The Last Party
Luna only smiled as she looked over to William as they slowly walked out of the library and towards the bakery where Pinkie Pie had invited the Princess and the Human. She was happy that she caught the map and hide it from William’s eyesight. She was not yet ready to show the landmasses in their complete form. As they walked, Twilight was walking close to the two, but staying behind while Spike was sitting on her back and speaking a little to Sapphire. Well it was more like Sapphire was correcting a mistake in Spike’s upbringing. Teaching him how to speak Dragonic. Thus making the conversation not only difficult to follow, but it was also almost repetitive.
Whereas Twilight was looking at Luna and bowed her head. “Pardon me Princess, but, I am trying to understand, why is William able to be outside? I thought the Nightmares would hone in on him being outside the protective walls of the castle?”
Luna only smiled and spread her wings. “As long as William remains within the boundaries of the town, his uniqueness is hidden in the background of having an Alicorn Princess being here. Now what could present a problem is if their are spies in Ponyville, however such a thing we doubt. Still it is wise to have guards about which thou can not see.” Luna smiled as she folded her wings again. While she kept an eye on William as he turned his eyes and head upon the town with wonderment and smiling as Lyra kept on talking not realizing that William had zoned her out in lieu of just observing everything. Luna turned and quickly dropped the smile as she realized Twilight was looking at her. “It is wise as well to allow William time to observe and keep use of his two legs.” She finished. “Besides just look at him. So much wonderment, and,” She paused as she chuckled as William actually stopped and began to browse a stall selling trinkets and ornaments. He however paused and frowned as he came back with his hands in his pockets.
“No bits, dang, and their was this cool sun catcher that I am sure with the light of the moon, could become an moonlight catcher that had a design of a wreath of olive branches.” He smiled a little as he looked around and paused as he turned a corner and remained there in the middle of the street almost. Other ponies walking around only walked around him as they continued on their way. It seemed that after the little game and being so near Luna, the ponies were starting to get at least warm enough to at least go about daily life with the strangers in town. “Dang… it really does look like a gingerbread house.” Unaware of the fact that the said suncatcher or as he called it Mooncatcher was bought from the stall. Luna only smiled as she stepped to William’s side.
“No bits, thou art correct, surely you will know that thin payment for helping as an advisor shall arrive on the morrow. Along with all the payments of the guard.” She gave a small smirk as she kept looking forward at the bakery. “Let us not keep the pink one waiting long.”
“Non surprise, surprise party… well I guess it is a surprise to me since she knew about it, yet non surprise meaning that the place is already decorated and no jumping out yelling surprise.” William muttered as he slowly walked along the path.
Twilight only paused a second before catching up to William. “If, after the party, I was wondering, would you mind telling me a little about your nation and cultures?”
William only blinked once before smiling. “I wouldn’t mind telling you about it, on the condition that pRincess Luna stays and listens as well, she has been wanting to hear more about the world, not just about the United States of America, but I could tell a little about the Kingdom of Canada to the North, the United Kingdoms.” He smiled a little, “Then there's the Republic of Mexico.” He sighed as they walked into the shadow that was casted by Sugar Cube corner. His face trying to hide the fact he was missing home again.
“Would it help if we helped bring back some memories of home tonight?” Luna asked with worry as she saw the face of what she knew was going to be a key fighter and player in the coming war.
William blinked and took a deep breath before letting it out and sighing. “I don’t know Princess,” He admitted. “If anything, it would be nice to remember the goodness that I am trying to save from the Nightmares, yet.. compared to Equestria, we are a little behind in unity it seems.”
Luna laughed as she leaned in slipping into English to speak the next line. “Yet you have achieved something that only one living being has done here.” She looked to the sky. “You have placed your own kind into space. You have dived to the depths of your oceans. We Equestrians could learn much from you, just like you can learn much from us.”
William did not have a chance to answer as the door was flung open as streamers, confetti, and a few colorful balloons escaped as a noise maker sounded from the inside and showered the four. one Human, one Dragoness, one Alicorn, and one Unicorn. There behind the noise and explosion of colors was Pinkie Pie who was smiling and wearing a party hat. With deft and almost unseen speed William found a hat on his head, as he turned around and blinked before smiling a little as Princess Luna placed a hoof to her own head to touch the party hat. Twilight was only smiling as if use to the hat just appearing on her head, as for Sapphire she only looked shocked. “How?” She muttered.
“Don’t ask.” Twilight replied with a sigh, yet a smile on her muzzle. “Trust me, it is better to have that small headache then gain a bigger one trying to find out.” She turned to face Pinkie Pie. Who had in that moment was now hopping up and down in front of William.
“Did you like it? That is the only surprise I was going to throw, well other then the presents, but then again the Presents are considered a given for surprises as you never know what you get unless you get one of those gift cards so you can spend the money that someone else already gave the store so you can get the items you want.” She took a breath of air with a chuckle. “Still you got to smile at least no grumpy pants okay?” SHe asked as she looked to William with an intense look.
William could only smirk. “I will try Pinkie, it is just, I,” he trailed off for a second before finishing. “This is the first time away from home and, well while I consider you all very good friends.”
Pinkie interrupted him as she finished the thought. “It is not the same. After all we are all, what? Just friends of a month or so? While you left behind friends you knew from before your memories started, your parents, and family… I can understand.” She smiled a little as Twilight looked at her in a strange manner.
“Aren't you going to try and cheer him up over that?” Twilight asked in confusion at how Pinkie Pie was acting at the moment.
“Are you crazy?” Pinkie replied as she stepped back to let them enter Sugar Cube Corner. “That is outside of party control, and a party planner needs to know what can and cannot be handled. The emotions here are way outside of my control, after all I don’t have access to some mystical portal that would allow one to move back and forth between worlds at will, though it might be problematic if it turns us into humans or humans into ponies.” She smiled widely.
The group only looked at her in confusion before she smiled and hopped over to a table. “Punch?” SHe asked. William shook his head and saw that Pinkie Pie had led them into a back part of the confectionary place and it seemed it was a large open place dedicated to holding parties. What surprised him was that it was all of the mane six were present, well seven as Spike was there talking to Rarity. William blinked as he corrected himself mentally. Spike was hanging on every word that Rarity was speaking.
still all conversation stopped as William walked into the room and without warning they all burst out into cheers of Happy Birthday. It was amazing and William blinked back the sudden moisture that found its way into his eyes but he smiled as while the tune was different and the words not the same it was what he felt was a birthday song.
“Happy Birthday to you as you grow a year older, Happy Birthday to you as you enjoy the Sun and Moon. Happy birthday to you now and for many years to come. May Luna grant many of your wishes today for your birthday.”
PInkie only smiled as she added her own little thing. “May you find joy today to help you reach next year.” It seemed that it was a Pie saying for a birthday as none of the other ponies sang it. Although Luna did blush a little at how she had been included into the song. She only smiled as the ponies dragged William into the middle of the group as they began to chat with him and really make him feel welcomed.
Luna blinked as the sound of a record started from the gramophone as it began to play something that caused William to pause as he stared at the music. It was jarring as William’s memories activated in her head and she had a word pop into her mind. She looked confused as she looked William as William Howard looked at her. They both looked to Pinkie.
“Pinkie,” William began with a slow almost scared tone to his voice as the music started to build. “Where did you find this?”
Pinkie only blinked. “Well, I found it outside when I first came to Ponyville, and yet, funny thing is that I forgot I had it. it sounds foreign and so maybe it might be something you like.”
William only nodded. “It came from my world.” He admitted causing gasps around the room. “In fact it came from a nation that for a long time was considered the enemy of my nation.” He moved to the vinyl disk that was playing the song. “The song is called Hymn to the Red October, Red October was a revolution that brought the leading political power into control of the largest nation in the world. My homeland could fit into the nation of Russia without a problem, including the island state of Hawaii and Alaska.” He looked at the disk as the music slowly faded away before it started from the beginning. “How odd.” he muttered as he looked at the disk wondering if something was turned into, he blinked at the crazy thought. That this disk was maybe a lost digital copy of the song. He turned around and looked at the ponies. “It also today is associated with an amazing story of deception, false flags, and unknown intentions.” He smiled as he moved to look at Pinkie. “Can, May I borrow it?” He paused and wondered just why he thought about digital information like he did. Maybe because he thought it almost magic being able to send data around the world without it taking up a physical form like the vinyl in front of him.
Pinkie only smiled. “Oh sure you can have all the records I have been finding around, maybe you can find more songs from your home on them.” She hopped up to him. “Consider it my birthday present to you from me.”
Luna only blinked. “Where and how long have you been finding them?”
Pinkie Pie only blinked a little as she looked to Princess Luna. “Well, the disks as I call them seem to appear in the everfree forest, and that is about it.” She smiled. “Nope nothing else, just disks with songs on them I think.” it seemed she had answered a question that Luna had been about to ask. She smiled a little. “Come on. I want to teach William some Pony games.”
Luna only smiled a little as she moved to watch the first game. Which happened to be Pin the Tail on the Pony. It was a rather interesting pony on the sheet of paper and a second later she realized that Pinkie Pie had placed her own image onto the sheet of paper with cardboard cutouts of her curly tail. Luna only smiled as she realized that this might be a little bit of a way to calm Williams nerves about the game. Even though Humanity had a game similar to this already.
She smiled and was actually shocked when William decided to pull her into the game. That moment Luna saw the room was silent in shock as the alien being was trying to invite Princess Luna to a party game. She only smiled and stepped up. “I guess the fun has been doubled.” She replied as she looked to the others as to remind them of Nightmare Night. This led to a nice time as ponies and one human, as well as the two dragons were soon trying to not see who got the closest but got the most hilarious part. Needless to say, Rainbow Dash won the most hilarious as she somehow got her tail stuck to the ceiling after Luna spun her around a little too much.
the group slowly moved from pin the tail on the pony to another party game that became a rather interesting event of guesses. Charades. From Luna and William trying to make allusions to either Captain America to Wolverine. One guess for Captain America had been a ballerina. To Pony only things. Either Commander Hurricane, which was Rainbow Dash, She was rather frustrated when William had guessed a swirling leaf in fall. Still it was viewed as good fun as usually after a failed event or rather a what? look of one group to another to the person asking. It lead to information being shared.
William groaned as he rubbed his face. He had just finished trying to describe a submarine, which proved entertaining in its own right. However even fun like this could wear on the nerves of those present. Still one thing that seemed the same was Opera singers. which was grateful for.
Pinkie Pie seeing what was happening only smiled. “Okay everypony, Present time. Now I made sure that it was just us, so as not to scare William, nor get all of Ponyville into a freak out over what to get our guest of honor but still… I want to see William’s reactions to how well we guessed what he would like. Being from another world and all.”
William only smiled a little at the comment. “That would be a fun little event.” He paused and blinked a little to hide some tears. “First time away for a birthday.”
He slowly walked to the table and found a few boxes wrapped in colorful paper and bows. He noticed something else, the color blue and black was predominant. he looked to the others with a confused look. “Let me guess, because I am a boy?”
“No silly,” Pinkie Pie laughed as she pulled a present from under the table. “Its because you hang out so much with Princess Luna we all thought to just use night colors.”
William only smiled as he knelt down to the ground and looked at the rather large box. “Uh, should I be worried with your name on this?” He asked Pinkie Pie.
“Oh no, I thought that you might enjoy this older model then I would, go on, open it.” She whispered with joy as she hopped up and down. With a shrugged William pulled on one strand of the bow. A second later the box blew up in an explosion of confetti that knocked William back, He coughed and found that a little bit of Equestrian physics had now affected him. He coughed out a little bit of confetti himself before blinking as he saw the item where the box had been.
“That’s a party Cannon.” William muttered.
“Yep, same one that I used to battle the Changelings, what with you going to war and everything I thought that you might need some weaponized parties for those nasty Nightmares.”
Luna actually smiled. “Well, that could work, as laughter and fun is a viable weapon against the Nightmares.” She seemed a little surprised at Pinkie Pie’s forethought but only smiled. “I shall keep the cannon in easy access for William as well as any pony that he deems in need of access to said Party Cannon.”
“Okie Dokie Lokie.” She replied cheerfully as William looked over the packages and picked one up with Twilight’s Cutie Mark on it. He smiled as he realized what it was. “Books. I love books.”
The sound that came next was surprise from the other five, a knowing smile from Luna and the giddy dance from Twilight as William opened up the wrapping paper that thankfully did not blow up in his face. Still there in his hands he was able to read the titles of two books. “Equestrian Tactics from Commander Hurricane to the Rise of the Wonderbolts.” he paused and found something else. “Royal Officer Training Cadet Guidebook.” He found that it was a small book between the two hard bound ones. He opened it up and found something on the inside cover.
“To William, may this book help in knowing how our military works so you have less time fitting in. Also good luck in keeping General Luna in line with her chance to flex the military. Signed Shining Armor.”
Twilight only smiled. “That is a new edition, Shining must have gotten a few extra copies when he ordered them for the Crystal Empire.” She smiled as she bowed her head as William read the next book.
“Equestrian Myths and Legends, a Complete Guide.” William read out loud. “Well with what I am facing and you six are cleared on. I think this will be coming in handy, after all, Nightmare Moon was considered a legend, as well as Discord.” This brought some laughter from the others. Still he smiled as he placed the books into a side bag that Princess Luna pulled out from thin air from a teleport spell. “Thank you Luna.” William replied with a nod of his head.
He moved to another part of the table that had apples on the tag, the ribbons, and the wrapping paper. “Okay I can guess who wrapped this one.” William spoke with a laugh as he took the paper and after untying the bow on the top, he ripped the paper off to show a wooden crate. In confusion William moved to push the lid open to show jars of Zap Apple Jam. “Woah. This, thank you.” William replied in shock.
“Not a problem Sugarcube.” Applejack replied with a sweep of her front hoof. “Just thought that as an alien it might be interesting to see what you think of Zap Apples.” She moved a hoof now to push the stetson up a little. “Now just let Granny and I know what you think of it when you try it.”
William only nodded. “I shall do that.”
this caused the ponies to smile a little as they looked at each other before Fluttershy surprised William by stepping forward and picked up one box and turned to give it to him. She dropped it into her his hands. “I thought this might help you while on your own, just nature if you are not careful or know what you are doing could outright kill you.”
William only blinked as he opened the wrapping and opened the box as he found he had to place it on the table. “Madame Maple Leaf’s guide to plants and wildlife of Equestria.” he cracked the cover open and blinked at the hoof written note. He looked up at Fluttershy who only blushed and hide behind her mane. William only smiled. “Thank you Dame Fluttershy.” he replied as he placed the book on the table to find something else, a metal camping tea set, a small wooden box he was sure had tea in it, as well as a cook book. “Dang. I am going to be spoiled in the field.”
Luna only smiled. “Truth, one should be carrying small items from home, and tea is a good way to purify the water you find in the wilderness.” She only kept that cryptic smile as Twilight smiled and nudged Rainbow as she pushed another package, this one badly wrapped and seemed to be held together with a lot of tape. He chuckled a little.
“Now this brings back memories of my family, no one in my family can wrap nicely to save their life, well my mother can. This is what I see at..” He smiled wistfully. “Thank you Rainbow Dash, it reminds me of what I will be fighting for.” he looked to Luna who only shook her head about what he realized was a guess. He pushed his mind away from those thoughts and took to unwrapping the gift to show something that surprised him. “These are,” he started.
“Now before you go and get worried.” Rainbow Dash replied. “I thought you might like some reading other than manuals and so I got these from good friends. Sorry they are not the best shape but its what I could get.”
She was shocked when William hugged Rainbow Dash who pushed back and seemed annoyed. “Don’t do that, sheesh you could have hurt my feathers.” She was also trying not to show that she didn’t mind the hug.
“Sorry, it is just, Well from what I heard you are a big fan of this series, thank you for them.” he smiled as he looked around. “I might need to get a small wagon to go home with.”
“Nay, we shall have some of the guards coming into town later tonight gather them up to be transported back to the castle.” Luna responded. “Today you celebrate and enjoy today. This is the day you were born and with friends about, today should be celebrated. For all the glory and failures of the last year one is older and wiser.” Luna replied with another of her cryptic smiles that actually caused William to like.
Rarity only nodded as she brought a small box that William realized was a fabric box. “Oh wow.” he replied as he wondered what was in it. He slowly yet again opened it by undoing the paper and then after a little while in trying to open the flimsy box he found tissue paper and something else that surprised him. He had in fact this entire time been wearing his ACU uniform from earth here. Playing up the role of foreign advisor to Equestria. In fact he figured that he was attending a celebration for visiting and not a birthday party. Then again it was Pinkie Pie and the town would be unsurprised that Pinkie had found the birthdate of an alien.
He paused his thinking as he looked at what was in the box. He looked up and back down. What was in the box was a black scarf sash type thing that he realized would go around his human Lunar Guard uniform rather nicely. He looked to Luna, who was only smiling at Rarity.
“I see you know your uniform history, this is still an accepted piece of officer wear for those in my guard, one that can be worn by human and pony.” William knew she made the human rule on the spot. “Both are worn around the waist. I also see you added some details that would make my own present usable.”
Luna turned to William and looked him up and down like a general appraising an officer. “Cadet Captain William Howard of the United States Army.” She ignored the slight flinch of William at still be calling a Cadet Captain. “It is by royal decree, and as a visual sign of this decree, we present you with this blade. The blade you used was not fitted for you, and was more for show than anything. We have spend nights crafting this blade so as not only be usable only as your human form, but will morph with you to your disguise which those in this room will either know,” she turned to the female dragon who had followed them. “Or soon shall know.” She lifted from her magic a long polished cherry red wood box. She opened it and William saw an ornate blade with the motif of the moon and stars. “Let this be seen as a sign of the degree, that all military function that is to be attended by I, Princess General Luna, shall have either Nightstar or Thyself be my escort to such functions until such time as you shall return to your home realm.”
Here she lifted the blade with her magic and swung it in the air before touching to William’s shoulder, first his right and then his left. after doing so she attached to William’s side a metal sheath and the blade itself. it rested nicely on William’s hip and he even put a hand on the handle of the blade. He smiled softly and gave a small bow to Princess Luna. One that she knew was due to her being a friend and a confidant. Not a ruler of a nation. She smiled and tilted her head in return to William.
The others only smiled and moved a little to stand around the table. William only smiled and looked to Luna as he was surprised when Luna spoke as if voicing the question he was about to ask. “I think William as a gift of his own in thanks, will be willing to answer any questions you have, and as my sister has told me, you all have some of the highest clearance. So please ask away. Just remember we have a unvetted Dragoness in the room.”
The six ponies and one dragon only nodded their heads. It was spike who spoke first. “Are, are there any dragons from where you come from?” He looked a little nervous.
“No,” William responded as he sat down. “There are no dragons at all roaming Earth. You were in fact my first dragon to meet, and she was my second batch of up close dragons.”
Spike only nodded his head while he smiled. He paused and asked another question. “I see you look at my gems are they food in your world?”
“No,” William stated with a blink before he laughed. “They are very rare and considered valuable. IF anything what you eat in your bowl would be considered a small fortune in my world, one reason why I worry what will happen when I go home.”
Twilight only laughed. “That is silly, anything you bring with you would be considered valuable and sought a.” Here she paused and blinked. “I am guessing you hope to have a level headed leader in charge? You did mention you have elected officials, how is that? Isn’t it chaotic without immortal rulers?”
“Maybe to you, but to me, a human that grew up in his world, it is amazing you can voice your opinion, state what you want to state without reprimands and if you disagree with the government you can voice it. That’s the fun of my nation and other nations of enlightened thought, folks can disagree with one another and not risk being imprisoned, captured, or made to disappear into the mists of nothingness.” he paused as he saw the blank looks. “Killed, most likely killed or solitary confinement for all your life. Nastier places would not just stop with you but your family, your children, your aunts and uncles.” He sighed. “But those are nations that are on the down swing when I left, places no longer taken seriously, yes with concern but mostly humor at the same time.”
Rainbow Dash smirked. “What is the powerfullest plane in your world? The highest reaching manned flight?”
William actually smiled. “The fastest plane can go about four thousand five hundred twenty miles an hour.” he spoke, “Or by Imperial Metrics Standards, Seven Thousand two hundred seventy four Kilometers an hour. The highest manned flight would have been the Apollo program which traveled from our earth to the moon six times. That is a distance of two hundred thirty eight thousand nine hundred miles.”
Rainbow Dash just stared in awe and a little look of annoyance. That is until William finished with another sentence. “But no one has ever created a Sonic Rainboom.” William only smiled as the look of pride returned to Rainbow Dash’s muzzle.
William laughed a little at the expression before Pinkie jumped up and down yelling she was next. She only quieted down when William pointed to her and she grinned. “When was your nation founded so I can throw you a happy birthday America party?” She asked with a look of intensity.
“July Fourth. If I am here that long, I shall remember that, and before you ask any others, it is a picnic type environment with games and fun, with the night filled with fireworks all over the place.” William only smiled softly as he gained a glazed look as he remembered something from his memory. “IT was amazing to see, and to realize and know that in a way the nation started so much change in the world, no one denies that the United States shifted the World.”
Twilight only blinked a few rapid times. “How could one nation shift the world? Did it make it too cold? Too hot?”
William chuckled stopping Twilight from any more questions. “I meant in a political world stage manner. After the United States won the war, at the cost of General Benedict Arnold’s life in the third invasion of Canada. King George sent his brother Edward to become King Edward the first of Canada. King George the Third became Emperor George the First, while Scotland was allowed to reinstate its own king as long as they remained allied to England. That brought in King Richard Stewart the first of Scotland. Ireland in realizing what was happening, did something that some in their own nation both applaud and boo, they asked to be admitted as a Kingdom in the empire, thus the kingdom of Ireland under Queen Adelaide was created. England accepted King William the fifth as their king. King George while having taken on what was honestly an almost honorary and no power role, he effectively ended any other chances of Royal lands every declaring independence as they were independent in they had their own monarchy, but were still tied to the Emperor's family. Also, as an aside, Wales was returned to Ireland’s control as a sign of good faith to seal the deal of their Kingdom rights.”
He shook his head. “That moment changed everything. Because of the united islands and Canada. When the French Revolution occurred, Well that is another story as well. ALong with the sacking of our capital.” he paused. “I have over two hundred years of history, from the Spanish crisis of the Crown, to the American’s actions in the Caribbean, to… our not so pleasent actions during westward expansion.”
Rainbow Dash only looked amazed. “You, wow you might have impressed Commander Hurricane.” She muttered. “The Pegasi were fierce warriors before the Wendigo's, at which point they became the first line defense of Equestria until Discord’s rule.” She blinked and looked at Twilight. “I have been hanging around you too much Egghead.”
Luna only smiled. “What Dame Rainbow Dash was going to say to finish was that after Discord, the military was in shambles and I took upon my wings to rebuild it.” She looked down and her wings sagged a little. “However as peace occurred and the failure in the Crystal Empire, the ponies grew not only jaded, but spurned my court. I wanted to bring something to them that would win back the old admirations and you saw where that led me to.”
William only nodded. “Yeah, I meet their leaders but not that order.” He shivered a little. “Still what I would like to know is, well, some things about Ponyville.” he shuffled his feet a little.
Pinkie only smiled as she took a deep breath, “Well,” What followed was a half hour of Pinkie Pie speaking at such a high speed and rate that barely anyone could even keep up. let alone the author trying to write it.
Pinkie Pie only smiled and seemed to make a weird face at a mirror before looking at her friends. “Come on, I think we have things to do.” She paused. “Actually you two can go, I want to talk to my friends about something that might happen.”
William only blinked but Luna only nodded, grimly looking at Pinkie Pie. “Very well, only because I wish to speak to William about some private matters any way.”
She turned around and began to clip clopping away. “Come Cadet Captain. There is some important matters that must be spoken of,” She looked to the female Dragon. “Sapphire please return to the fort with your cohorts and we shall meet with thee later for some of your own training and requests for help.”
William followed Luna and Sapphire out the door and onto the street running in front of Sugarcube Corner. Sapphire looked around before she took to the air, William only walked up to Luna’s side.
The two walked in silence for a while, just heading towards what William could see as grass land to the south of Ponyville.after a while, Princess Luna paused and looked to William. “William Howard, highest ranked human in Equestria, I wanted to bring you out here for something.” She turned to look to the horizon. “As we discussed, we will not be working on sending you home till after the coming war is finished.” She only hesitated for a second. “However with how the Nightmares brought you here, using spells and magic that are seeped so deeply in the dark magic, that you had a Nightmare placed in your own mind in transit, we do not yet even know if we can send you back home. There is mirror travel, yet those do not bode well in returning to your exact home.” She did not turn, did not risk turning to face William. “I tell you this now so that you will not have a false hope fighting in the war. I do not want you to think that my sister and I shall always have the answers to the universe.”
She expected many things from William, what she did not expect was for William to step up into her field of vision and looked to the sky. “I could die in the war.” William spoke, starting his response, his voice never rising nor showing much anger. “I could fall to the Nightmares and you would have to kill me to keep Equestria safe. Maybe the reason why I ask not to work on the way home was because I was thinking more that I would not live past the war.” He smiled a little. “Thank you however for wishing to give me the truth, no matter how unvarnished. Thank you for also confirming a dark fear I have, yet I see you are scared and sorrowing over the fact I may be the first human here, and the first human to be buried in your cemeteries.” He looked back to Ponyville. “Many Americans rest in cemeteries in Europe, having died to end an empire that wished to see a religious sect of humans wiped from the face of the earth.” He paused and smiled. “Americans, at least the way I choose to believe, we are willing to give our life for freedom, not just our own, but for people who we never met before, nor lived close to them.” He began to walk again, towards a lone tree on a hill. “Others will say other things about America, about humanity, and what our path should be. Still, what you are learning I warn you again, is the bias of one man.”
Luna only have a snicker like laugh. “As I am well aware of. Thou hast seen the varying opinions of not just my men, who wanted you in our darkest dungeon. To those that see you as a bringer of peace and prosperity.” She smiled at the way those words froze William, “Yet in the same paper, there are others who fear you are the front of an invasion that will see all of Equis enslaved to your empire.”
William bowed his head. “And yet all of those can outright be true, the medical technology we have could help, our communication skills and tech as well.” He turned around to Luna. “Why do you put up with me?” he asked, surprising Luna. “You saw my mind, you saw how… war like humanity can be. You know that humanity could outright go to war with you just because we fear you.” He chuckled. “Don’t think Celestia’s sun bombs would scare us, we would still send men into the affected areas nonetheless.” He looked at Luna. “Humanity scares even me, I have seen the darkest hearts of humanity.”
Princess Luna only smiled and walked up and placed a wing on William’s head, her expression of all things sad. “Yes, yet thou shouldst know that we also saw that you have forgiven humanity, that you choose to look at the purity of their goals, of their dreams. The need to do better.” She slowly settled down so she was laying down on the ground. “You defend those around you because you know they can do better.” She smiled and looked right at William, eye to eye. “You are a defender. You for this short time even has become my own defender in a way, though it is not by skin, but by wing, fur and hooves you are my defender.” She only smiled. “You use your skills and energy to defend others because you do not want others to face the pain you saw yourself. Why do you think I have taken a more active role with the military upon my return? I too wish not to see the Nightmares take any more of my little ponies, I lost the moon to them, I shall not lose my sister’s home to them now.”
She looked to the sky and the sun which was slowly moving to the horizon. “Still, I think it is time that before we both go to war, that you know my full name. I prefer to go by General Princess Luna. To you in a setting like this, Luna. Still, you have earned just by time spent here, to know my name. My name is Luna Nocturna Galaxia Spectrus.” She smiled a little. “The royal house is that of Spectrus.” She slowly got up from the ground. “Come, we should return back to the castle, tonight, I need to not only speak to my sister about something she is planning, it is time that the orders be opened for the coming war.” She sighed softly with a strange look on her muzzle that William realized was disgust. Luna could see he had read her facial expression. “I am only disgusted in that we have to open a packet of which I never wanted opened.”
William did not know what to say, nor what to do. All he knew was that the rest of the trip back to the castle was done in silence and his mind starting to churn over what he realized were a triggered memory. He had Luna’s ancient battle plans in his head and he blinked. He did not like the prospect of what else might be lurking in his mind from when he had given his mind up for Princess Luna to cleanse of the Nightmares. He took a deep breath but finally let his mind off the leash and allowed those memories to flow through his conscious mind, hoping to glean something from them that he could use here, as well as maybe marrying what Luna knew and what he knew of military tactics from Earth.
The silence that William did expect to last to the castle, did not last as Luna asked a question out of the blue. “Tell me about this Sacking of your Capital?” William’s feet stumbled a little as his breath hitched a little. “This would surely have colored the opinion of your nation towards your allies and neighbors.”
William only nodded his head slowly. “Of, of course.” He took a breath. “King Edward the First of Canada, combined with the might of the Royal navy of the United Kingdoms of Scotland, Ireland, and England. under the direction of King George the fourth, had decreed that any Subjects of the crown after the formation of the United States could and would be pressed into service of the Royal Navies.” He shook his headd. “Even with proper papers hundreds of American were pressed into service, and back then, the service they were pressed into was a death sentence in of itself. Very few of those pressed into service every left ship alive.” He shook his head. “The sacking of our capital occurred during the War of 1812, a war where the United States outright demanded the stop of their own sailors being pressed into the service of the Crown, as well as the confiscation of vessels to pay for past war debts of the French and Indian War. The Kingdom of Canada’s merchant fleet was bolstered by a third due to that tactic.” He closed his eyes and his fist clenched. “The Canadian Royal Army attacked three months after the start of the war, broke through the lines and forced the United States first Army westward into the state of Virginia, they regroup at Valley Forge, a second time actually. They then looted the entire capital, We were able to smuggle out a few items, the great seal, the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution, everything else was left. There was no time to save the three paintings of George Washington, and General Arnold. Those were looted frame and all and hang in the National Art Gallery of Quebec now. The china is said to be used to this day by the Royal Family, and entire fortunes were carted off in gold, silver, and gems.” He looked at the horizon. “Those fortunes went to pay the army, so by the time the war even ended it was dispersed among hundreds of men and families.”
Luna could see a change, a marked change. “The reason why the White House is called the White House was caused by what came next. They burned the entire city to the ground.” He took a deep breath. The buildings were gutted but they remained intact, that is why we whitewash the entire city, to hide the damage of fire that occurred that night.”
Luna blinked in shock. “They burned your capital to the ground?” She looked angry suddenly. “They should pay for that injustice. Surely they returned the paintings.”
William blinked. “I said they hang in the Royal Art Gallery of Quebec. They almost got the founding documents but time and again we were able to slip them away.” He did smile a little. “If anything the lose of DC galvanized the nation to fight, and.. while we never got the treasurer of DC back. Nor the plates our first bills were printed from. The end of the war saw a defeat of a combined military at New Orleans and the United Kingdoms finally having to respect our right to the sea. We won our right and final recognition of being a sovereign nation. But we lost a lot to Canada. Thankfully they did return the Constitution to us after the war.” he paused and looked to Luna. “That was a famous frigate in the United States Navy.”
Luna only smiled to herself as she listened to William, she knew that this was a little pointless, she already knew this information. Stilll, having asked the question had another purpose, to distract William from the shifting shadows in the trees. She did not know if it was her own mind playing tricks but she felt it wise to keep him from noticing the oddity. However the cause of the shaodews came to manifest as her sister walked out of the trees, her own muzzle in a frown.
“Luna, William.” Celestia muttered softly as she joined the group. “I hope I did not startle you too greatly.” She smiled as she took up a stance on the otherside of William and Luna felt something in her heart and mind. She realized something, it was because of how close Celestia had been walking next to William, she pushed the emotion away. Of course she would walk that close, they were protecting William from the Nightmares.
William had only paused and smiled a little. “hello Princess Celestia, I hope you are having a good day.”
“I am, I was informed by a letter by my student that today was a birthday celebration? I hope it was, a acceptable celebration.”
William only smiled with a nod of his head. “Yes it was, I must say that it was fun. Though some of the gifts were a little practical, which I can’t complain about, just it feels weird that, I will have to be leading troops into the field shortly.”
Celestia only nodded. “Why not command the home guard if you feel uncomfortable leading the troops in the field?”
William paused momentarily. “No, thank you your majesty, but I feel that Princes Luna if she stays on my flank or rear, with me acting like a bait to the enemy, it could lead to a quick end to the war, the Nightmares want me, the want me to the point they could outright ignore all over military moves. So give them a nice opening, and we can catch them.”
Celestia only smiled a little. “They why not just stay in the open and let us just catch them?” She paused at the look between Luna and William.
“Sister,” Luna began. “The reason why I am pushing this, is for one reason. The Nightmares somehow know of a way to find the lost cities. The Oasis in the Sands of Time.” She spoke and Celestia, William noticed paled. “The Military might will force them to take the land and start their digging at that city sooner than they would want, and when we strike it will be not only a blow to the Nightmares, but also, be a boon to our knowledge base.”
William nodded his head. “Also, I Am the most expendable of those that the Nightmares want. IF needed you can drop your sun bomb on my location and it would not affect the order of the planet.” he did not see Luna’s expression of horror.
“No,” She shook her head. “I shall not let you throw your life away like that, think a little more then that, we could not do that if you end up in the city itself, there are legends of untold artifacts that if outright destroyed, may very well bring the end of the planet as well. Celestia’s full power is not an option.”
Celestia only blinked as she could hear a tone underneath the one she was sure William was hearing, not only was Luna agast that a creature of such short life would want to throw any of it away, she could. She sighed in her mind as her wings drooped a little. She would have to speak to her sister tonight about just what she was seeing.
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4914014
huh...wierd...
4914014
odd, I recall replying to this.
I guess it got ate in the net then.
Well yes, but I would like to also remind that this is my head cannon so sizes could be different then from others.
I do like the photo images though. Awesome job.
Reviewed this story, and I'm afraid I'm going to have to reject it due to its grammar. I have written my review here.
I really hope you get an editor on this one, though, because despite everything, it was a nice story: it's just that the grammar was too hard to follow, and made this a real effort for me to read.
If you review the grammar and writing, please let me know, and I'll take a second look.
I gess dis is a side projekt? But still its very good and i wonder watt will happen nexst.
And kepp upp whit your work XD