• Published 30th Dec 2022
  • 508 Views, 15 Comments

The Quiet Kid: Sicut Vult - aegishailstorm



"The only right is what is after my constitution; the only wrong is what is against it." -'Self Reliance', 1841

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In the Spirit of Flanders Field

The Quiet Kid began his walk back to Ponyville under the afternoon sun. After his first visit to the rotting Castle of the Two Sister's nearly a year and a half ago, he had discovered that there was a far more convenient pathway which led to it. It was poorly maintained. But it was still less dangerous and tiresome than the Everfree forest. Even if he occasionally had to contend with other travelers. Which wasn't a problem given who he was. Most of the time, he could walk the roads with impunity. He made his way parallel to the Everfree forest, humming the chorus of, " The Ballad of Paladin" From the old TV show 'Have Gun Will Travel' As he went along.

Singing wasn't necessarily a hobby of his. With the exception of a few times here and there. Some of which he regretted more than others. He wasn't even that good at is, and honestly couldn't care less. The mistakes had been made, even if at the time he hadn't thought of them as mistakes. Besides, most of them weren't, 'mistakes' in the traditional sense. Just little pieces of history which bothered him a slight bit. William had more important things to think about for the time being.

"Actually. For the first time since my arrival, I don't have anything to worry about. There are no villains, no malignant magical forces, no bumbling bureaucrats, not even that strange social anxiety of mine which pops up from time to time. Damn. Oh well... I'm pretty sure I'll find something to worry about. It just run's in the family. "



He paused for a moment to think. But began walking again after a few cycles of the thin digital hand of his watch had gone by.


William could hear birds chirping off in the distance. The sun's glow was slowly beginning to paint the landscape with an orange tint. The dirt he was kicking up smelled faintly of ozone and rotting tree leaves. The fact that he still had family back on earth had almost slipped his mind. His parents were good, they both worked good jobs and were nice people, and at the rate time was going by, his annoying brother was probably just beginning to stumble his way through the lower levels of high school by now. That was pretty much all.



His excuse for suddenly disappearing from collage was that he had, " Taken up a career in northern Alaska." And left it at that. That also reminded him that he was just about overdue for a visit back to his home planet. But that idea would have to go in his proverbial, "Mental filling cabinet." He was beginning to see glimpses of the distant Castle of Friendship. The star at the top glimmered in the sunlight. Though no matter how many times he looked at it, there was just something that magical crystal tower that unnerved him. He couldn't shake it. And very name of it made him feel odd. He was never able to figure out why.

"I've probably just read too many Orwellian novels. I mean, it's not like Celestia 'll turn into Big Brother."


William's gaze shifted to the even more distant Mount Canterhorn and the towers which made up the royal castle. But found himself laughing. " Hah! Yeah, I was right. That's a load of shite, that's something Pinkie would do." He clutched his armor clad stomach in pain as a result of the laughter.


He was perfectly aware of the fact that he was laughing alone, in a place where there was no one to hear him laugh for almost a mile in all directions.

"Have gun will travel reads the card of a man... A night without armor in a savage land..."


"Who are you singing to?" William nearly jumped out of his OCP pattern camouflage at the voice of his next door neighbor, Crimson Starwatcher. A wolf-pegasus hybrid with a little to much curiosity and snoopiness in William's opinion. She descended from the sky above with a semi-amused look on her face.

" I wasn't aware that I was singing out loud. I thought I was humming. Things blend together when you're alone. And why should you care? No, I'm serious. That wasn't supposed to be antagonistic, I was asking a actual question." She landed on all fours.

"Oh, whatever. Where are you going?" William shrugged, and fiddled with the sling of his rifle. " Follow me, we'll talk on the way into town." She raised an eyebrow. " Quick question, where have you been all day?"

"There's a castle in the Everfree forest, just southwest of Ponyville. You should ask one of Twilight's friends about it some time. They've got quite a few stories to tell. And so do I, though, I'm usually too busy or just to lazy to tell them to others." William waved her along and began to walk northward with the western sun shining in his eyes. Crimson turned to him.

"Would you mind telling them to me?" She asked. William couldn't help but chuckle. " Well, you've lived some of it. Hey, remember that time I blew up that random field north of Ponyville?"

"Gee let me think. Hey, you haven't been back there yet, have you? Fluttershy and a few earthponies did a pretty good job repairing the damage you caused." William sighed and tipped his hat down to keep the sun out of his eyes. He took his sunglasses off and stuffed them into one of the pockets of his vest. He let them settle right next to one of the 2 spare magazines of 5.56 caliber M855A1 armor piercing ammunition which he almost always carried around with him when he left the house.

"That thing sure seems useful." William looked down at his vest for a few moments more than he was planning to because of the comment. "Damn right it is. In the words of one of my personal heroes; 'the food chain was altered forever the moment the first human picked up a rock and a stick." She didn't respond. The wolf pony just stared on ahead. With only her ears angled towards him.

"You know, Nightmare Night's coming up soon. You oughta watch yourself around this forest." William laughed. " There isn't a damn thing in these woods that I haven't fought and beaten several times over!" The mare laughed.

" Are you sure about that?" She asked smugly. William raised one of his eyebrows and laughed. "Damn right I am-!!!" He instinctively doubled back as a bright blue flash suddenly filled his forward field of view. He recognized it almost instantly.

"Gahh!!! Damnit Joey!"

The alicorn had teleported in right in front of him. This was an action which William would normally have been fine with. Except for the fact that he had appeared a mere 8 inches from his face. Far to close for comfort. The stallion dropped to the ground and looked around at Crimson and William. "What? Was my teleport to-" They both nodded. The alicorn sighed and hung his head.

"What do I know? One day I save your life from your own bomb, the next you're off like nothing happened." William dropped his brow and smiled. "One, it wasn't technically nuclear. Two, I thanked you for saving me. Many times, you just turned into a road hazard all of a sudden." Crimson looked from human to alicorn and then back again. She wanted to get back into the conversation. She just didn't know how now that they had started arguing amongst themselves.

"So... What was that about sticks and stones?" They both turned to the wolf pony. " Nevermind." William responded dryly. " You two can tag along if you want. I don't have any reason to stop you." The 3 began walking again. But as they got closer to town, William's pace quickened to a slight jog. Crimson and Joey did the same. The pair kept up with William until they had reached Ponyville's northern limits.

"Hey! Where are you going!?" Joey called, bounding forward ahead of William just as the human reached the top of a short hill. He paused when he saw where they were.


"It sure look's nice, doesn't it?" William gestured to the vast meadow below. Just a little while ago it had been a smoking crater. And now, it was nice field of red poppy flowers.

"It looks pretty amazing. Fluttershy and the earth ponies did a good job fixing your mess." William looked over at his friend and rolled his eyes. " Sure, remind me again, how do you like your body parts arranged? Yeah. That's what I thought. It would have all gone away had I not stopped Tirek and Cozy Glow, how they were vaporized by the blast I have no idea." He sat down cross legged and looked off into the distance, towards Canterlot."

"Tell me Joey, are you familiar with the TV show,' Yellowstone'?" The alicorn sat down a few feet off to the side. "I recognize the name, but that's all." Crimson sat down next to the pair. "What is it now?" She questioned.

"Oh, I was just about to tell Joey here a story. Do you wanna stay and hear it?" She looked around, both her's and Joey's ears swiveled to a small rock outcropping nearby. Crimson began to growl. "We're being watched." She whispered to Willam.

"Nobody move." He mouthed, slowly reaching for his rifle. In a flash, he turned his gun on the outcropping.


"What?" A voice replied from within the outcropping. It was Chrysalis. " I was just listening in on your conversation. Where's the harm in that?" The rock flared with a green flame for a moment. Leaving only Chrysalis behind. Joey stared at the changeling in amazement. " You can turn into a rock?" She nodded. " Yes, and that's not the only thing." There was another flash of light. And when it faded, there was a second alicorn with white fur and a blue mane standing in front of the three. Chrysalis laughed and transformed back.

"I... Don't really know what to think of that." He responded as his ears dropped slightly. William clapped his hands together. " Alright, are the interruptions over, good." They all scooted closer to him.

"Yellowstone, is a TV show- Story." He corrected himself. Chrysalis and Crimson Starwatcher couldn't have known what a TV, or the internet was. " About a human cattle rancher and his family that lived in the northern part of my home country. A wild region called 'Montana'. The rancher's name... Was John Dutton. Look at Applejack and Sweet Apple acres as an example. They raised cows for a living. But that's about where the similarities ended. You see, there were quite a few people that wanted what his family had. That being his ranch. Now, you see. This John Dutton was a very stubborn man, that farm of his had been in his family for over a long, long time. And he wasn't about to give it up. And so, he, his family, his friends, and those in his employ fought tooth and nail to defend their way of life. Some of their methods were more questionable than others. But, they were fighting for something worth fighting for, not just their ranch, or their money, or even their family and friends. They were fighting to keep their way of life. And, in the end, they won. Sorta. Nothing's ever simple where I'm from."

Chrysalis glanced at him with skepticism. "So what, you're something like this John Dutton character?" William nodded as he reached into a pocket and pulled a little bag of rock salt from it. He unzipped it and began snacking away on a piece.

"Not quite, but close enough. This world is, as Rainbow Dash would put it. This place is awesome. It oughta stay that. That should be all the explanation you 3 need." He placed the bag back into his pocket and stood up. " Who want's to eat out? I'm feeling generous this afternoon."

"Good idea, usual place?" Joey asked him. William answered with a nod. " Are y'all good with burgers?" Crimson and Chrysalis nodded in agreement. "Sure, I am alright with that. It sounds a little... Rustic, but, I am alright with that." Joey lit his horn, before anyone could raise any concerns, the 4 of them teleported away.

They did not, in fact, end up at William's dinner of choice, they ended up in mid air, just above the straw roof of one of Ponyville's many residential homes. The alicorn, wolf pony, and changeling all caught themselves with their wings by instinct. That left the one human, William. By the time Joey realized his mistake, William had gone crashing through the roof of the home below. The alicorn gave the other two a nervous shrug as William cursed at the top of his lungs below.


All of a sudden, his warranted fit of rage ended. And was instead supplanted with, "Oh, hello there Lyra. Sorry about the roof, wanna join us for dinner? My friends are up there somewhere. No, no, I don't know how it happened, but I've got a few theories!!!" The alicorn winced. " Opps?" He still hadn't fully gotten the hang of teleportation.