N’Zoth’s Chosen

by Dracthul

Chapter 5: An Empire of Crystal

Author's Note:

It took me a while to get this chapter out since I’m on vacation. I hope to do some more writing soon. Best case scenario is that I pump out chapter after chapter for a little while. We’ll see how it goes.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the new chapter, and feedback is appreciated!

Tinnidas laid in his bed, contemplating the past few weeks he had been staying in Ponyville as his mind wandered. Each week was almost identical to the others in that he would stay cooped up within Twilight’s library and only choose to go outside every now and then. They were also similar in that any time he actually did go out, the ponies would be afraid of him. There were hardly any that would not cower from his presence—and most of them were Twilight and her closest friends.

In short, he had grown tired of seeing the ponies recoil from the sight of him. There was little he could do to change their opinion of him, but he still tried. He spoke at a town meeting, but that went horribly considering the number of ponies that thought he had gathered them into a trap so he could “feast upon them.” He helped repair a wall on a damaged building, but seeing him use a hammer so vigorously made them fear him more.

Their fear of him ultimately came down to him appearing like a predator. He was enormous compared to them, and whenever he flashed a smile, they could see his sharp “fangs.” He could not change how his body looked, and his armor was too important to simply give up. He was still new to Equestria and had no idea what horrors could be held within it.

Tinnidas sighed, sitting up and looking out from the window. Based on where the sun was, he guessed it was noon—which also meant Twilight would be back any minute. He slumped back into the bed, unconcerned about the inevitable scolding he would get from her for staying in bed so long. He hoped to avoid ponies as best as possible due to his current mood. The last thing he wanted was to get more looks from them when he already felt down.

Just as he predicted, he heard the front door open, listening to it creak as it did. The shuffle of hooves on the wooden floor downstairs and the locking of the front door told him Twilight was back from her errands. She went up the stairs, seeming to already know where he was. He shuffled to get to his feet, the door to his room opening before he could. Twilight’s purple head peered in, spotting him half on the bed and half off, his eyes still heavy.

“Just getting up?” she asked, pretty sure she knew the answer.

“No,” Tinnidas croaked, his voice still hoarse from just waking up.

“What did Applejack tell you about honesty?”

With a sigh, he got up from the bed, looking down at her.

“Honesty’s the best policy,” he mumbled, a most unpleasant look on his face.

“And Fluttershy?” she demanded with a raised eyebrow.

“Spread kindness like confetti,” he said, a little clearer that time as his eyes bounced around the room, half expecting Pinkie Pie to explode out of the closet. He had grown to fear that mare and her supernatural arrivals.

He leaned back and sat on the bed, preparing for whatever he could tell she was about to ask.

“Now, tell me why you’re still in bed at noon.” And there it was.

She went over to him, taking a seat next to him.

“I’ve seen this becoming a habit with you, and it worries me.”

“I want to go home,” he said flat out. “No offense to you or the princesses, but I wish to return to my world. I need to find out who I am if I ever hope to be normal again.”

“I don’t really know what to tell you,” she responded. “The one thing I do know is that the princesses will be coming by sometime soon to tell you how their search for a way to send you home has been going.”

“I hope they have good news because the ponies here don’t like me, and I’m doubting that they ever will,” he said, standing back up and stretching.

“You’re wearing your new clothes,” Twilight pointed out after seeing the purple shirt covering what was usually hidden by his chainmail.

“Yes. They are quite comfortable,” he replied.

“Have you tried wearing those instead of your armor?”

“Already did,” he dully said. “That’s why I’ve been in a worse mood these past few days. The first thing I did when I got them was go outside.”

“I'm guessing it didn’t help?” Twilight asked, fielding the question she knew the answer to.

“Not at all.”

“I promise the ponies will warm up to you. You just need to give them—”

“Time?” Tinnidas finished for her. “Your words and promises don’t seem to be making me feel much better, do they?”

“No…” she answered, lowering her head a tad. “I’m sorry.” She put a hoof on his back, saying, “Let’s just see what the princesses say.”

---

The long awaited day had come for the princesses to visit Ponyville and inform Twilight and Tinnidas of the progress in their research. Tinnidas had been anxious the entire day, eagerly awaiting their arrival. He had spent hours staring out his window as he looked for the princesses or a chariot in the sky, but he found nothing. He eventually decided to go outside and wait at the library entrance for them, but his plans were foiled when Twilight forced him to go inside and wait like a “civilized pony.”

So he waited in the library, deciding to read a book until they arrived. When choosing a book, he looked for something of actual value, coming across a history book. While it looked like it was made for children, or foals as he had come to learn, he read it, hoping to learn something of the world he was in. He did learn some basic things about the earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi, and he also learned about the windigos that once roamed free over Equestria. The last thing he read was about Princess Celestia having to banish Princess Luna to the moon for a thousand years, which he imagined was not as easy as the book made it sound. He would have continued reading the entire thing, but there were oddly some pages missing from it.

His thoughts of history vanished when he heard the front door ring, indicating the princesses’ arrival. He quickly rose from his bed, rushing to get downstairs. Twilight beat him to it, opening the door and saying hello to the princesses. Tinnidas straightened his purple silk shirt with his hands, making sure he looked presentable. He also tried to smooth his pants before stepping down from the steps as the princesses came in. He went over to Twilight, giving the princesses a welcoming smile.

“How have you been, Tinnidas?” Princess Celestia asked with an equally warm smile as she and her sister went over to the nearby table.

“I’ve been… holding up,” he replied, not going into the details of how he had actually been. He took a seat at the table, Twilight doing the same.

“Well, I truly hope you are doing well,” she said. “I know you would probably like us to get to the point of our coming here, so we won’t waste any more of your time.”

“Thank you,” he responded.

“Since your arrival,” Princess Luna began, “we have been trying to find a way to return you to Azeroth, and we even employed some… questionable help to do so, but we’re afraid we haven’t found a way to send you back.”

“What?” he lifelessly said, barely comprehending what they had said. Twilight looked at him, sensing the sadness that was quickly washing over him.

“To make things worse,” Princess Luna continued, “we learned it would be more difficult to send you home than we had first thought.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked, noticing Tinnidas’s blank stare.

“We first thought sending him home would be like doing a teleportation spell, just a lot more powerful,” Princess Celestia said, “but we were wrong. We think that Azeroth is part of our dimension, just a different planet. The easiest way to send him home would require something to hone in on Azeroth.”

“Could you use something like his armor?”

“I’m afraid not, Twilight. We would need something with a magical connection with the world to send him back. His armor may have Azeroth’s magic, but it is only tied to itself. That’s not to mention the pure amount of power it would take to complete the spell to send him back.”

“And how much would that be?” she hesitantly adked.

“Without a link to Azeroth, we estimate it would take more energy than my sister and I combined…”

“W-what?” Twilight sputtered. “How? How is that even possible?”

“I do not know. All I do know is that—”

“I’m not going home,” Tinnidas faintly whispered, finally breaking his silence. Everyone looked at him, seeing his wet eyes and the small tear running down his face.

“We tried our best, but we don’t have a way to send you back,” Princess Celestia said, trying to comfort him.

“I appreciate all your help,” he said back, wiping his face of shame.

“I’m sorry we could not help you more,” she responded with a saddened expression.

“Thank you anyway,” he sighed. “I guess I need to face the fact that I will be staying here a lot longer.”

Princess Luna said, “We were hoping to give this to you as a parting gift, but we think it fitting to give it to you now.” Something appeared in the room with a flash of her horn, held up by her magical grasp. Tinnidas looked up, seeing the golden chestplate she was floating in the air. It looked almost identical to the armor he was wearing, with only a slight difference in details. It had the same shine as his armor did, maybe better even. She slowly lowered it down to the table, letting Tinnidas look at it better. It looked like it fit him perfectly, making him wonder how they even knew what size to make it.

Seemingly knowing what he was about to ask, Princess Luna told him, “Rarity gave us the measurements.”

“I’m thankful for your gift,” he said, “I truly am, but it will not help me here. The truth is that almost every pony I’ve met, or even seen, has been afraid of me. They see my alien nature and think I’m some sort of monster, and my armor only makes it worse.”

The princesses were shocked by what he had said, yet it did not seem entirely unexpected. While Tinnidas had previously made it sound as if things were normal—as normal as they could be—they both knew their subjects could be abundantly fearful at times.

“If it’s any consolation,” Princess Celestia began, “Princess Cadance of the Crystal Empire has personally invited you to join her at the Equestria Games.”

Tinnidas simply put his head down on the table, running his fingers through his hair. “The Equestria Games?” he asked, his voice partially muffled by the table.

“Indeed,” Princess Luna replied with a nod.

“And, pray tell, how would that offer me any solace?”

“Since you asked,” she began, “the Equestria Games are a set of athletic challenges that ponies from all over Equestria come to in order to compete. Medals are given to those who place in their event, and the city with the most medals at the end of The Games wins.”

“And this year,” Princess Celestia took over, “the Equestria Games are being held in the Crystal Empire.”

“The… Crystal Empire?” Tinnidas asked, his head rising from the table.

“Princess Cadance rules over the Crystal Empire, and she invited you to join her, as well as me, my sister, and Twilight, for The Games. I’m sure you’re wondering how the Crystal Empire could be any different from here, right?”

“I am.”

“The Crystal Empire was hidden from the rest of Equestria in a sort of stasis for a very long time, so its citizens are a little… out of touch with society. They still celebrate customs of old and would find somepony wearing armor and walking around with a sword far less terrifying than most ponies in Equestria—and I think it would be the perfect change of scenery you need.”

Tinnidas sighed. “I suppose I can go—” He pointed a finger at Princess Celestia. “—but don’t think I’m going to give my hopes up.”

“All I ask is that you give it a chance,” she responded. “I hope to see you there.”

“As do I,” Princess Luna added with a smile.

After a moment, Twilight said, “Thank you both for coming by.”

“Of course,” Princess Celestia returned. “I didn’t want to pass up on the opportunity to see my favorite former student.”

Twilight smiled, heading over to the door and opening it before waving both princesses goodbye. They waved back, going a few steps away from the library before spreading their wings and going into the air. Twilight closed the door and turned around, staring at the man still sitting at the table with a heavy look.

“Oh, Tinnidas,” she softly said, going over and taking a seat next to him. “I promise you’ll like this; I just know it.”

“As I told the royal sisters,” he dully whispered, “I’m not giving my hopes up.”

---

Tinnidas’s boots clicked on the ground as he walked down the halls of Canterlot Castle alongside Twilight, fully adorned in his armor—including his newest piece. When he glanced at the numerous guards lined along the hall he now walked across, he could see the fear even the Royal Guard had of him. Of all the ponies in Equestria, the Royal Guards were supposed to be the most steadfast, and yet they sweat when they saw him merely walking near them. He did his best to ignore their stares and instead turned his attention to the two alicorns waiting at the end of the hall. He put on a smile as he and Twilight reached them.

“My sister and I will ride in one chariot, and you two will ride in the other.” Princess Celestia pointed to the two golden chariots behind her. Tinnidas looked at the immaculate things, seeing the gems encrusted on their outside as he and Twilight got into the same chariot. The royal sisters got in the other, looking back at them.

“Are you ready?” Twilight whispered to Tinnidas.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” he answered, Twilight then nodding to the other princesses. With that, Princess Celestia told the eight pegasi, four leading each chariot, that they were ready to leave. All eight sets of wings opened in sync, Tinnidas gripping onto the railing of the chariot as the pegasi lifted it into the air. With a few powerful beats, they were all on their way to the Crystal Empire.

Tinnidas looked down on the countryside as they flew across the vast land of Equestria. While its size held no comparison to Azeroth, its land was beautiful. Everything seemed rich with life, and everyone seemed to live happily. If only Azeroth could be the same way…

He noticed the air getting colder as they continued their trip, and he first attributed it to nothing, but he started feeling his body getting number as time went on.

“Why’s it so cold?”

“We’re in Northern Equestria,” Twilight answered him. “It tends to get pretty chilly up here. It’s only going to get colder when we reach the Crystal Mountains, but it’ll be over soon.”

Tinnidas huffed, crossing his arms against his chest to keep himself warm. “I don’t look forward to meeting this Princess Cadance,” he said, still looking out over the land below him.

“Why not?” Twilight squeaked, putting a hoof on his back. He turned to face her.

“I don’t want to meet another princess strong enough to kill me, especially when most ponies view me as a monster.”

“Don’t worry, Cadance wouldn’t hurt you when The Games are going on; it’d be too risky.”

Tinnidas gulped hard.

“I’m joking,” she chuckled after seeing his distraught face.

He turned back away. “That’s not funny.”

Twilight regained her posture as her laughter died down. “But no, you don’t have anything to worry about. Cadance is amazing, and I’ve known her since she was my foalsitter.”

“Foalsitter?” he asked before realizing what she meant. “Oh, yes. You must know her well then.”

“I do. She used to be my foalsitter, but now she’s my sister-in-law. Plus, we’re both princesses!”

“Sister-in-law? So she’s married?”

“Yep, and to my brother, Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard.”

“You never told me you had a brother,” he said, looking at her again. “And Captain of the Royal Guard no less.”

“I guess it never came up,” she said while putting a hoof to her chin. “Well, you get to meet him then! I think he’ll like you.”

He whispered under his breath, “If he’s anything like the other Royal Guards, I doubt it.”

He felt the chariot begin to rise as they reached the Crystal Mountains. He felt the tiny flakes of snow in the air land on him as they went higher. They soon reached the top of the mountains, finding a large, flat area of snow. Other mountains were in the distance, but the chariot headed towards the cloud-covered ground. Tinnidas squinted his eyes, barely seeing a giant crystal spire jutting into the sky. The chariot slowed as they quickly went down to the ground, breaking through the cloud barrier and revealing the Crystal Empire.

Tinnidas’s jaw dropped as he saw an entire city made of crystal. The exuberant sparkle of the crystal nearly blinded him as he looked down at one of the most magnificent things he had ever seen. At the center of The Empire was the crystal spire, which turned out to be an entire castle. The main roads extended outward from the castle, forming a snowflake pattern on the ground that went throughout the entire city. As they got closer to the ground, he could make out a number of small shops and houses, ponies out and about everywhere. He could also see the massive stadium where he guessed the Equestria Games would be held.

The chariot slowed before landing just outside the castle. Tinnidas let Twilight exit the chariot first, taking a second to look around again. He stepped down from the chariot, his boots touching the hard crystal beneath him. To his surprise, the ground made a distinct chime that only crystal could when he walked.

The blaring of trumpets drew his attention to the castle. He spotted an entourage of guards, whose fur was literally sparkling, playing high notes from their instruments. The line of guards parted, revealing two ponies. The first was a stallion who looked like one of the other guards except for his purple armor, somewhat larger size, and non-sparkling body, and the other was an alicorn who Tinnidas guessed was Princess Cadance. She was only slightly larger than the stallion next to her, and she seemed almost the same size as Princess Luna. As she got closer, Tinnidas could make out more of her defining features.

Her coat was bright pink, slightly lighter than Pinkie Pie’s, and her mane had purple, pink, and yellow stripes. She was thinner than any other pony he had seen, despite her being larger than most. Her regalia was not as grandeur as the royal sisters’, but it still made her look stunning. Golden horseshoes covered her hooves, and a thin gold band went across her chest. The most important piece was the crown atop her head, a purple gem at its top.

The two ponies, along with a few guards, came up to Tinnidas and Twilight, who had the royal sisters at their side. Tinnidas saw Princess Cadance’s crystalline heart Cutie Mark, as well as the stallion’s that was very similar to Twilight’s.

“Welcome back to the Crystal Empire!” Princess Cadance’s smooth voice called to all of them. Tinnidas put on the best smile he could, trying to appear happy.

“It is a pleasure to see you again,” Princess Celestia said, her sister giving a nod as well.

Twilight went up to Princess Cadance, a massive smile on both of their faces. She suddenly bent down, the other princess doing the same.

“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake,” they both said in unison. “Clap your hooves”—they hit their hooves together—“and do a little shake!” They ended their chant by spinning around and shaking their flanks, something Tinnidas found two princesses doing to be quite odd. He knew Twilight to be a more common-acting royal and wondered if this new one was as well.

“Oh, Shining Armor!” Twilight chirped, wrapping the stallion next to Princess Cadance into a hug. Tinnidas realized that the stallion was her brother and the Captain of the Royal Guard.

Twilight stepped back after a moment, Princess Cadance and Shining Armor turning their attention to Tinnidas. He kept his smile as they both went up to him.

“And you must be Tinnidas,” Princess Cadance said with a welcoming smile. “I am Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, but most ponies shorten it to Princess Cadance.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Princess Cadance,” he replied. He was about to instinctively put out a hand, stopping himself before he did. He opted for a simple bow before returning to his full height.

“This is my husband, Shining Armor,” she said, gesturing to the stallion beside her. “He helps me rule over the Crystal Empire when he can.”

“A pleasure to meet you as well, sir,” Tinnidas said in a voice he recognized as his old soldier voice. He also found himself saluting the Captain of the Royal Guard out of muscle memory.

“While I’ve never seen that type of salute before, it’s good to see somepony with proper form,” Shining Armor complimented. Tinnidas felt his body relax after hearing what the stallion said.

“Please,” Princess Cadance said, “follow us inside the castle.”

Tinnidas started walking again, staying by Twilight’s side as he leaned down to whisper in her ear with a chuckle, “I’m still not giving my hopes up.” She chuckled back, trying to stifle her laughter as they continued walking.

The castle had a unique design to it, one that Tinnidas found most peculiar. The bottom of the castle was open except for the four legs upon which the castle rested. There was also a floating, blue, crystalline heart that was suspended in the air by two spikes. Tinnidas guessed some kind of magic held the heart in place.

The castle was built more like a raised hut than a castle, but it gave it a lavish look. Each of the legs of the castle had two doors that went inside, and he found himself headed toward one of the sets of doors. The guards at the doors opened them, letting the princesses and Tinnidas in. Upon entering, he saw two sets of stairs that went in opposite directions, both leading upwards to the main part of the castle. They went up the stairs, circling around to reach the first floor of the castle.

Like almost everything Tinnidas had seen in The Empire, the floor was made of crystal. A large table sat at the center of the room. There were bookshelves along some of the walls, as well as chairs and small tables for someone to relax. Princess Cadance led everyone to the large table, telling them to take a seat. Tinnidas pulled out a chair for Twilight, taking a seat next to her. He noticed just how shiny the table was, finding not a speck of dirt upon it.

“I’m sure you’re wondering why I invited you to The Games, Tinnidas,” Princess Cadance said aloud. “I’ve heard about your more medieval aspects, and the Crystal Ponies come from a time one thousand years in the past. I also heard you might be stuck here for a while, so I thought this might show you that you can fit in.”

“Well, I’ve found your empire rather charming so far. Hopefully, the ponies here can be equally so.”

“I also have to confess,” she continued, “I really wanted to meet you. You are unlike anypony we’ve ever had in The Empire before.”

“I also look forward to getting to know you,” Tinnidas returned with a smile.

“I really think you’ll enjoy the Equestria Games, and I hope you’ll get some fun out of it.” Wiggling an eyebrow, she said, “Maybe you’ll even want to compete.”

He chuckled, finding the princess far more friendly than he had expected. “Probably not, I’m afraid—but I do thank you for the offer.”

“We assume we shall be joining you during The Games?” Princess Luna asked Princess Cadance.

“Of course. I do want Tinnidas by my side, however.”

That got a gasp from everyone in the room, including Tinnidas himself.

“Are you sure?” Shining Armor questioned. “No offense to you, Tinnidas, but we just barely met you. To have a near-stranger by the Princess of the Crystal Empire would be dangerous.”

“I can handle my own, Shiny,” Princess Cadance hummed. “You don’t have anything to worry about.”

“I assure you,” Tinnidas said, laying a hand over his heart, “your wife will be safe.” That seemed to be all Shining Armor needed, because he laid back in his chair with a nod.

Princess Cadance stood up. “Now that that’s all settled, we should get ready for your friends to arrive, Twilight. Everypony else, we’ll see you at The Games.”

With that, everyone split into different groups, Twilight saying goodbye to the royal sisters as they left. Shining Armor left to oversee the preparations for The Games, leaving Twilight, Princess Cadance, and Tinnidas alone.

“Spike should be arriving any minute.” Princess Cadance started towards the stairs. “Let’s go outside to greet him.”

“Spike?” Tinnidas inquired.

“You’ll see,” she ambiguously answered, trotting ahead.

Shrugging his shoulders, he decided to follow the two mares back underneath the castle. The three sat there for a moment, the floating heart catching his eye again.

“So what’s this thing?” Tinnidas asked, pointing to the shiny heart.

“That’s the Crystal Heart,” Princess Cadance answered. “It keeps the Crystal Ponies happy and protects us from the harsh weather outside The Empire.”

Tinnidas could tell a lie when he heard one, and he could tell the princess was lying. He could tell from just how cheery and high her voice suddenly became, giving it right away. Seeing as how he did not want to offend her, he decided to let it go—but not without taking notice. As he heard the sound of approaching hoofsteps, he turned his head, spotting two guards carrying Spike in a chair.

The poor dragon seemed frightened, and when the guards ran up to them, letting him down. he instead fell out of the chair, flopping onto the ground.

“Spike!” Twilight called. “Are you alright?

“A thousand pardons, O Great and Honorable Spike the Brave and Glorious,” one of the Crystal Guards apologized.

Pulling himself from the ground, Spike scratched his head before asking, “Huh? Who the what now?”

“Thanks for bringing Spike to us,” Princess Cadance told the guards, who turned around and trotted away. She wrapped a hoof around him before he could walk away. “It's okay, Spike. We'll have our hoofponies go back for your bags.”

“Uh,” Spike said as they started to head towards the castle doors, “can they hang back a second and tell me what's going on first?”

Spike soon found himself lying on a couch, getting fed gems while a pony fanned him.

“So the ponies here think I'm some kind of hero, huh?” He looked up at the mare feeding him gems. “More of the green ones, please? I like the green ones.”

“Last time you were here,” Twilight started, “you got the Crystal Heart to Princess Cadance in time to save this entire empire from destruction!”

Princess Cadance explained to Tinnidas, “That was when the Crystal Empire first appeared. We needed the Crystal Heart to protect us from the stuff outside The Empire.”

She turned back to Spike. “You are known throughout my empire as ‘Great and Honorable Spike the Brave and Glorious.’”

“Isn't that awesome?” Twilight exclaimed, walking over to the small balcony next to her. Spike got up from his couch, going over to the balcony. “You're a big shot here, Spike! See that?” She pointed down at a crystal sculpture of him holding the Crystal Heart. “That's you!”

“Wow,” Tinnidas said to himself as he looked down at the pristine sculpture. He had no idea that Spike was famous in the Crystal Empire. But to be fair, he did not know much about the Crystal Empire at all.

“This is why we all hope you do us the honor of lighting the torch at the opening ceremony,” Princess Cadance said. “You'd be the very first dragon in the history of the Equestria Games to do so.”

“Of course I'll do it! And—bonus—I can do it with my fire breath!” Spike let out a small stream of green fire, accidentally charring the leaf a stallion was fanning him with. He laughed nervously.

“Rest up, you three! I’ll see you tomorrow at The Games!”

---

Tinnidas tidied up his armor, making sure it was spotless. Looking in the mirror, he carefully drew his sword, inspecting it. Seeing a speck of dirt, he took a small, white cloth and rubbed it off. He angled his blade around some more, happy to find the rest of it clean. He put it back in its sheath, setting the cloth down on the dresser in front of him. Looking up at the clock on the wall, he realized it was time to go. He drank the glass of water next to him, setting it back down before heading for the door. He unlocked it and then went out into the hall.

Closing the door behind him, he looked down the hall, spotting Twilight coming out of her room at the same time. She instantly spotted him, waiting for him to reach her. She started along the purple-ish pink carpet on the floor, Tinnidas walking next to her.

“Are you ready to watch the Equestria Games for the first time?”

“I suppose,” he replied. “I am a fan of competition. This will likely be no different. I’m not too excited about facing more ponies, though.”

“I know they haven’t been too nice to you in the past, but the Crystal Empire has been gone for a thousand years. The ponies here would still think you aren’t a pony, but you’d fit in with their culture. They’re still trying to get used to the modern world.”

“As am I. The fact you have so many luxuries is astounding.”

They went down the stairs that exited the castle, finding themselves feeling the crisp air. Twilight led the way, taking him through the streets of The Empire. Tinnidas walked tall, having given his hopes up—despite his intentions not to. He hoped this place would be different, hopefully, more accepting of him.

As he went through the streets, the Crystal Ponies instantly spotted his hulking form, but they did not recoil like he was afraid they would. No, they instead smiled—however awkward it was—and gave him a wave. He smiled back, nodding his head to say hello. Tinnidas’s steps became more confident, giving him the boost in attitude he needed. The Crystal Ponies actually seemed to tolerate him. Their princess even seemed to like him. Maybe the princesses were right; maybe the Crystal Empire would be a good place for him.

The two exited the city streets, a massive stadium coming into view. It was built in the shape of a hexagon that resembled a gemstone and was at least a hundred feet high. As far as stadiums go, it was the largest Tinnidas had ever seen. There were ponies everywhere, all of them waiting in line to get into the stadium. He could see some with crystal coats while others had normal ones. He also saw some ponies that looked more like the traditional horses he knew from Azeroth. All of them had come to the Crystal Empire to watch the Equestria Games.

“I guess this is a pretty popular event,” Tinnidas whispered to Twilight.

“Ponies come from all over Equestria to watch. The Games last a few days, and almost every city in Equestria competes to get the most medals. I’ll be rooting for Ponyville, and I think we have a pretty good shot at winning the whole thing this year!”

“They’ll have my support as well then,” he told her.

Twilight looked up at him, smiling. He returned the look before looking back ahead, entering through an archway into a separate entrance into the stadium. Two Crystal Guards were waiting, both moving out of the way for them. As Twilight and Tinnidas went past, the two guards turned, closing the entrance after they went through. They went down a dimly-lit hallway, the end of the hall diverging into two paths.

“Princess Cadance should be waiting for you down the right path,” Twilight told Tinnidas.

“Are you not coming?” he asked.

“My seat’s on the left side, but I’ll still be near you.”

“Alright. I’ll see you soon then.” He waved her goodbye, watching as she went to the left, disappearing out of his sight. Tinnidas started down the right side, finding the hallway even darker than the last. The hallway was also very quiet, the only sound being the metal clicking of his boots. He saw a faint light at the end of the hall, spotting a set of stairs there. He kept on walking, excited to talk more with Princess Cadance.

That thought disappeared from his mind as he heard the sound of magic activating. He whipped his head around, his reaction too slow to stop the magic flying at him. It connected directly with his neck, throwing him through the air against a wall, pinning him. Two Royal Guards stepped out from the shadows, watching him struggle against their magical grip.

“We’ve got our eyes on you,” one of them hissed, taking one step closer to him.

“You best leave the princesses unharmed.” The other guard thrust his spear forward, stopping it right at Tinnidas’s throat. “Or else we’ll make sure you never get the chance to again.”

“Do you understand?” the first guard snarled.

Tinnidas nodded, trying to get air into his lungs. The guards’ horns deactivated, their spell stopping. He dropped to the ground, barely catching himself from slamming his head on the stone floor. He gagged, getting much-needed oxygen as he coughed. Eyes red, he looked down the hall at the two guards who walked away snickering, feeling rage flow through him. He balled one hand into a fist, the other reaching behind his back for his sword. He gripped the handle, slowly starting to pull it from its sheath. His eyes narrowed as he stared down his prey, about to—He stopped himself, not knowing what he was thinking.

Getting hold of himself, he carefully lowered his sword back into its sheath before standing up. He rubbed his neck, watching the two guards leave the hall. He shook his head, feeling it throb. He laughed at himself, finding it funny that he believed things were perfect, even for a moment.

“All good things must come to an end… I guess.”

He took a minute to collect himself before continuing down the hall. He found his posture again, plastering on a smile as he ascended the stairs. He started to hear the roar of thousands of ponies cheering. The sound got louder and louder as he got closer to the top of the stairs, finally hearing it clearly as he reached the last step. He looked down, seeing the large field beneath all the seats. Just like the stadium, the field was shaped like a gemstone.

He turned his head, seeing Twilight and the royal sisters sitting in majestic chairs that had their Cutie Marks at the top. He spotted Princess Cadance, making his way over to her. She saw him approaching, smiling as she gestured towards the chair next to her. While it was not as splendid as hers, it looked rather comfortable. He squeezed through the undersized rows of seats to get to her, taking his place in the seat beside her. She turned her body to face him, leaning over one of her legrests to look at him.

“What took you so long?” she asked. “I thought you and Twilight came here together?”

“We did. I just took an extra minute before heading up here,” he answered, not mentioning his encounter with the guards.

“Well, I’m glad you came.”

The sound of trumpets rang through the air, everyone turning their attention to the field.

“Ooh!” The crowd cheered loudly, waving their flags around. “The ceremony is about to start!” she said to him.

“Now,” Shining Armor shouted from the field, “please welcome the delegation from Ponyville!”

Tinnidas watched as two fillies put up a circular hoop with the banner of Ponyville on it. Another filly burst through the hoop while riding a scooter, Rainbow Dash flying out past her. Fluttershy came out, and then a large, bulky stallion came after her. A grey mare with a blonde mane came out last as some of the crowd roared for their town. Tinnidas could see Twilight cheering just as much as her friends, chuckling as he watched her display.

The filly on the scooter put Ponyville’s flag into the ground next to the others, scooting away to join the rest of the delegation. More trumpets rang as Princess Cadance leaned toward Tinnidas again.

“Spike’s about to light the torch.”

“I forgot to ask what the torch actually is,” Tinnidas said back to her.

“The Equestrian Torch is lit each time The Games is held to begin the competition. I wanted Spike to do it for us this year.”

Tinnidas looked down at the grandeur torch that looked more like an arcane artifact, watching as Spike slowly climbed the ladder to the top of the torch. The crowd quiet, Tinnidas watched the tiny dragon rear back, but he did not see any fire come out of the dragon’s mouth. Tinnidas leaned forward, squinting his eyes to see better.

“What’s wrong?” Princess Cadance asked aloud.

“I think he can’t light the torch,” he whispered to her. “Something must be wrong with his fire breath.” For what seemed like eternity, Spike stood at the top of the ladder, trying to light the torch.

She turned to one of the nearby guards, saying, “Somepony go down and help him!”

Tinnidas recognized the guard to be one of the ones who attacked him in the hall. He felt anger flood through him again as his face contorted into a look of hatred, but he took a deep breath and slowly calmed himself. He looked back down at poor Spike, watching him struggle. Then, the torch instantly burst into flames, and the crowd cheered once again.

“Let The Games…” Shining Armor shouted to everyone, “begin!”

Tinnidas turned to the princess. She leaned her head down to hear him.

“I know I have a reputation of being a dangerous monster,” he started, “but I want you to know that you’re not in any danger.”

“You don’t have to prove anything to me, Tinnidas,” she kindly whispered back. “Your reputation doesn’t matter to me, only what you do.”

“Why, thank you, Princess Cadance,” Tinnidas said, genuinely smiling.

“Please,” she said, “call me Cadance.”

“Thank you, Cadance,” he repeated, saying just her name that time.

Tinnidas looked back down at the field where ponies gathered as they got into positions. A fence had been set up along the field, and ponies had started putting on armor. Shining Armor stood atop a platform, a formation of guards behind him. With the blast of some of their trumpets, the stadium listened to him.

“As always, the first event shall be jousting!” he shouted, the crowd anxious to watch. “In the first round, we have Flintlock from Appleloosa going against Sir Hoofington of Canterlot.” The two ponies grabbed their lances from their helpers and started trotting over to the fence.

“My bet would be on Sir Hoofington.”

Tinnidas rubbed his chin as he looked down at the two ponies. One seemed bulkier than the other, but he knew that was not always an indicator of who was stronger. He also knew jousting required precision, not just muscle.

“My money’s on Flintlock,” he told Cadance after a moment.

“Really?” she asked in shock. “Sir Hoofington’s been the champion for the past three years, and he’s the favorite to win. You think Flintlock has a chance to win?”

“Indeed I do. He may look thin and old, but I know a fighter when I see one.”

“I guess we’ll see then,” she finished with, leaning forward in her seat as she looked down at the two ponies getting into stance. The stadium went silent as everyone waited for the horn that would start the joust to blow. Sir Hoofington wore an arrogant smile as if he knew he was going to win. Flintlock, on the other hand, had a focused expression as he stared down his opponent. He ground his hoof into the ground as he found purchase. His eyes narrowed in on Hoofington’s chest as he took a deep breath.

The blaring sound of the horn went through the air, both Hoofington and Flintlock shooting into action. The earth ponies charged toward one another, lifting their lances to aim. Tinnidas watched in suspense as the two ponies came within striking distance. Hoofington kept his aim, his lance headed towards Flintlock’s chest. Flintlock slowed his charge, causing Hoofington’s strike to go in front of him. Flintlock then pushed his own lance the last of the way, slamming into Hoofington’s face guard. The reigning champion stumbled back, his legs giving out as he collapsed to the ground, his lance bouncing on the dirt. Flintlock slowed, prancing the rest of the way to the other end of the track as he heard the crowd cheer for him. He removed his helmet, giving it to his helper.

“Wha… H-how?” Cadance sputtered, dumbfounded by what she had just witnessed.

Tinnidas snickered, finding the princess’s face quite amusing. Seeing her jaw hanging open as she sat with wide eyes brought a smile to his face.

“I told you,” he practically sang.

The two laughed together for a while before they kept watching the competition for the rest of the day, commenting about everything happening. From the outside, it would look like the two had known each other for years, but that was far from the truth. The events went on for hours until Shining Armor gave the guards a signal to blow the day's closing notes.

“Thank you all for coming to the first day of the Equestria Games! Tomorrow will open with fencing.” He then delivered one last message to the crowd. “Have a great rest of your day!”

Tinnidas stood up from his chair, Cadance doing so as well. He walked with her as they exited the stadium, thinking the entire time. Once they got outside, he stopped, Cadance stopping as well.

“Do you think I could fence in The Games tomorrow?”

“You want to join one of the events?”

“Yep,” he answered with a nod.

“I know you wear armor and all,” she said, “but are you sure you want to compete with some of the greatest fencers in Equestria? I said you might want to compete, but I didn’t mean something so dangerous.”

“Trust me, I know what I’m doing,” he answered her.

“If you say so,” she whispered, continuing their walk. They both reached the castle, which was where they would go separate ways.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then?” he asked, actually looking forward to spending more time with the princess.

“Of course,” she happily replied. “I wouldn’t want to miss your performance.”

“Well, I’ll see you then. Have a great night, and tell Shining Armor I wish him my best.

“I will,” she finished. She started toward one of the sets of doors, waving Tinnidas goodnight. He waved back, watching her go out of sight. He quickly went inside and to his room, surprised not to find Twilight. Despite it still being somewhat early in the night, he decided he would get some rest. Besides, he would need it the next day when he showed Cadance just how skilled he could be with a sword.

As he laid down in his bed, his mind wandered back to the two guards who assaulted him. They were fools to meddle with something much more dangerous than them…