“Where are all my quills? Brbrbr.” Twilight stuttered nervously as she run around her library, until she found them and throws them at Spike, who was ready with a bag and caught it; although the quills pierced it. Twilight then moved to the bookshelves. “No, no, no, no, no...ugh! I need the Magical Compendium volumes one through thirty six! Where is it?”
“Oh, for the love of...” Matthias thought irritated as she found the humongous book she was looking for and then dropped it on the little dragon.
He decided to talk to Celestia later about stopping the streak of peaceful days. It was barely a second morning since they returned from Altomare, and despite that journey being their vacation, Matthias went through some seriously stressful situations. He was looking forward to resting some more before the builders would arrive. But, the ruler of Equestria decided now to give Twilight some kind of test.
And so, he, Rainbow, Fluttershy, Rarity and Applejack watched; some worried, some amused, and some irritated, as their nearly hysteric by now friend was preparing herself for the test before she would go to the train station.
“Flash cards!” she suddenly exclaimed, and run towards her desk “I should make some flash cards. Spike, I'm gonna need you to quiz me.” the unicorn said, throwing the dragon that just now managed to crawl back from under the book ridiculous amount of paper cards. “On everything, everything I've ever learned. Ever-” Twilight paused and scratched her chin. “That isn't going to be enough cards.”
“I’m surprised that you haven’t tried to calm her down yet.” Rainbow whispered to Matthias, loud enough for the other three mares to hear.
“I already died once, I don’t look forward to reliving the experience anytime soon.” the paladin replied automatically, before he snapped. “And I’m still not talking to you for telling the rest about Ripple.”
Dash snickered as she heard his offended tone. Once they were done with their... prolonged exercises, which made her unable to flight straight later that evening, Matthias accidently mentioned to the cyan pegasus about the sea pony when she asked him did he rutted a pony before; the very next day he learned in a rather unpleasant way that mares talked about everything.
Not that any of them made a big deal out of it, but each of them frowned when talked to him, or smirked, or laughed... it was simply irritating. However, despite his refusal to talk to Rainbow, they still bucked at the same place later.
Matthias wasn’t sure what to think of this. Never before he has been in that sort of relationship, or even heard much of it, but he did know that some did this. The paladin couldn’t tell that he personally know anyone or anypony who had a ‘bang-buddy’, as Dash called it, other than the two of them. It felt... wrong to Matthias, to be still just friends and yet be intimate, but perhaps that was why he was somehow attracted to this sort of deal with Rainbow.
Not to mention how good it felt.
He was surprised that the other mares seemed to be okay with this; especially Twilight who, as he learned from Dash, even given the pegasus permission. Matthias himself was pretty sure that if it was the other way around, he would buck the stallion’s teeth out, and it made him very uneasy.
He put those thoughts away as Twilight started to look for more cards, and Spike came up to her.
“Twilight, calm down. It's just a test.”
“Oh, no...” Matthias thought with dread, amazed by Spike’s stupidity.
“Just a test?” Twilight asked quietly, glancing at her assistant, before she lunged at him and shouted: “Just a test!? Princess Celestia wants to give me some kind of exam and you're trying to tell me to calm down because it's just a test?!”
As she continued to scream at the baby dragon, she advanced at him, causing Spike to back away. Once Twilight stopped, demanding an answer; Spike grabbed a nearby cushions and a helmet, trying to soften the blow everypony knew was coming to him.
“Uh...Yes.” Spike said.
“Oh, for the love of Light...” Matthias facehoofed as Twilight’s horn began to shine with power.
“Ah'd say she's handling things pretty well,” Applejack concluded, both she and Rarity smirking, “considerin'.”
Matthias just rolled his eyes in response, as he calmly asked the Light for protection for them all.
“Uuuurgh!”
Twenty minutes later, after Twilight finished packing and library was back to normal, they all went to the train station.
“Are you sure you don’t want us to go as well?” Rarity asked their nervously pacing friend.
“Oh, yes, I’m sure.” Twilight replied, as she stopped murmuring something, most likely magic-related. “The Princess isn’t expecting me for four hours, so Spike and I will first drop by my parent’s first, and then go to the castle. You can come by the next train, after I...” she was about to say ‘either fail or pass’, but being so nervous, she couldn’t bring herself to say it.
Instead of trying to calm her with words, which could only end in a disaster, Matthias reached for the Light. When he could feel it gather within him, he pressed his hoof to Twilight’s shoulder and poured it into her, blessing her and granting her mind peace.
“Better?” Matthias asked, her, and she nodded.
“Yes, thanks...” Twilight began, far more calm and collected than she was since the moment Celestia’s letter appeared, but then looked thoughtful. “This is going to wear off soon, isn’t it?”
“Well, yes, and while normally such blessing last around hour, you are most likely going to start worrying within the next ten minutes.” the paladin replied with a smirk.
“Very funny.” the unicorn scowled, although Matthias caught a glimpse of amusement in her eye.
“Anyway, you are going to do great.” he told her.
“Yeah, ya’re obviously gonna pass.” Applejack agreed.
“Duh,” Pinkie Pie said. “And once you do, we’re gonna have a party to Celebrate!”
“Just do your best, Twilight.” said Rarity
“Of course she’s going to do her best; this is Twilight we’re talking about.” Rainbow Dash stated.
“Thanks everypony.” Twilight smiled hearing all of them cheer her. “See you soon.”
With that said, she and Spike stepped on the train. The others stood at the station, and as the train soon moved, they started waving after her even though they were going to see each other in few hours.
“The next train for Canterlot leaves in two hours.” Rarity said once the one with Twilight and Spike disappeared into the distance. “See you all then.”
Matthias, like everypony else, nodded, and trotted towards the library. To his mild surprise, one pony followed him.
“So, we’ve got two hours for ourselves.” Rainbow told him seductively once the others were all out of earshot. “And Twilight’s not home...”
The paladin remained silent.
“Oh, come on!” Dash exclaimed, annoyed. “I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t think you would make such a big deal out of it. Nopony else did...”
“Maybe, but I dislike the way the others looked at me.”
“Ha, you talked!”
Matthias rolled his eyes and continued, while still walking:
“As a paladin, I’m supposed to be seen as a beacon of righteousness, and I’m kind off failing with it when everypony starts thinking that I’m mating with random mares.”
“Then why did you do it?” Rainbow smirked. “Or, for that matter, how does bucking with your friend helps with this image?”
“I never said I was the role model of paladins.” Matthias replied with a half-hearted grin.
The cyan pegasus chuckled, and at the same moment, they reached the library. Once Matthias opened the door and they both went inside, Rainbow immediately brushed his side with wings and kissed him on the neck.
“So?” she asked. “It would be nice to actually do it in bed.”
“And who is so insecure that she won’t invite me to her place?” the earth pony asked with a raised eyebrow.
“For the last time, you would fell through my floor!”
“Sure...” Matthias laughed in response, despite knowing she was right.
“Why you-”
Her further words were cut off as the stallion kissed her, causing her to moan instead of talk. Matthias would love this kiss to be just a warm up, but unfortunately, he knew they didn’t have the time.
“While I think it would be lovely to completely disrespect Twilight by bucking in her home,” he said, breaking the kiss, “knowing my Iuck, I’m pretty sure that both she and Spike would somehow appear here because she forgot something. And while Twilight may have no problems with this, I’d prefer not to think how she’d react if she saw us, not to mention Spike as well. Besides, don’t you need to find somepony to take care of Tank?”
“Oh, right.” Rainbow said regretfully. “Who are you leaving Spottedleaf and Owlowiscious with?”
“With Daisy, she’s also taking care of Angel.”
“So, you think that he and Spottedleaf are really...”
“I hope not.” he sighed. “The last thing Ponyville needs is Junior Angels running around with big sharp claws and fangs.”
They both chuckled at the thought, despite Matthias being quite serious. He wasn’t certain it was possible, but considering everything that happened, he wouldn’t be surprised.
“Sure you don’t want a quicky?” Rainbow asked one last time as she began heading towards the door, flicking at him with tail.
“Go home, you lust-driven mare.” Matthias replied, chuckling.
She threw him a scorn look, but shrugged it off as she left the library. The paladin shook his head and called out the pets.
“Alright you two, get up!” he commanded, trotting over to Spottedleaf basket. “I will be leaving soon too, so somepony needs to watch you.”
While Twilight’s owl almost at once landed on his shoulder, his cat took her time to unroll from the ball she was when she slept.
“Angel will be there.” Matthias told her, curious about her reaction.
“Dammit.” he thought as she quickly jumped out of her basket and padded over.
“What in Light’s name do you even see in him?”
Spottedleaf sniffed him, glanced at the door, and then back at him. Matthias could swear she was smirking.
“And don’t worry, just do your best.” Twilight Velvet told her daughter as she hugged her.
“Thanks, Mom, Dad.” Twilight replied nervously, the effects of Matthias’ blessing gone. “Are you sure you don’t want me to come later?”
“Yes, go celebrate with your friends.” Night Light said, smiling as if he was certain she was going to pass. “We will both be at work until evening, anyway.”
“Okay.” the lavender unicorn muttered, now even more nervous, seeing how much faith her parents had in her. “Bye, I’ll try to come home more often.”
“Bye.”
She and Spike waved back as they began trotting through the streets of Canterlot, armed with a saddlebag full of quills, books and scrolls.
Towards the castle.
Towards the test.
The train ride, while not nearly as long as the one they all previously took seemed to lengthen as they wanted to hear how their friend passed. Matthias spend most of it meditating, much to the Rainbow’s frustration.
Still, however, the Light’s voice was out of his reach.
“It spoke to me when I needed It.” he thought, more than a bit disheartened at the lack of progress. “Is it too much to ask for Light’s advice?”
He shook his heads. The path that lay behind those thoughts was dark, which he knew better than anyone else. Matthias sighed, and knowing that they would arrive in Canterlot soon, opened eyes.
“Oh, looks who’s awake.” Rainbow snorted.
“How long until we’ll be in Canterlot?” he asked, ignoring the remark.
“We’re...” Pinkie Pie, who sat closest to the window, said. “HERE!”
The moment she said that, the train slowed down and then stopped. Matthias and everypony else rose up from their seats and marched toward exit, besides Pinkie, who for some reason headed towards the one on the other side of cart.
“I’m not happy.” Dash hissed at him quietly at the end of the line.
“Why, you wanted to do it in the train’s bathroom?” Matthias asked, amused.
“Well, it would made the ride more interesting.” she replied with a smirk, and he had no idea if she was joking or being serious.
“Twilight!” Applejack suddenly exclaimed from outside of the train. “Did you pass?”
“That was fast.” Matthias thought as he and Dash quickly joined the rest of the group in congratulating the lavender unicorn.
However, before he could voice his praise of her, he noticed the expression she bore once Applejack released her from hug.
“What happened?” he wondered, alarmed at the sight of uncertainty and slight fear on her face. “She couldn’t possibly fail...”
“Are we gonna celebrate your awesomeness with Princess Celestia?” Pinkie Pie interrupted his thoughts as she strolled into the station with her Party Cannon, aiming it at the sky and firing the confetti while she bounced up.
“Not quite.”
Twilight voice, which returned to her usual tone, had a strange effect on both Pinkie and the Cannon, as they both receded to their previous positions.
“If I didn’t know better, I would swear she’s a bronze dragon.” the paladin thought, before turning back to listen to what Twilight was going to say.
“We're going to the Crystal Empire!”
Matthias’ eyes went wide as their friends murmured between themselves in confusion.
“The Crystal Empire?!” he exclaimed, shocked. “It’s back?”
Now it was Twilight who stared at him with astonishment.
“How do you know about the Empire?!” she asked, while the others’ eyes switched back and forth between them.
“The Princesses mentioned it to me.” he started to explain, but stopped as he noticed a royal guard marching towards them.
“Twilight Sparkle?” the guards asked, and once Twilight nodded, he continued: “We’ve arranged a train to carry you, Grand Master Matthias and everypony accompanying you back to Ponyville and then to the old station up north, near Crystal Empire’s borders. If you all would follow me, please...”
“Of course.” Twilight replied. “Come on, everypony, I will explain everything on the way.”
As Matthias and everypony else followed the guard, his mind whirled with thought. For starters, why did the Empire return now? And what it had to do with Twilight’s test?
“And,” the paladin thought with a slight feeling of dread. “did something else return with it?”
Arthas and the Crystal Empire. Interesting..
Finally. Coming scenes worthy music of WoW.
I am still really impresed at the speed that you have, and more for the fact that the chapters are good even whit that. Amazing!
Tough I am still expecting some action.
2313027
hmmm... wonder what he'll do when he sees sombra?
bets anyone?
2313062 I think it'd be a safe assumption that Arthas will trigger one of Sombra's traps, causing him to see his greatest fear.
2313062 pretty sure Arthas will be seeing himself as Sombra, only a lot colder, having Frostmorne unbroken in his hooves and his eyes glowing a pale blue with the armor on
A Paladin of The Holy Light Vs The Unicorn King of Hatred and Shadows.
this is gonna be epic.
As i go, have a pinkie!
don't worry bro, if this chapter is has awesome has the others them you dont have to worry about it, you will a great work like always
2313073
I forgot about that part of the episode, but i was more thinking of when he first sees sombra, you know, out by the train station.
2313139 Ah. In that case, he'll probably stay with Shining Armor, ending up saving him after he sees Shining get over powered.
Why do I get the funny feeling...that Arthas past is about to catch up with him?
2313160
pop a bubble and run away?
2313167 Pretty much, yeah.
Oh yes, Crystal Empire
Just can't wait until Twi and Matt have fun together and Rainbow joins in for some good ol' threesome
I wonder if Twilight will have a vision of the " Wrath of the Lich King" Trailer
So it is basically Going to be Matt and Spike delivering the crystal heart while battling Sombra? Awsome, it's about time Spike gets a chance to shine.
Arthas meeting Sombra...should be interesting. not to mention that door that shows you your worst fears...
So Matt already feels bad about 'bucking' with Rainbow Dash, interesting.
Looking forward to see what happens next and how Matt and Twilight's 'relationship' is going to evoule in this arc and if he is going to pass any of the 'steps' (which I still think will bring him closer to a full relationship with Twilight)
2.bp.blogspot.com/-0xFVvyx9Zfs/TuENKdAwBoI/AAAAAAAABcQ/xSg5gA0jX8o/s1600/mlp_pleasesapple.jpg
I wonder how "the gang" will react when/if they find out that Matthias is royalty?
No really, I wonder....
Does our Lich king get to wear a crown once more?
Or are you going with the show's canon?
Anyway, amazing story so far And I daresay I want more! :o) HoNk
I FUCKING LOVE THIS STORY! LOVE IT!
2313061
There's been plenty of action. Rainbow, for instance.
2313695 I wasn´t talking about that kind of "action" xD
Arthas is totally going to Paladin the hay out of Sombra.
Also, Arthas and Rainbow Dash fuckbuddies wins everything.
2313177 i wish there were clop-chapters for this
I'm hoping that sometime during this arc the girls will somehow actually get to see what Arthas was! I want to see their reactions to him as the Lich King and the evil he did. Despite the fact they already know that he had become evil in his past life, this would really test their trust in him!
Arthas' greatest fears are about to be realized.
SO MUCH SHIT IS GOING TO GO DOWN!
2313478 Wonder what would happen if Matt slapped Sombra with a glove and challenged him to a duel. Sombra, if he still holds a semblence of his mind (show didn't really explain with the creepy grunting and the word crystal hearts being his primary two words throughout the entire thing) would listen or just ignore it and decend upon the empire causing some sort of relaspe for the reformed pally.
Interestingly enough, I could see Arthas have a somewhat hard time with Sombra, if only for the fact he is intangible in shadow form.
Though the thing with Rainbow Dash is diminishing my interest in this story, I will continue to read for the narrative.
oh man dis gonna be interesting is the lich king going to be seen by all or will sombera see whats there and run hmmm well keep it up man this is great
2315085
I'm going to have to agree with you on that one. But also remember that his time with rainbow dash might just make his time potentially spent with twilight that much more meaningful.
Shadow vs light you have my intrest now
Arthas is going to see his worst fears, and he won't be able to handle it. As he is returning to the darkness, Twilight does the only thing she can think of, kiss him. That's what I think is going to happen.
-Mis
King Sombra vs. King Arthas make bets now!
made her unable to flight straight
did he rutted a pony before
frowned when talked to him
even given the pegasus permission
finished packing and library
last around hour
brushed his side with wings
you would fell through my floor
She threw him a scorn look
Matthias spend most of it
much to the Rainbow’s frustration
it would made the ride more interesting
released her from hug
near Crystal Empire’s borders
And what it had to do with Twilight’s test
1. Fly.
2. Rut.
3. Frowned when they talked to him.
4. Gave.
5. Finished packing and the library.
6. Last around an hour.
7. Brushed his side with her wings.
8. Fall.
9. Scorned.
10. Spent.
11. Much to Rainbow's frustration.
12. Make.
13. Released her from her hug.
14. Near the Crystal Empire's borders.
15. And what does it have to do with Twilight’s test.
I already mentioned this when Medivh gave his dire warning way back in Chapter 36, but either Arthas starts getting instrospective or a certain cursed door will do it for him. And that won't end well for anypony involved...
3127129 ah there you are, have a nice day corecting stuff!
i was reading till this point and i was a really nice story but this just got derrailed... really matt just cant do this sort of thing and go on like it didnt happen. this ends frienship like 100% of the time. is going to lock in a dungeon somewhere and matt ends up homeless and jobless and thats that. sorry im really pissed off on how stupid all this just got, it was going really well, if u love somone u dont go and fuck their friends like that!
4447873 I have to agree with you somehow, i don´t like it that way really much, but i have to say this is not half that bad he/she had could make it.
To be honest i don´t prefer Rainbow to be that foward, if i like a Character i don´t really want him or her to be well, questionable. In Games it seems to be another thing, but in storys i prefer some Chars to be more like myself, and i don´t think i would like it to do it in such a situation Twilight, Rainbow and Mattias are in. Normally i would not even like the idea about doing such a thing without any meaning, in real who know´s what could happen because of that. I leave it at that point, don´t want to explain to much, but even if i am part of ok with it i had prefer it otherwise.
I dislike that as well. Why would Matt go and do that with Rainbow when he loves twilight. I really hope that stops very soon. i cant really get to into the story knowing that is going on. But that might just be me.