simply watched the captain, unable to understand how she continues with all that stupidity of protecting stallions.
"(By Luna... she really believes that she is in the right.)"
"Captain?"
Two more mare guards who were passing by chance approached upon seeing the two ponies.
"Ah, just in time." said Gleaming, looking at the two guards. "I found this stallion doing dangerous activities. His mare apparently abandoned him. I need help getting him to the stallion-care site."
"Him? Abandoned?" asked one of the guards, who immediately observed Aero, probably liking what she was seeing judging by her smile. "What stupid mare would abandon him? Look at those flanks!"
The other guard eyed Aero curiously, apparently thinking of something.
"(Great... speaking again as if I'm not listening.)" thought Aero, now focusing on the other two guards. "Tell your captain that there is no need to exaggerate things, and to let me continue my training."
"Hey listen..." Gleaming Shield showed a soft smile, surprising Aero a bit. "You don't have to prove anything to anypony, or hide your fear."
Aero... just sighed in defeat, and then focused his gaze on a certain corridor near the training grounds, confusing the captain and the guards a bit.
"Princess Luna. Can you come down and tell this stubborn pony to stop?"
Before the mares could say anything, Luna literally leaped through one of the corridor spaces, gracefully descending near them.
"I am really surprised by the range of your area-scan spell, Aero." said Luna, leaving the three mares frozen as she walked towards Aero.
"(Area-scan spell?)" thought Gleaming with a bit of shock on her face. "(I barely managed to learn it a week ago! And this stallion can use it so easily?)"
Then, Gleaming realized something.
"(Wait... he was already looking at me when I was approaching the training grounds. Did he... sense me with the area-scan spell too?)"
"You will have to excuse captain Gleaming Shield. Yesterday was her day off, otherwise, she would already know about how unusual the last day was."
Luna raised one of her large wings, then hugged Aero with it. This act rendered Gleaming Shield and the two guards speechless for a few seconds. Aero was a bit surprised but appreciated her support in the conversation.
"Captain, let me introduce you to our guest Aero. He is a VIP who has been with us since yesterday." the Princess of the night tightened the embrace of her wing a little.
The change in the captain's behavior was immediate, as she focused on the alicorn and made a little bow.
"My sincerest apologies, Princess Luna! I would never think of offending your guest! It's just that his attitude seemed like a symptom of abandon."
"(This is ridiculous. I swear I'll get answers later.)" thought the stallion for a moment, noticing how Gleaming Shield is apologizing to Luna, but not to him.
"Ah! I remember now!" said the royal guard who previously observed Aero with curiosity, drawing the attention of her companion. "You're the one who defeated Sweet Pearl and Dust Windy! The stallion who requested the audience with both Princesses!"
"Yup. That was me." said Aero, smiling a bit.
Gleaming Shield took another look at Aero, apparently analyzing him in detail. The other two guards now had a small blush on their faces.
It seems that the captain has just realized that Aero is... desirable.
"I must ask... were you really able to defeat two royal guards?" the captain kept looking at him as if she was trying to solve a puzzle.
"So you don't believe it." said Aero, a little disappointed. "May I ask why?"
"Well... you're a stallion, and even with that body..." it seems as if Gleaming was trying to come up with an explanation that would not anger Princess Luna.
"(If only you knew, Gleaming Shield.)" Princess Luna saw the stallion for an instant without anypony noticing. She wasn't surprised at all to see that while his expression seemed serious... his eyes expressed much more.
And he was not happy at all.
Considering what she saw in Aero's memories, it was easy to see why.
The mares were looking down on him.
"I see..." said Aero with a neutral tone. He didn't sound angry, but he wasn't happy either. He waited a moment, then calmly turned his head towards Princess Luna.
"Princess. I request permission for a formal duel against captain Gleaming Shield."
The two guards accompanying the captain gasped in surprise. Gleaming Shield just stood there, wondering if Aero actually said those words. Luna was trying to contain her enthusiasm. She was loving this.
"Are you crazy?" asked one of the guards.
"It may be true that you defeated our comrades, but there is no way you will defeat the captain." said the other.
"Permission granted."
Luna's words made the three mares react immediately. Aero simply smirked in victory.
"Princess Luna!"
"Why do you allow it, Princess!? He is a stallion! A duel is too dangerous for him!"
"Aero was courteous and considerate, and he has earned our respect. If he feels he has what it takes to fight, then I will respect his wish." said Luna, without losing her smile.
"(Fine. I'll play your game, Aero.)" thought Gleaming Shield, who was still silent, but became serious again. "(I'll show you that a mare's job is dangerous, and how precious your life is as a stallion.)"
Aero began to move, heading without hesitation to the combat zone. Gleaming was staring at him the entire time, and there was no trace of fear or weakness in him.
"A few minutes ago you wanted to force me out of here. We would have fought anyway." said Aero, looking at his soon-to-be opponent.
Gleaming Shield stayed where she was for a few moments but eventually moved to the area where Aero was. The other two guards were still not happy with the situation, while Luna approached the two fighters.
After all, somepony had to be the referee.
"I hope you don't regret it later." said the captain, ready to fight.
"Believe me, I won't." replied Aero, also ready.
"Since both fighters are unicorns, we will use the unicorn battle rules." said Princess Luna, drawing the attention of both ponies. "The use of physical weapons is prohibited. You can only attack your opponent by using your own physical strength, or by using your magic. The duel will end if one of you decides to surrender, or if you can no longer continue fighting. Are both fighters ready?"
"I am ready." said Gleaming Shield, without taking his eyes off his opponent.
"Likewise." replied Aero, focusing only on the space that made up the duel zone.
Princess Luna waited for a few seconds, and then...
"BEGIN!"
Twilight was worried
In the morning she, along with Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, woke up a little earlier to go to the train station and greet the rest of her friends from Ponyville. Since the note from the Princess was sent to Spike, who was yesterday with Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo, the two sisters got the news quickly. Pinkie was informed of the meeting thanks to Spike, who took the time to go to Sugarcube Corner.
When they reached the castle, a butler immediately approached them. He told them that Princess Celestia required everypony's presence in the throne room. Obviously, they headed there right away.
"Princess!" said Twilight after opening the door with her magic, while she came running just like her friends.
The Princess was looking at one of the stained glass windows when she heard her student's voice. When she saw Twilight, she was also able to see the rest of her friends.
"I'm glad everypony was able to come." said Princess Celestia, approaching the group. "I'm afraid something happened while you were not in the castle."
"Did something happen to Aero?" asked Fluttershy, clearly worried, and drawing the attention of everypony.
"Is that the stallion you told us about, Twilight?" asked Applejack.
"Fluttershy! This is the first time you've cared so much about a stallion." Rarity was honestly happy for her shy friend. Of the six, she is the only pony who rarely interacts with them beyond helping them. "He really left an impression on you."
"You should have seen her yesterday." said Rainbow Dash with a smirk. "She really was into him."
"W-well... I-I..." the Element of Kindness hid a bit of her face behind her mane, and with one of her front hooves began to form imaginary circles on the floor.
"Yes. I'm afraid Aero is missing."
Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rainbow gasped since they already know him. Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie were just confused.
"But Sunset was with him yesterday!" exclaimed Twilight.
"Yes, and when she left, Aero was already entering his designated room." said the Princess. "Sunset along with two maids went to wake him up so that he could be ready for today's meeting, but when they entered the room, he was not there and the windows were open."
"Princess..." Twilight approached the Princess, concern showing on her face. "Is it possible that somepony from the royal guard tried anything during the night?"
Celestia's expression turned somewhat serious, but there was something about it that made the girls a little scared.
"If somepony even tried... they will receive a very severe punishment."
"Excuse me, Princess." Rarity caught Celestia's attention. "Can you tell us a bit about this 'Aero'? I'm assuming we will look for him."
"Yeah. I'm also curious about this fella." added Applejack.
"He missed his 'Welcome to Equestria' party!" said Pinkie, really, really worried about this fact. This confused her friends, but her Princess was surprised.
"(How did she...)" for a moment, Celestia tried to understand how Pinkie knew that detail about Aero, but after remembering her student's words, she decided to leave it as 'Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie'. "He... is a unique stallion."
"He is very tall." said Twilight, who then looked at Applejack. "He may be even a bit taller than your brother, Applejack. He's also... well-"
"He's hot." interrupted Rainbow Dash. "Like, super-hot."
"Well, I'll be!" exclaimed the Element of Honesty. "This I have to see it."
"He's also a unicorn! Can you believe it?" said Rainbow Dash, still surprised about this.
"A unicorn? I have to say, If he is as tall or taller than Applejack's brother, then it's a shame that he neglected his unicorn skills in favor of a better body." said Rarity.
"I don't think he has neglected his magic." said Twilight. This got Rarity's attention.
"How so, darling?"
"He can teleport faster than me." said Twilight. "I use my magic every day, and I can safely say that I can't teleport faster than him. I don't know how he does it."
This got Rarity and the others thinking. He can teleport faster than the Element of Magic herself?
"He is very brave." blurted out Fluttershy. Princess Celestia contained her laughter as best she could when she saw the expressions of Twilight's friends. "It makes you feel...safe."
"Oh! Oh! Let me guess!" Pinkie appeared next to Fluttershy instantly. "He can fight! He fights, does he? After all, he went to Ponyville to fight a-"
Pinkie stopped.
"Oh wait. That happens in the next chapter! Silly me!"
"What was that, Pinkie?" Twilight was completely confused. Neither she nor her friends, not even the Princess understood what Pinkie Pie just said.
"Princess!"
Suddenly, the doors of the throne room opened, revealing a pegasus butler. He looked a bit tired.
"There is an emergency!"
"What is happening?" asked the Princess.
"Captain Gleaming Shield and the VIP Aero are fighting in the royal guards' training ground!"
Before Twilight or any of her friends could say anything, Celestia beat them to it.
"Follow me."
Celestia and Twilight could have used their magic to teleport immediately, but with the other Elements of Harmony accompanying them, running to the training grounds was the only option. Fortunately, it only took a few minutes thanks to the Princess's guidance.
When they arrived, there were several royal guards, apparently watching the whole thing. Sunset was also there. It was no wonder that she was already there before the others because Celestia informed her of the situation using their magic signal. Since she was alone and knows the castle, she had no problem arriving right away with a teleport spell.
And up ahead... was a vision that contradicts everything the Princess and the mares, in general, have worked for.
A mare was attacking a stallion.
Gleaming Shield, captain of the royal guard, was firing various magic projectiles.
Her opponent, a unicorn stallion of great size and excellent form, was avoiding them without apparent problem.
"By the stars... Is he Aero?" Rarity couldn't believe it. "Goodness! He is gorgeous! No wonder you fell for him, Fluttershy!"
The shy pegasus was too busy watching Aero to say something to her fashionista friend.
"You're right, Twilight!" said Applejack, without wasting time and watching the stallion from head to hoof. "He looks a bit bigger than mah brother!"
"Wow! He moves like it's the easiest thing in the world!" said Rainbow Dash, watching Aero's movements.
"Hey! It almost looks like he's jumping!" said a very excited Pinkie Pie. "But I need to know what sweets he likes for his party!"
"Can somepony explain to me how my sister ended up fighting him!?" asked a nervous Twilight.
"(The way he moves and evades the magic attacks...)" Celestia was carefully watching the stallion. "(There's no doubt about it. He is a great fighter... and he's holding back.)"
Meanwhile, in the fight, the captain kept throwing magic projectiles, making sure to change positions and not be an easy target. This did not prevent Aero from attacking her, because sometimes when he dodged the projectiles, he would propel himself forward, attacking with one of his front hooves.
Although every time he did, Gleaming Shield created a light blue barrier with her magic, protecting herself from damage, and then teleporting to a safe distance.
Some of the royal guards managed to emerge from the trance of the battle and began to analyze the situation.
"The captain can't hit him?"
"It's a stallion! How come he isn't scared to death in a duel?"
"Even with his size... his movements are fast. How does he do that?"
"Whenever the captain tries to grab him with her magic, he teleports first."
"Just who is this stallion?"
Gleaming Shield had to stop for a moment. For several minutes she was attacking her opponent, while at the same time she was defending herself from his occasional attacks.
She needed to rest for a moment. She even was sweating a bit.
"(How could he dodge all that? Despite his size, he moves very fast.)" the captain was trying to understand how the battle had not ended yet.
"If attacking me with magic alone is your plan, then I advise you to surrender." said Aero. Unlike his opponent, he seemed to be in perfect condition. Apparently dodging all those attacks didn't affect him much. "All you've done is attack me with magic and avoid my few attacks. If you continue with this, you will end up completely exhausted."
Despite his words, the captain apparently does not want to give up, as she is still focused on him, and has not let her guard down. To make things worse, she can clearly see that Aero doesn't look exhausted.
"If you're not going to give up, I'm afraid I have no choice but to defeat you."
When he said that, some of the guards who were watching the fight resisted giggling.
However, there was a very subtle change in Aero's eyes.
It was something that only Celestia, Luna, Sunset, and Gleaming Shield were able to notice.
Aero began to walk slowly, but suddenly, he disappeared.
Before Gleaming Shield could wonder where he went, she felt a heavy blow to her left side. Aero's front hoof had enough force to lift her off the ground and move her a couple of meters. If it weren't for her good balance, the captain would have fallen to the ground.
The pain was immediate, and it was making the captain uncomfortable.
"(How did he-)"
Gleaming couldn't even finish what she was thinking, seeing that Aero was already firing a magic projectile. The instant she saw it, she could tell that it was larger than the ones she shot. Aero didn't want to give her a chance to attack again, while the captain knew she needed a moment to think about her next move.
The projectile was coming fast, so Gleaming had no choice but to force her magic a bit and create a barrier faster. She also made it a bit bigger to have room to move.
Aero's projectile collided with the light blue barrier, and the impact was so strong that it managed to leave a subtle crack. Gleaming noticed it, and she didn't like it at all.
Sadly, that distracted her enough that she didn't notice that Aero disappeared again.
And when she did... it was too late.
Because Aero reappeared right next to her, inside the barrier.
She didn't have enough time to react.
Aero used his body to lunge at her. Gleaming was not only hit by Aero's body but also by her own barrier when she crashed on it. The mixture of both impacts caused the captain to deactivate her magic and fall to the ground, tired and in pain.
Several seconds passed in which silence took over the place, Except for the captain's groans of pain.
Nopony seemed to react. Not the assembled guards, nor the Elements of Harmony or Sunset Shimmer. Nopony could believe it.
Celestia and Luna, on the other hoof, weren't surprised.
They were thrilled.
When was the last time they saw a stallion fight? Show his strength? His skill and tactics? What they were seeing right now is something that has not been seen in centuries.
"Captain Gleaming Shield can no longer continue! The winner is Aero!" declared Princess Luna, and even with her words, not all of the guards reacted.
Hearing that he won, Aero focused on Gleaming Shield, and activated his magic. A silver aura enveloped the captain and gently began to lift her up. Understanding the situation, Gleaming respectfully accepted the help.
"Are you okay?" asked the winner.
"A little sore, but I'll be fine." was the captain's answer. "It was a complete defeat, but I consider it an honor that you took it seriously."
"Even if you are under pressure, try to make your barriers as small as possible." said Aero. "If there is more space inside, any enemy with the ability to teleport will take advantage of that and you will be exposed to a direct attack. Larger barriers are more useful when you want to protect a group, or a building from damage."
"I'll keep that in mind. " said the captain, giving a simple smile.
"Alright, everypony. That's enough."
Princess Celestia's voice caught everypony's attention. some guards hadn't even realized she was there.
"I am sure you have enjoyed this extraordinary event, but I am afraid that you all need to get back to work. After all, the day has just begun."
All the assembled guards began to leave the training ground. But they all left with a slight blush on their faces, as they witnessed something that in today's society is impossible.
A strong and reliable stallion.
"Wow... you are full of surprises, handsome." Sunset Shimmer approached Aero. Even she had a slight blush on her face. Her gaze indicated a mixture of surprise and respect. "This is the first time I've seen a stallion fight a mare. Actually, this is the first time I've seen a stallion fight at all."
"So in this Equestria the stallions are cowards. This just gets better and better..." said Aero, clearly disheartened upon hearing Sunset's information.
Aero's words caught everypony in the place off-guard. Even Gleaming Shield, who was still there was surprised to hear it.
"Aero. Luna. Both of you owe me an explanation." said the Princess of the day, although she was not angry. "Especially you, Aero. When Sunset told us that you weren't in your room, we thought you had disappeared. All the castle staff was looking for you."
"I just came here to train before the reunion. I didn't know that everypony would panic." said Aero. "I was here for over an hour. Then Gleaming Shield came along. We argued, then Princess Luna appeared and I asked her permission to have a duel."
This surprised the captain again. How could she forget that? Even Aero told her! That means Aero fought with a slight disadvantage!
"And why did you want to fight my sister?" asked Twilight, a bit angry. The other Elements were still a bit shocked.
"She was the one who didn't leave me alone. I tried to talk to her, but she insisted with that nonsense about me needing a mare to babysit me." answered the stallion, somewhat irritated.
"I have a proposition." said Princess Celestia. "I know you all have questions, but Aero has yet to eat breakfast. Once he's done, we'll head to the throne room. After all, the reason for this meeting is to discuss Aero's situation."
With everypony agreeing, the group consisting of the Princesses, the Elements of Harmony, Sunset Shimmer, Gleaming Shield, and Aero left the place.
Now I feel this chapter was slow. At least this motivates me to write more chapters and avoid being part of all the '2-3 chapters' forgotten RGRE stories.
I want to thank you all for enjoying the story so far. Any typos that need fixing, don't hesitate to tell me (I can't stress this enough: My English is far from perfect).
I have a cover now! 
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Dammit Pinkie, I'm already looking forward to the next chapter and I don't need you adding fuel to the fire.
I was hoping he would beat Gleaming a bit more, she just came off so cringey. Or just humiliate her, both are nice.
Haven't read the new chapter yet, but glad to see Luna was before a time where stallions were more equals. Also, love that cover art!
You are referring to Gleaming Shield as a he btw
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love this fantastic story.
It is so rare that a RGRE has both a plot and a main character that isn't childishly pissy about being treated like a girl.
Yours is different because your hero is an adult and reacts like an adult would. It's very nice to see different personality types in the RGRE.
As for your English, it's not perfect, but it's much better than you think. You have one or two minor issues here and there in the story, but it's not distracting at all. I think you're doing very well.
The Monk
“If you can't awe them with knowledge, baffle 'em with bullshit.” -Guardsman_Sparky
10707769
Not to be rude, but it would help if you show me where
Now I have to look for every word with her name or 'captain'
Ok I think you fixed them all
10707787
The 'he' there is referring to Aero.
Very nice. Kicked some ass, gave some advice, and didn't even need to use his wind magic. I wonder if he'll get to eat before he gets sent back to ponyville.
Is there a difference?
What can he even do with it?
What’s the difference between an elemental mission and a normal mission?
I would love to debate this, but I’m not a psychologist.
What about earth and pegasus battle rules?
Wait, how can you teleport faster than someone?
Thanks for the heads up.
Light blue?
Keep it going
RGRE Fluttershy Chapter IV
RGRE Shining Armor Chapter VI
Little plot hole that I noticed
10707996
Is it?
Believe me, there's a reason the Alternate Universe tag is there. And yes. I know I'm basically telling both Shining Armor and Gleaming Shield exist here
10708019
Ahh thank you for the clarification
Nice
10707897
> Wait, how can you teleport faster than someone?
You can do it faster as in less time to cast the spell
~~~~
> the captain was trying to understand how the battle has not ended yet.
'had not ended yet'. Also, the paragraph after the next one ends with a " that shouldn't be there.
I like the story. The tenses keep jumping around, which is a little distracting. Do you normally speak French or another language in which narrative is usually done in present tense rather than past?
Great chapter
10708104
Which questions were you answering?
10707897
I think its that old "book smarts vs. street smarts" parallel. Twilight spent most of her time studying and practicing spells in a lab or library. Meanwhile, Sunset divulged more of her time perfecting her magic while serving the crown: performing duties as a royal mage, going on missions, helping the staff, etc.
It's all about the execution of the spell. You know how in Dragonball Z Goku needs to concentrate in order to use Instant Transmission. Here, its the same thing. Twilight, Aero, and other unicorns/alicorns need to focus in order to properly use teleportation. However, unlike Goku's Instant Transmission, teleportation isn't instant. It takes time to go from point A to point B, not a lot of time to be sure, but still a brief second or two of time is spent to make the trip. My guess, is that Aero is able to either reduce the amount of time needed to focus, reduce the travel time, or both.
Twilight's older sibling is a mare in this universe instead of a stallion. If her gender is different, who's to say that the color of her magic field isn't different as well?
10708150
Wow, that’s actually a good example and explanation.
Wait, really? I mean, I haven’t watched the show in a long time.
But, does their magic have something to do with their genders?
10708104
Thanks! I'll fix those two.
As for your question, nope. I don't know a thing about french. I'm from Chile. I speak Spanish (not the one from Spain. Ours is kinda different since it's Latin American Spanish.)
10708158
There are a few factors. Some characters even ignore these factors
You should check out the Mlp wiki in the unicorn and magic sections.
10708158
I wasn't basing it off of the canon episodes, but looking into context clues from this chapter alone.
While you wouldn't think gender would be an issue (and it probably isn't), it hasn't been proven that its not. And even if it isn't, keep in mind that it is still a different Equestria, one where a bunch of things are different: stallions are weak and helpless, Sunset never left Equestria for the mirror/human world, Twilight isn't an alicorn, and Shining is a mare. Honestly, her magic changing colors isn't that big of a stretch at this point.
His cannons bring all the mares to the yard and they're like, it's better than yours....
It's too bad Gleaming wasn't briefed when returning. She would have thrown herself at Aero a little differently then. 😜
I liked the little wall break there by Pinkie Pie, I think I have a pretty good idea where the next few chapters will take us, great chapter overall.
As for typos, I either didn’t see any or they were spotted already, though I did miss one last chapter when it was revealed that a stallion (Aero) defeated two guards:
Missing “a”
10708163
Really? Like who?
I actually have, but I don’t think it said anything about genders determining the color.
10708169
Ohh. My mistake. But, we haven’t seen many ponies that can teleport. So, how can you get all that from this one chapter?
That’s true, but then what else has changed? Is discord now a female and the god of order?
10708229
I don’t. The teleporting part I did get from the show. After seeing Twilight and Starlight do it enough times, you sort of pick up on a few things.
And I imagine we will see what other differences there are in later chapters. The only other difference I can see is that there is no version (at least no yet) of Aero to work in the palace and befriend Luna. Since no one recognizes him, or his cutie mark, his counterpart is either a mare in this world, dead, or a helpless stallion like all the rest.
10708311
Ohh. Because, I thought you said you we’re using context clues from only the chapter.
I’m gonna have to go with the mare part. Although he’s not impossible to beat with a little strategizing, he would still be hard to kill. And if he was like the rest of the stallions somepony would have recognized him.
Hmm... I wonder what Cadance from Equis 1 would do if the two Equestrias were to ever have tourism opened between them...
10708340
When I said I was using context clues, I was referring to Twilight’s studies and Sunset’s experiences and why their different.
And not necessarily. First, he may not have died from murder. He could have been in an accident, gotten sick, etc. As for not recognizing him, if he has a counterpart in this Equestria, and if his counterpart is a male, then like all the other stallions, he’d be helpless and weak. As a result, he wouldn’t be a Royal Guard like Aero, and would have neither the courage, nor the opportunity to meet with the princesses or Twilight and her friends.
10708388
Ohh. I thought you were talking about teleportation.
Well, what about the other citizens? Wouldn’t they recognize him?
¿Porqué no?
I'm sorry, it's just that the little opening exclamation sign does not belong there (in English).
....or does it?
Great story.
i wonder if they find a way for him to go back to his equestria will the mares of this world let him
I really like this fic, it's amazing.
I can't wait for the rest of the elements to learn more about Aero. 
So far so good, bt the mares are laying it on THICK. Of course stallions native to the realm are not going to improve with that attitude
10708412
They still might. Don’t forget, as soon as he arrived in Canterlot, he went straight to the palace. Any pony that might have recognized him may have missed him. And this is assuming his hometown is Canterlot. We don’t know where Aero was born and grew up, yet.
10708628
Oh yea.
Aero is a male isn’t he? So wouldn’t it be his soon to be opponent?
Now Gleaning Shield is a stallion?
10708822
I knew this portion was wrong! Thanks, I'll fix it now.
10708125
> Wait, how can you teleport faster than someone?
10709167
Was that the only question you were answering?
gleaming is a she
10709428
Shit, How did I miss so many of those :(
10709239
In that comment, in the first part addressed to you, which only addressed that one question, yes. Oddly, it appears that the author had a different answer.
10709557
Really?
Fucking awesome
Hey this is really good the story is great the fight in this chapter was good keep it up I'm excited for more chapters
I'm firing up for the next chapter I wish we got to see use wind abilities in the training ground