Chapter 5 - Rogue No More
Chapter 5: "Rogue No More"
Okay, Twilight. The first step in problem solving: Identify the Problem.
A quick look around confirmed that they were indeed surrounded by at least two dozen Royal and Lunar Guards led by a very angry Rainbow Dash and Princess Luna. At least a third were Unicorns with charged horns. Yep, that's a problem!
Now, Step Two: Analyze the Problem.
Uh... Yeah. She or Janus moves, they attack. See? That was easy!
Step Three: Identify Possible Solutions.
Fight? Not likely. Twilight will have to pull on her inherit magic to fight, and that would cause more than enough serious injury or death than she would like. She only held out for so long against Princess Luna because she was being driven to go all the way by the brainwashing - she was actively trying to kill the Princess - but now is a different story. These guards, on the other hoof, were only following orders and thus didn't need nor deserve to die. Thus, fighting was out of the question.
Flee? They were quite surrounded, and the Princess no doubt had magic prepared for such an eventuality. Plus, Rainbow Dash was the fastest Pegasus in Equestria and had the trophies and awards to prove it. Twilight herself had seen the mare in action, thus it was not to be disputed. That meant that running was also was out of the question.
Talk? Might work, but the Princess was obviously in a very agitated state, and might believe that Janus had done something to her to make her talk in his defense. Rainbow was also a tough nut to crack. Being the Bearer of the Element of Loyalty meant she was loyal to Equestria and her friends and nothing could be said to change that.
Now, on to Step Four: Choose the best solution and implement it.
Twilight cleared her throat. "Ahem. Good morning, Princess."
"TWILIGHT SPARKLE, PLEASE STEP ASIDE SO THAT WE MAY TAKE YOU INTO PROTECTIVE CUSTODY... AGAIN..."
She winced at the response. "Um... Yeah. I do suppose you are aware I am currently unwilling to acquiescence to your demands?
The Lunar Princess scowled. "WE ARE MORE THAN AWARE YOU ARE NOT IN YOUR PROPER MENTAL STATE. STALLION - THOU WILL RELEASE OUR FRIEND FORTHWITH OR THOU SHALT FEEL OUR WRATH!"
Rainbow and the guards began pawing at the ground, eager to charge.
Before Twilight could reply, Janus appeared to look down, considering his next words, before he took a determined step forward. His hoof hit the ground hard, determined to make a stand, head held high, charging his horn with his soft silvery glow.
"My wife is already free to choose where she goes and whom she goes with!"
Even the wind stopped at that proclamation.
Both Luna and Twilight stood there with blank looks, the gears turning in their minds as they tried to comprehend just what Janus had said. Twilight was the first to respond, taking the moment to blink, double-checking the results of her study of his words before comprehension finally hit: "Janus! What in Tartarus?!" She hissed to him quietly.
"Consider that my proposal." He whispered back as an aside to her, still glaring daggers at the Princess. "You can accept later, once we're not threatened with being vaporized by an angry Goddess."
The Goddess in question, however, couldn't even form a word for another full minute before she understood. It still took a few seconds more for the connection between her brain and mouth was finally re-established. "You-You-Wife?-But-" (apparently, it was trial-by-error to fix the link) "-THY DARE! HOW DARE THOU CLAIM HER AS A MATE!"
The morning sun was blocked out by clouds, the sky darkening as a result of the Demi-Goddess' anger. Lightning flashed, immediately followed by the ear-splitting crack of thunder that tore the canopy off the trees in the forest. Janus pushed Twilight back, barely clearing the lightning bolt that struck the ground between him and the seriously pissed off Alicorn.
"YOU ARE AN ARROGANT FOOL TO THINK THAT THOU CAN STAND BEFORE US AND MAKE SUCH A CLAIM!"
Wind tore through the newly made clearing, yet Janus stood fast before Luna, his body positioned to shield Twilight. The mare, however, peered around him wide-eyed in fear. She couldn't dare fight against Luna! The power required would harm Janus and the guards! Maybe even kill them! What was Janus thinking?!
Still, she had to try something to prevent this fight! Her daughter needed both her parents, after all!
Okay, Step Five: Review and Correct...
"Sorry, Luna..." Twilight pushed her magic into overdrive, leaping atop Janus and latching on with her forehooves as her mind's eye focused on the clearing she awoke in just eight weeks ago. Her magic soon released, a teleportation spell sending them deeper into the Everfree forest.
"AFTER THEM!" Luna's angry yell followed them through the trees.
"I guess that's our cue to RUN FOR OUR LIVES!" Janus recovered, bolting in a random direction, quickly followed by the metal-on-wood sound of several Pegasi Guards led by the rainbow-maned Lieutenant in hot pursuit.
"You cannot out-run Rainbow, Janus!" Twilight warned, still clinging to his back.
"In a straight-run, of course. So we don't go straight!" He made a sharp left turn around a large tree, then quickly jinked back to the right, forcing the Pegasi to slow down
Rainbow's teeth-grinding could be heard over the panting and pounding hearts of the two Unicorns.
'She's actually smarter... need to congratulate her on that.' Twilight thought as the Lieutenant pulled sharply upward, flying over the treetops, and shooting out ahead of the two fleeing ponies.
Janus slid to a halt, avoiding the plunging mare whom slammed into the ground not five paces in front of them.
"End of the line, scum!" She snarled. "Now give me my friend back!"
"Rainbow, this isn't what it looks like!" Twilight tried to plead as Janus set her down.
The mare snorted, pawing at the ground.
"Stay back, Twilight..." Janus gently pushed her back, eyes-locked on the challenger. "I may be a year behind, but I could probably still take you, Lieutenant..."
"Try me."
"I had awoken from my bed, to see a friend returned from the dead. And a battle about to ignite, so tell me, what is the reason for this fight?"
For the second time that morning, everything just stopped.
Heads turned to the side to find a Zebra mare standing in the front door of her little home, turquoise eyes mirroring the look of confusion on her face, head canted to the side.
"Zecora!" Twilight smiled and bolted over to her friend, grasping her in a tight hug. "I'm so glad to see you!"
"And to you as well, my friend, who I am glad to see has not met her end." The zebra returned the hug, then looked back at Rainbow and Janus. "So why the fight? Might does not make right."
"Its a big misunderstanding. One blown completely out of proportion, mistakes and assumptions..." Twilight shook her head.
"For this fight to truly be over, perhaps explanations are in order?"
"If it were only so easy..." The purple mare rolled her eyes. "Janus is the father of my daughter, Moonlight." She pointed to him with a hoof. "... whom Luna thinks is being mind-controlled and wants to put me under a spell. But all he did was escape the moon by pouncing Luna." She shrugged. "He thought she was Nightmare Moon and was only looking for me to ensure me and our daughter were all right. Now Luna has sent Rainbow Dash, whom thinks he is mind-controlling me, to capture him."
Zercora nodded, listening.
"Everything's spinning out of control, everypony's blaming everypony else for mistakes that I made on my own!" She held her head, mane coming undone as she yelled in frustration, "CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG!?"
Zecora patted her on the back motherly, before walking into the clearing, looking up at Rainbow. "To escape the moon, a ride he did take. Attacking the Princess, a simple mistake. You did not know him, as you were not there there, but for Twilight and Moonlight, he does seem to care."
The Rainbow frowned at her old friend, looking down at the ground, before eying the Zebra. "How can we be sure." She growled, still refusing to lower her guard for the moment. "All he has done is proven that he is a danger to our friend." She glared at Janus who glared daggers right back. "You've been stalking her for days now!" She shot forward, pressing her nose to his, her cerise eyes staring deep into his powder blue ones. "You're obviously a spy!"
"I am Janus Key, former Lieutenant in the Germane Guard, father of Moonlight Sparkle, and former Prisoner of Nightmare Moon." He snarled, pressing his nose to R.D.'s and even pushing her back slightly. "So lay off, rookie, and let's let your boss do the talking." His horn glowed again and the Pegasus was snatched from the air by her tail and unceremoniously levitated over to be dropped to the ground in front of the arriving Guards and Princess Luna.
"You're also a bit temper-happy, Janus." Twilight said from where she sat beside Zecora.
"A year of being tortured will do that to you, Twi." He rolled his eyes. "You're so lucky you can't remember it."
"I want to."
"No, you shouldn't."
"It's why I sought you out! Out of everything that's happened to me, my friends losing me, my life being taken away, a foal forced upon me... you even called me that!"
He blinked. "Called you what?"
"You called me 'Twi'. Only close friends and my brother call me that!"
He blushed. "... oh..."
"We really were that close, weren't we?"
He lowered his head and nodded sadly. "... yeah... yeah, we were..."
"That's what I want to remember! Not what the Nightmare did to me, I want to remember what we had." She suddenly spun on Luna. "... and I won't let you take him away until I get the answers I want! The answers I need! If not just for me, then for Moonlight!"
The moon Princess staggered back at her friend's tone.
"He is not a threat! He is not mind-controlling me! He simply wanted to be sure I and our daughter were safe. Now you are going to escort us back to Sweet Apple Acres so I can feed my daughter, and she can meet her daddy." She was practically yelling now. "Then we are going to sit down, have a nice dinner among friends, and we can get back to having our lives put together. Is that clear?!"
"My friend indeed, you must remember to breathe." Zecora stepped up and placed a hoof on her shoulder. "While your anger is most deserved, continuing this course is most assuredly absurd. Perhaps some tea, and we let them be?"
Twilight stared at the ground while the Zebra gently caressed her back, running a gentle, reassuring hoof along her spine. It took several moments for the anger to fade away and she nodded. "... yeah, I'm sorry Zecora... this is just, these last couple of months have been pure hell. I haven't even seen my parents yet!" Her eyes went wide and she looked up at Luna. "Do they even know about Moonlight?"
Luna nodded. "They do. We were going to bring them this week..." She shot a glance at Janus. "... until a certain stallion sucker-punched me..."
He eye-rolled in response. "... never gonna hear the last of that..."
"No, you're not." Twilight pointed her hoof at him. "Apologize."
He blinked at her in surprise.
"Now," she commanded.
He sighed. "Yes, Ma'am." Immediately Rainbow let out a sound slightly reminiscent of a whip cracking. He spared only a brief glare at her before he turned to Princess Luna and said, "I'm sorry, Your Majesty."
"Your apology... as much as I dislike it... is accepted." She leaned close, glaring hatred at him. "But keep in mind, stallion, we will be watching you closely!"
"Like I have a choice?" He glared right back. The two mere inches apart, staring into each other's eyes.
Twilight pulled Janus back before they could get into another verbal spar that might end up into an actual physical confrontation. "Hey, now. You two quit it. Now... let's go home, okay?"
There was still silence as the two sides continued their stare-down.
"I said..." Twilight spoke louder, her voice a threatening tone.
"Yeah, yeah..." Rainbow huffed. "We heard you, Twi..."
"As the neutral one here, I offer to be near."
"Sure, Zecora." Twilight smiled.
"Yeah, welcome aboard the crazy train." Rainbow rolled her eyes.
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Woo new chapter
I have to say, I didn't think that Luna would go from "KILL KILL KILL" to "as much as I dislike it" so quickly.
Woot! Update!!! :D
This chapter was well worth the wait because the tense situation was solved so beautifully and believably
Crazy Train?
Great update
2272591
Well, what's she going to do? Twilight's not having any of the 'Kill Kill Kill', and Zecora's there as a witness should she decide to attack without provocation, which is probably illegal. If it were only Rainbow and the other Guards, they're all on her payroll and unlikely to turn on her.
Also, since Zecora is one of the only Zebras in Equestria, it would be a bureaucratic nightmare dealing with the aftermath. A pony goes missing, a few take notice. A Zebra goes missing, everyone takes notice. And the more ponies who take notice, the more likely they're going to smell a rat. *looks at one of Fluttershy's pet rats* No offense. *The rat shrugs, and scampers off*
YES! YEEEEEEEEEESSSS!! Sweet Celestia, it's been so long I forgot about this story.
But by Luna's sparkly mane, did you have to update at midnight? I wanted to get some sleep!
MOAR!
This is glorious.
Egghead.
Twilight would NEVER say ain't!
And then they went off the rails.
Two hundred ponies died.
Twilight = Slave driver, Janus= Slave
Kwooo-che! Get to work! Good slave.
You know, for being a former member of the Guard he has absolutely no respect for higher authority. Considering he's trying to bad mouth an easily angered princess that can vaporize him or send him right back to the moon speaks levels on it and his intelligence. If he really wanted this to work, he would learn to know how to keep his mouth shut.
2273301 Well, a guard is trained to threaten those threatening the ones he has to protect, otherwise he wouldn't be taken seriously. He has to do it, even if the "enemy" is an Alicorn Princess.
2273301 Not sure if you havnt noticed but heres the score.
-Tortured for a prolonged time
-Fatherly instincts telling him to kick ass and protect his family
-Fact he has been tortured by a corrupted Princess of Equestria Nightmare Moon someone high up in rank even though she wasnt Luna was still a part of her at a time
-Right when he was gonna talk with his beloved they show up.
that has a nasty habit of making somone very spitful and angry at those in his way of his goal, and Rainbow Dash herself is much the same way he is. Loyal but free willed. Hopfuly that clears up things.
sorry if it sounded like a rant 
please dont be upset 
Rouge stallion updated. I don't even care what happens today, I'm good. So much happy right now.
a very awsome update indeed , had me in stitches, laughing at the back and forth banter.
2273393
Tortured how exactly? Different types of torture lead to different results. Besides, now that he's no longer being tortured he should be more thankful for his life.
If his 'fatherly instincts' were working, they would be telling him not to anger a being that could render his foal fatherless. The best way to protect one's young is to avoid conflict, not actively seek it.
Nightmare Moon was never a princess. She's a spirit that inhibited the body of a princess but that does not make her a princess
He should've realized that raising a ton of suspicion would've resulted in something like what had occurred. If he truly was a guard, then his training should've made him known this.
He's being irrational and that is very dangerous
2273472 Not the sharpist tool i nthe shed are you? sorry ot offend but realy? Let me put out the reasoning I can see.
- Why the hell would he trust Luna? who is the orginator of Nightmare Moon. and kidna having her rage at him doesnt help matters at all. he knew she was plannign to do harm to him no matter what for jumping her and dunking her guards like school children.
- "Nightmare Moon was never a princess. She's a spirit that inhibited the body of a princess but that does not make her a princess" realy? that doesnt matter Nightmare Moon and Luna were the same pony at one point Nightmare just took over Luna when she was more powerful. Still has no point whether she was a princess or not she was Lunaand Luna a ruler of Eqeatria with her sister.
and agai ndoesnt matter, look back when he first got to the castle 1st chapteri think, and see what he thought with his LIMMITED INFORMATION!
- LIMMITED INFORMATION...needi say more than this... he was trapped by Nightmare Moon he didnt have a defenent information loop.
- Uhh you do know he had to in order to GET THEH FUCK OUT OF THE CASTLE. he had no chocie but to fight his way out.. there were guards between him and his exit.
- We dont know what kind of torture all we realy know is that he's been torture by Nightmare moon (at worse in my mind some beatigns harsh words and god awful smell.)
- Irrational? he was compeletly rational he knew he couldnt fight her so he had to run, and with Twilight's help he thought they could get away long enough to have their chat at the very least. Besides you tey thinking of the best move in that highly explosive situation.
Sorry to have had insutled you, but to be honest everythign he did had some explination behind it some form of reasoning. reread the chapters abit your'll see what i mean. I hope this helps you enjoy the story alittle better, we all know this story deserves to be given praise.
wow that was long.
2272725 I could swear I see Octavia in there playing and Vinyl actually staying awake through the performance.
2273595 Some of the torture if not most of it WAS physical torture, look back to either the end chapter of Broken Mare or first chapter of this series, where Nightmare actually physically beat him. Twilight escaped about.... let's say a month prior. Nightmare, although lacking the power to return to Equestria again, would still be imprisoned on the moon in her palace there. One of the first things, at least if I remember right, was that she beat Janus harshly. Knowing Twi escaped, he grinned at it. I would imagine that he suffered the same punishment for at least a week, maybe two.
Also, my ideas of the torture he was going through while imprisoned for almost a year with Twilight :
Physical abuse to keep his body weak,
mental abuse in watching Twilight being possessed by Nightmare a few times
He's just as much a victim of sexual abuse as Twilight was. I'm sure that he was still unwilling to mate with Twilight while they were both captive, and they both said that the best parts of the whole ordeal, was when they were alone, truely alone without Nightmare's interference.
He didn't break, granted, but all the torture drove him harder to try to escape and make it back to Twilight to make sure she and the foal is ok. I'm pretty sure that being military, IF Captured by the enemy, give no information other than name, rank, and number, and try to escape when you get the chance.
At any rate, chapter's great
MORE
You're a good reader
"I'm a good reader."
You need to read more.
"I need to read more."
2273595
Who said anything about trusting Luna? Sure he had been held prisoner but his first instinct is to lash out at the being who has been holding him for a while with little to no effort? There is a little thing called sneaking and using distractions.
If Nightmare Moon and Luna were one in the same then it would've died the moment they were separated by the Elements since Nightmare no longer possessed her host or they would've been sent back to the moon. Instead, she went into hiding when it was purged and planned. It had its own intelligence.
Since he wasn't 'in the loop' then he definitely shouldn't be going around picking fights. If he wants everyone to calm down and stop lashing out, then he needs to do the same. You don't win battles by rushing in and attack wildly, you get what information you can and then make your move.
Stealth, distraction, and patience. Attacking everyone who comes into his sights is a horrible idea, no matter what has happened to you recently. That should be doubled considering he was tortured and imprisoned on the moon.
You're just repeating the words I just said, only using different phrasing. It was Nightmare Moon, I'm sure she had something worse than simple beatings and word play. Plus, do you honestly think she would use their own bodily odor as a form of torture? That's just incredibly stupid.
If he was being rational he wouldn't have attacked something that slightly resembled Nightmare Moon because it probably had the same amount of power as she did, meaning quick defeat. The fact that the author allowed the guy to beat Luna, even in a surprise attack, is just weird. And what makes you think they could run? Twilight Sparkle, the most famous unicorn in Equestria since Star Swirl the Bearded, plus a foal. They would not have gotten away.
Also, if you want to try and insult my intelligence, make sure you can actually spell correctly and write full sentences.
Well, now maybe we can stop this start of the story (which I liked) and get to the shipping between "the rogue stallion" and Twilight. I like the dynamic going on between them.
----------
Semicolon should be a colon.
Recurring problem here. You often capitalize strange words as if you're making them into Proper Nouns. Like so.
Semicolon should be a period.
A couple of people mentioned this already, but this is Twilight. I really doubt that she would say "ain't".
Semicolon should be a comma.
I don't understand the interrobang. In what way is this a question?
That's a said tag. Period should be a comma and the "She" should not be capitalized.
Semicolon should be a comma.
These are two dependent clauses. Probably the easiest fix is to add a "were" between "two" and "mere". Also, "other's"
Wrong one. Should be "Hey" unless you want it to be analogous to "Hell, now."
2275071 I dont know how to realy respond to you anymore part of me wants to make my point but the rest of me thinks its a waest of time to make it to you so, EH fine whatever lets drop it.
and yes the body order torture joke is A JOKE while it is a effective torture to people like me its not a torture i think NMM would use.
2273727 thanks for clearing that up!
YAYZ!!!
they finaly listen to her 
great now i have to wait another 3 months for an update
Awesome. A new chapter!
And it was a good one at that. As a whole, the story has great pacing.
Now to crawl back into my hole and come out in another four months for the next chapter.
I hope the new chapter comes more faster. I'm really hooked to this story now!
Linear regression is not fun. You have sympathies.
Really, having to type out numbers in the hundred billions range and more using a bloody calculator can make anyone hate statistics with a passion...
You mean "losing", not "loosing".
Luna might be justifiably mad for being knocked good upside the head, but she really should have known that the Nightmare couldn't have given Twilight a foal and so there must have been a stallion involved. Such a stallion might or might not have gone along willingly. In any case, said Stallion would potentially have a reason to hate/dislike someone who is and/or looks like NMM.
Math the eternal enemy of Mankind, i hope it get´s better for you
first time commenting on your story (since i just found it
) , and i have to say i love it, i love both of them, like some had said before, Janus fits so well in the story and by this chapter they make such a cute and awkward couple 
sadly i´m all filled with feels and sad because i want to see the first time the family would be all together 
oh well this universe is worth the wait 
random proposal at the verge/prospect of death?
yep i like Janus style 
There are fictions that I truly enjoy reading, and then there are fictions that I truly enjoy reading because they ignite my emotional candle. You, author, have written an intricate emotional web that has not only lit my candle, but it has also lit my powder room. This story, the likes of which is very rare for me to come across.
He is a brilliant strategist, a practical thinker, a former guard with a soft spot, and, most of all, an EXCELLENT father figure for Moonlight (if he ever meets her 
)! 
Janus is probably one of THE MOST well written OCs that I've ever heard of!
I am literally trembling, repeat, TREMBLING with excitement and anticipation for the next chapter. But promise me one thing: Do not let this beautiful work of literature END! It would break my heart if you stopped at the whole "family reunites, Janus is pardoned, and story's over" approach. Please, let your stories (in this universe) continue with Twi and her family living life and growing up.
That is my only request...
... sorry for such a tall order...
wow odd chapte but it upadted yaya.
purplegaming.slashmeow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/danger-zone.jpg
2272725
Yes all of my Yes!
SInce you mentioned grammar edits here's another one for you. Whom vs. Who.
Who is used when referring to a subject, such as "Bob is a salesman WHO sells clock" as opposed to Whom, used for anything that isn't a subjects (ie Direct Objects and such) "To WHOM am I speaking?" "Bob sold his clocks to WHOM?"
On easy way to think of it is to ask if the person doing the verb is the one referenced, or the receiver of said action is.
6474420 what you just read, my friend, was the second part of a good OCxTwilight romance fan fiction.
2321367
Unless said bad guy used a sex change spell like twilight pretend to use one time.
2273472
Well just recently got away from his torturer so he probably got a few issues like PTSD.