Launching the Last Star

by The Real Darkness

The Student

Author's Note:

Implied sex.

"Celly, wake up."

The alicorn groaned at the intrusion.

"Come on, you're the one who has to raise the Sun."

Her horn lit, unmoving from the bed and light peeked down into small slats of the hovel's top.

"You know we didn't tell anybody that we'd be heading here, right? Or sleeping out here?"

Celestia finally opened her mouth, "that's...that's okay. Shining Armor saw you with me," she sighed out, "that's good enough for everypony to know I'm safe," the alicorn remained inside all the furs of the bed. The warmth in it was without equal, not even the most expensive blankets in the castle could accomplish this.

"Just let me be in bliss a while longer, I'll get back to my duties soon enough," that was a good enough sign that she knew she couldn't be slacking just to be around him all day.

And Arctus, in his past life, was left with the feeling that he was incredibly vulnerable while unclothed. That was a different life, far foreign from how he now lives. The plush fur of the Sun Princess would be enough to make it worth it.

"My survival shelter has become an overnight restreat destination."

"And it's better that way, Art," a larger smile graced Celestia's muzzle.

He couldn't argue. The two of them had a perfect night, even if preserved foods were their dinner. It wasn't much about the things they had to enjoy, but the two of them alone was all they needed.

The couple carried on in silence for a while longer before Celestia finally lifted herself up and rolled off the bed onto her hooves.

"You sure you're going to be fit for duty? We did stay up quite late last night."

"I couldn't help myself. It's like you've placed an entire banquet of sweets in front of my eyes, how can I not indulge?" She snickered behind her lips, "and you're doing it again! Laying there uncovered!"

"After we ended, you insisted on being my blanket without delay. Not that I'm complaining," Arctus swung his legs over, relighting the nearby candle on the table of the shelter.

"Maybe just one more bite, couldn't hurt," without any words, response, wait, or affirmation; the Princess of the Sun shoved him hard, "one. More. Bite. And then a shower back at the castle."

The woodsmaster's back hit the bed harder than Celestia intended, but the furs cushioned him well. With little ceremony, more was demanded from him and they both indulged in each other.

---

"We should make this a routine for whenever you return home."

"I'm certain ponies would begin to suspect what we're up to," Arctus was already in his linens and leather, putting more equipment on.

Celestia had her gold adornments in place, "not that we care. At least, I don't," she laughed with her lips at the extent they could stretch, "I've been deprived of you for longer than I like."

"Well, you know where my room is," Arctus had slid his spear into place on his back.

"Not that it helps, you're always going somewhere."

"Call it the most entertaining game of hide and seek," Arctus walked to the entrance of the shelter.

"Wouldn't you rather teleport back with me?" She offered.

"I have a dependent avian that I need to check up on...I'm not even sure what it eats."

"Well, you take care of your Asarele. I'm going to take a shower in my own chambers," her horn lit and with a flash the alicorn was gone.

Arctus blew the candle out from the distance, heaving his lungs, although the hovel was small, it was a considerable length away. His eyes scanned over the shelter.

By the Stars, look how he had journeyed. He was ready to accept a life of hunting and crafting to survive, a life filled with constant struggle and fight. Celestia had jailed him, he escaped. Luna had approached this home and he fought her off. A patrol was looking for him, he terrified them into submission and saved their lives. He defended Celestia from her corrupted sister. He slew a great ice avatar of this world and now took charge of its young. Arctus had elimated threat after threat, crumbled an entire kingdom, killed fellow Aeternians.

His journey was far from over, that's something he knew as a certainty, his aging was stopped or slowed. Savus had shown signs of aging since he had last seen him in Aeternia. The woodsmaster didn't even know if the same kind of chronology rules applied to both worlds.

Soon he would find the Eight Sacred Stars, and after he would launch himself high above to them, demanding an answer from the Heroes.

"One event at a time," he climbed out of his shelter and placed the moss covering back over the hole, stretching as his face met the sunlight.

The forest was still quiet for him as he broke the silence, "Asarele!" His voice boomed.

A screech came, echoing more than once as the bird cried, seeking Arctus out and landing on his cape's ring. The bird seemed to be slightly larger, its beak stained red.

"I see...you hunt and eat meat as well. I'll keep that in mind, friend," it trilled behind its closed beak. Arctus reached behind him, peering in the corner of his eyes and used his own leather glove to wipe the red from the beak, "since you've already eaten. Let's get going, shall we?" Arctus left the clearing, walking back out of the forest and toward Ponyville.

He could see this town from Canterlot, from farms to a sprawling community. It definitely didn't have the strictness that Canterlot did, ponies were a lot more easy going and there wasn't even any guards posted. The Master Scout began to wonder if he was the reason for that, if taming the forest made this entire town a possibility. He strolled into it confidently, noticing the ponies seek out shelter as he did.

He emptied the streets.

"Are they scared of you or me?" He peered around.

"This town isn't the most friendly. I'd have thought Arctus' presence would get me at least someplace here."

"Savus!"

Footsteps pounded toward Arctus and from behind a large tree that housed some kind of building, the general appeared.

"You're here? I was going about to take in the flavors of Equestria and you're in the first place I visit."

"The ponies here are wary of us, they live next to my forest where many powerful creatures live."

"I see, caution is in their nature then. Where do you suggest I actually visit?"

"There is a farm that's been here for an incredibly long time, come."

"Would they be more welcoming?"

"They've likely seen me before and know more extensively of me than the rest of the ponies here."

Arctus began traveling to the farther outskirts of the town, taking to a dirt road, Asarele stayed perched on him the entire walk.

"Heard about the bird, is it truly not wild?"

"It's wild, plenty much so, but I believe the mother of it imparted a gift direct unto me for its offspring's sake."

"And what gift is that? The ability to have such a frigid thing that close to you?"

"An inherent bond, Savus. It listens to me too well and would have no way to understand speech."

The old veteran hummed, "so, you think it's likely just understanding your intent?" The dirt path's banks changed to house large apple trees and log fencing.

"I do. It still needs some training and seems to like assisting in combat."

Savus whisteled, "Master Scout Arctus and Ice Bird Asarele...not even the entire army of Aeternia could defeat you two," he laughed.

"I'm not all powerful. I bleed the same as you," he corrected, looking about the farm he was walking down.

"Apples. Apples. Apples. Think they grow anything else?" Savus laughed.

"This is their spec-."

"Hey!" A deep feminine voice called our from within the orchard and Arctus stopped in his path along with Savus.

"It's still odd being shouted out and resisting instinct."

"You scouts need to relax more," Savus retorted, looking about for the source of the voice.

Arctus had already gazed to their left, seeing an orange pony with a large brimmed hat trot over, her head low in suspicion.

"You all apple thievin' varmits?"

"Not at all," Arctus cracked a smile onto his face, the pony pointed a hoof at him and then behind him.

Asarele had left him and was now housed in a tree, snacking away peacefully.

"Whatever that is...sure ain't convincing me. Rode on you a second ago."

"Asarele!" Arctus called and the bird screeched, zipping in a glide to the metal ring of his cape, "apologies."

He fetched into a small purse tied to one of his pouches, retrieving a handful of bits and extending his hand out. The pony came closer, leaping over the fence and taking them after she pulled her hat off, dumping the gold coins into it like a bucket.

"Say, only a couple of you tall folks are spoken 'bout. But you...granny told stories 'bout you. Said you had a spear blacker than night that glinted bluer than river," the pony pointed a hoof at Arctus again, "you're that Master Scout Arctus stallion...er..feller...Aeternian!" She found the word.

"That's him, alright. Your reputation preceeds you...how's it feel to be me?" Savus jabbed his arm with his metalled elbow.

"It's a weird sensation," he addressed his friend, "and who is the pony I'm speaking with?" He addressed the farmer.

"Name's Applejack. We don't really get any heroes 'round these parts. Don't you live in Canterlot?"

"I do, was going for a walk back from my forest to Canterlot when I coincidentally met Savus," Arctus explained.

"Your forest?"

The woodsmaster pointed behind him to the gnarled trees on the other side of the orchard.

"Oooooh, the Everfree Fore-."

"My forest."

"That'd line up with granny's stories...she said you romped all over the darn thing before Ponyville was even thought of, before the farm. Your forest it is," she nodded her head in respect, "kinda owe our success to ya, cleaning up the beasties in there," she garnered an actual smile from him, "so then, why are ya on my family's farm?"

"Savus is Aeternia's Sacred Star General, he's looking around Equestria for a place to retire and live a more normal life."

"General, huh? Betcha seen a lot a stuff I won't. You lookin' for work on the farm?" Applejack questioned and Arctus looked to him.

"I'm strong and tall enough to reach your produce, but not many ponies in this town like me."

"Everypone, Savus, everypony here is scared outta there minds at the thought of something new to 'em. If you're a friend of Arctus here, you're good enough to trust in my book."

"You think you could put in a word for him around town?" Arctus asked.

"I can try, sometimes those ponies don't see much reason as a group," Applejack rolled her eyes, "if ya can navigate the wilderness, I imagine you can stay in Arctus' forest. We could use some part time help every now and then, that door's open to ya, Savus," she tipped her head, still holding to her hat with bits in it.

"Well, good luck in your search, Savus," Arctus looked to Applejack, "I have a feeling you might see me again, Applejack," without anymore of a goodbye, he began walking back down the dirt path once more.

"Are ya goin' back to Canterlot?! Take care of our Princess!" The stout farmer shouted after him, "he always leave that rudely?"

"Applejack, that's the most polite he is to someone new he meets. Used to be this very serious person," Savus' voice got quieter as he kept on.

---

He did take three hours to arrive back in Canterlot, choosing to walk the entire way, allowing Asarele to fly about until he went up the mountain's footpath to get into the city. There was an entire new guard outpost at the bottom, courtesy of Hazth's potential war declaration. He was pleased to see Celestia taking it so seriously.

He did have a matter to take seriously on her behalf though. He didn't mention it, she didn't mention it; yet there was a reason she chose to banish her sister.

Because she could not bring her back to her senses and he would try his best to pull the fearless Princess of the Moon back from her shade of hate.

He walked the streets of Canterlot, heading to the young smith's workshop.

The whole situation reminded him of those Scouts lost to bloodlust and war. Could he one day become that corrupted? Would he? Equestria acheives peace, no violence, no war, Scouts become a relic.

The thought didn't bring him sorrow though. Peace is something he was seeking this entire time, a balance inside himself, a completed life.

Arctus walked into Plated Shell's workshop, hammering was still abound the entire street, but he was busy pouring over a ledger.

"Arctus, good afternoon. Your armors and greatsword are on the table at the door," he didn't look up.

Asarele refused to follow him into the hot forge, having left his back to fly the skies above.

"Thank you, I'll have someone come by with bits to pay once I get back to the castle."

"Get back? Did you go out somewhere again? In need of more repairs?" He glanced up.

Arctus sighed, "I'm reckless, but I know my skill level," the master scout removed some of his equipment and began to properly put on his thin chain chauses, scale mail vest, and metal glove. His coutours followed along with the thin pauldrons.

"For someone of your status, your armor is surprisingly light, but Aeternian forging methods must be different, it's surprisingly stiff and strong, but not brittle."

He smiled at the smith's comments, "take care, Plated Shell. I imagine you'll need my blood again before long."

"Another Aeternian Scout weapon?" He fully looked up to see that Arctus had already made his exit.

---

Arctus had finally made his return to the castle on foot, entering through the gate, having let Asarele fly about. His feet lead him up the steps in the front courtyard as he approach the doors.

"Master Arctus!" His eyes looked up higher, quickly locating the voice that shouted from a window in the castle.

And in a purple flash above and one in front of him, Celestia's student was in front of him, "oh, you don't often ask for me, Twilight. Does something require my attention?" The two of them never really spoke.

"Yes! I mean no!" Her wide smile was a very good indicator of her excitement. "I need your help."

"I'm sensing this is not an emergency."

"No, not anything that needs your immediate attention like that," as eager as she was for knowledge, Twilight knew the reasons why Arctus would suddenly mobilize, "and you have all your equipment and Asarele, too! Could I ask you to help me answer some questions for me?"

Arctus nodded, "you've never taken an initiative to learn more about me, but I'll answer any questions that you do have."

"Oh, thank you thank you, Arctus!" She dropped the formal title, "so come follow me, I have a bunch of books and notes and equipment laid out."

"Didn't intend on telling me it would take a while, did you?" He followed the unicorn back into Canterlot.

"He..heh eh," she sheepishly blushed, "I'll be as quick as I can. Besides, it's not like you can spend eeeevery day with Princess Celestia, can you?"

"My presence in court would not be the best for ponies to speak freely."

Twilight laughed at his words, "well, none of them grew up watching you march around the castle, disappear for days, train so...um...violently since they were a filly."

"And even then, you were only interested in magic."

"All knowledge has value and the books written on you leave some gaps in knowledge and the book Lohey is writing is taking too long, so," she began ascending a wrap around staircase to a rather large building.

"Oh, so this is where you're living now, Celestia mentioned something about giving you an old library."

"It's wonderful! It's let me learn a lot of new information and expand my repertoire," Twilight lit her horn and opened the doors for them both, "I'm back, Spike!"

"Asarele!" The frigid companion of Arctus swooped low, landing on his usual perch.

"Huh..oh! You got him!" A small dragon responded, climbing down a ladder leaned against a bookcase. His green frills perked at Twilight's voice, "and his..uh...whatever that is."

"It's Asarele, the child of the Glacégere. Arctus' pet," Twilight explained, already at a central table while the scout took his time to take in his new environment of the impressive library.

"Glacégere?" Spike struggled to speak the word, "what the hay is that?"

"Giant ice bird, embodiment of cold and winter. It soared the skies of the Frozen North until it met me. It was how I earned my title of Master Scout."

"O-oh," Spike answered, "I'm ready, Twilight!" The tiny dragon has whisked a quill and paper into his claws.

It wasn't even that long ago that Arctus slew so many of his kin, but here he was...vastly different. Did all creatures have the capacity to be like this? He found himself looking behind at Asarele, what should be an absolute menace and monster to Equestria was tame.

Maybe.

And then he remembered timberwolves.

Maybe not.

"Arctus?" He snapped back and looked to Twilight, "so, I uh...I don't even know where to begin!"

"Let's start with thing from Aeternia, Twilight," Arctus directed and undid the ties for his hunting knife and sheath, setting it on the table, followed by him grabbing and taking his spear in front of him.

"Make a sketch, Spike, and prepare to write!" Twilight lifted the knife up in her magic and rotated it all about, looking at it from different angles, "I see your mark is on the bottom of it here. Are these common in Aeternia, does everyone have one?"

"My hunting knife, it was the first weapon I mastered. It's issued to every person who becomes military, everyone learns how to hunt."

"I'm..sorry but you used a knife to hunt? In ancient Equestria it was bows and spears that were used for hunting."

"This will sound grisly to you, but a hunting knife is used to butcher game and carcasses...treat hides and end a prey's life after you've downed it with an arrow or spear."

"I-I...see," Twilight was visibly shocked to even be holding such a tool, "I've read that even back then the practice was done by non-equine races."

"Twilight, no Aeternian will bring harm to you or any other pony while I still draw breath."

"That's why the Princess named you the Protector of Equestria," she cheerily chimed, "you said this was a weapon, right? The first you mastered."

"Every soldier in the military learns knife combat and every Scout of Aeternia learns how to fight with just one of these against bludgeons, axes, swords, spears...it teaches us to spit in the face of adversity before we conquer it."

"She did say you had quite the ego," Twilight set the knife down, "Spike, ar-."

"Got it!" The dragon answered before she finished, "this stuff is kinda cool."

"Learning about such a different culture is always cool, Spike."

"Twilight! We have a hero of Equestria here!"

"I'm no hero, I'm only the most capable in the right place."

"Oh? Modesty? I didn't expect that," Twilight responded, "Spike, it's made of steel, rather sharpened extensively, and the handle is cedar wood. That's quite a flammable wood coming from a region of intense volcanic activity."

"The trees are sourced from outside Aeternia, for a long time we only used solid metal at weapons and tools with leather grips until we began foresting from a region we had conquered."

"So the wood was not chosen by choice," Twilight levitated a blank piece of paper over, the knife sliced through with incredible ease, "and its well maintained and capable despite its age. The steel is also more carbon rich than ours," Twilight peeked and saw Spike still taking notes, "even your equipment is an incredible insight to your culture. Your people seem like they were warriors at heart."

"Every Aeternian is, even Lohey."

"Why is that?" her horn lit and she attempted to focus on raising his spear after setting down the knife, but she struggled.

And her horn went bright, the spear could not be stiller.

Sparks flew from her magic focus, and the spear laughed in its resistentialism.

"Because of our origin, the Eight Heroes. Are you attempting to lift my spear?" Twilight's horn dimmed at his words.

"Yes! But it's impossibly heavy!"

"It's made to be light," he picked it up easily, "Celestia could not move it with her magic."

"That's a seriously strong ward then. What's the story?"

"It's not a ward, it was the ability blessed into my spear by the Eight Heroes when it was forged using magma from our Sacred Volcano."

"Wait wait wait...Sacred Volcano...forged in magma?! Eight Heroes?" Spike blurted.

"I told you to read the book I borrowed from the Princess!" Twilight pointed her hoof at Spike before clearing her throat, "Arctus, what do you mean ability?"

"Every bit of magic, any spell, any attack is dispersed by my spear and used to maintain it. It stood against incredible magics," he pointed to the blued edge of the spearhead, "this was never achieved on any Aeternian weapon, the smith that worked my spear reported it to be a one of a kind and no other weapon would come above it."

Arctus made his way to the other side of the table, holding it so Twilight could get a better look at it, "you said it was forged from magma of your Sacred Volcano?" She questioned next.

"It was dipped as a final tempering process as is custom for a Scout's weapon. The next night after I became a scout, my weapon was made according to tradition. All stars of the Eight Heroes were in the night sky and my blood roared the Sacred Volcano. That's when the priests declared I was born from the stars to fulfill a purpose."

"Sounds like you're telling us your life story," Spike commented.

"The Eight Heroes...who were they?" Twilight was tackling one thing at a time.

"Who are," he corrected, "they still exist, Scout Silver Spike's shortsword was blessed by Bakta, one of the Eight. The others are Kamna, Lun, Atti, Reba, Gær, Yetrema, and Ezith."

"Why were they heroes of Aeternia?"

"They slew the Sky and gave life back to our world."

Twilight and Spike both looked at him in disbelief.

"I'm sorry...your heroes...destroyed the sky?!"

He nodded, "they launched stars from volcanoes to battle it, but to defeat it they launched themselves as stars and the Sky was no more, we had Sun again, our magma slid like sheets off a bed for us to travel once more."

His audience was quiet again for an unsettling two minutes.

"You...how did Princess Celestia react?" Spike asked.

"Spike!" Twilight chastised.

"Like the most interested mare ever," he romanced.

"She...well, if she believes you then I will as well," Twilight straightened her posture, "Aeternia used to be covered in magma?"

"Our land responded to the endless rain by seeping magma over out salt flats, it raged, it kept us warm enough that the rain never truly drenched and drowned us like it did to other people. We hunted what animals we could for that entire year, eating anything to survive, that's when the Eight Heroes did what they did."

Spike was furiously writing away.

"Do the heroes represent virtues or anything?"

"They each had their specialty. Gær could battle without exhaustion. Kamna could ignore any physical material she wished. Atti had a perfected defense," Arctus listed off.

Their discussion continued on, late, very late into the day.

---

Twilight yawned, "that's...got no more questions. Just...can I get some of your blood," she barely managed to levitate two vials up, the Master Scout taking them from her.

The Sun had gone down a while ago. Spike had already fallen asleep and Twilight had taken the last of her notes on her own.

She levitated a syringe up, but Arctus had already cut into his forearm after moving his leather aside, "I imagine you had heard how Silver Spike's weapon was made. If I do not make this clear enough...don't attempt to copy the process, it is a sacred tradition."

The vial was a fourth full.

"I...I won't don't you worry."

He filled the vial half full before he stopped flexing his muscles and re-opening the wound himself. He pressed a cloth from the table to his skin, adding pressure.

"It's already night. I believe I've answered your questions thoroughly enough," Arctus already had his knife and spear in place. Asarele had taken Twilight's actual bed in the library, sleeping away.

"Yeah...yeah, I'll organize them in the morning. Goodnight, Arctus," Twilight sleepily trotted away.

"Asarele!" A soft screech came from the upper floors of the giant library before the beloved bird gently flapped its way onto his cape's metal again, "let's go get you some rest."

Arctus left the library, shuting the giant doors behind him and wandered the streets of Canterlot in the blackness, heading to the castle again for his own rest.

"Master Arctus?" A familiar voice called.

"Trainee Strong Stitch," he looked behind him to see the earth pony, dirtied and even a bit bloody in the street behind him, "are you ready for your exam?" He smiled.

She smiled back.

There was now only two ponies who ever rose up to him in challenge.

Comments

[f0st3r21]

Good luck, Stitch!