A human veteran of the Griffon Empire's Legion escapes to Equestria with his sister in the wake of a civil war. Together with his sibling, he strives to make the best of his second chance, all while being haunted by the past that follows him.
A former legionnaire of the Griffon Kingdom, Walter Barnes, along with his older sister, immigrate to Equestria after war breaks out in their homeland. Although he fully intends to make the best of his second chance at life in a new country, Walter can't help but find himself surrounded by mystery after moving into a house shared by six roommates, all of which just so happen to be the Elements of Harmony. While battling his inner demons, Walter desperately tries to move forward and put his haunting past behind him, unaware of the adversity that awaits him.
All sound from the world around him bled to silence, occasionally the whisper of a train horn managed to slip pass the walls of melody which clogged his ears, though as quickly as they came they would dissipate into the cloud of music that blared from his headset. He sat alone in a train booth, his knees hugged against his broad chest while the shadows of dancing canopies slithered past his still figure.
Hope had been drained from his narrow eyes, leaving with him a shallow facade decorated not with emotion, but dejection manifest.
Licking his sudden dry lips, he pauses a moment to offer a glance to the letter delivered to him by the Human Conservation Association. The organization had approached him with a proposition, the suited mare who delivered said letter had paraphrased its contents. Essentially, the HCA had learned that a refugee, Walter, had fled the Griffon Empire to avoid the horrors of war. They offered protection, financial support, housing, but in return he would essentially become property of the HCA, akin to that of a parent-offspring relationship.
Drawing his narrow brown eyes across the envelope sealed by a wax embroidery, Walter molested the paper construct in deep thought, his thick fingers tracing a non particular pattern across the envelope's flesh. Pursing his lips, he furrowed his brow and decided to open the letter and read its contents, admittedly curious of further information.
Dear Walter Barnes,
It has come to our attention that you are a human refugee with acceptable qualifications that fall under our special criteria of citizens in need. You will be granted access through the Equestrian border upon agreement that your first stop will be HCA main headquarters.
We will discuss matters as to how you will be compensated for your unfortunate circumstances and provided housing and financial support.
No matter what age you are, or what job you get, you will never cease to receive our support. Further information of proposition will be discussed in person at HQ. Please enjoy your train ride, we are here for you Mr. Barnes.
Sincerely, Snow Drop, Vice President of Refugee Affairs.
"Hmph" Walter mumbled, clicking his tongue absentmindedly as he read over the letter.
They sounded sincere enough, although ponies do have a notorious habit of being more nice than they actually are. For the majority of his life, he has lived within the confines of the Griffon Empire. He had heard small bits of rumors and stories of Equestria, but most of it being biased mockery of the supposed 'softer' and 'hypocritical' neighbors to the west.
The only time he managed to gather more information about Equestria is when he and many other preteens his age were drafted into the required service time amount; a law where at the age of twelve all capable children must enroll into a small police branch of the military. He had served the minimal three year requirement before being allowed to return home, and during his service he only learned of Equestria's history of subjugation of the thestrals in olden times and how advanced their military might has grown since the Great War.
"Equestria, huh?" Walter mumbled as his deadpan eyes lazily danced across the letter before shifting towards the window to his right.
"It looks nice... You would've liked it" Walter said as he pinched a worn photo from the table before him, examining it closely.
The photo contained a mature man, about his mid thirties. Of course judging by how young Walter and his older sister were in the photo, the man is much older now than he was then. He stood around six feet tall, tired yet happy chocolate brown eyes, and a thick bushy beard that is well trimmed to compliment his masculine jawline. He is dressed in a plain white tank top and camouflage pants with combat boots, subtly hinting towards military background.
"So happy..." Walter commented on the photo, his eyes sinking into the joy held between the members of his family.
After gazing emptily at the photo for what felt like minutes, Walter tucked the photo into his wallet, returning the leather contraption to his pants pocket. Resting his heavy arms on the table, Walter gave a low groan, locking eyes with an invisible opponent of a nonexistent staring contest seated before him.
An image was missing from this train cabin, it was his older sister Jessica. Walter had to board a train separate to the one of his sister, there were so many people trying to evade the war, and many of the Imperial Guardsmen had arrived to cherry pick the deserters out of the crowd. Walter is unsure as to where the train is scheduled to reach, all he knows is that she will be somewhere in Equestria, most likely far from where he is going.
The passenger he had been traveling with since boarding had left at a stop long ago, leaving Walter to his own devices. He enjoyed the peace, it helped him relax, yet it also allowed the silence needed for reality to sink in. He most likely is never going to see his father again, who knows how long it'll be until he is reunited with his sister.
Dragging a breath of air into his lungs, the large man decides to lay his head in silent defeat upon his pillow of arms, adjusting slightly in his seat so he was more comfortable in his hunched over form. With a final draw of breath, Walter exhales slowly, welcoming the embrace of slumber.
Walter is awoken from a sudden jerk forward, snapping awake he straightens his posture, blinking owlishly at the empty seat before him. Once he had cleaned his vision of eye crust and the blur of sleep, Walter yawned and turned his gaze towards the window beside him. His eyes are greeted with the appealing sight of Canterlot Station.
Gathering his things, tucking the opened letter into his back pocket, Walter scooted out of the booth and exited the cabin. After grabbing his luggage, a suitcase and military grade backpack, Walter swallowed air deeply into his lungs, exhaling slowly. It was time, to live without his family, to live without happiness. He wondered how long he would last, living on the dwindling hope that he would one day be reunited with his family.
Deep down he knew it wouldn't happen anytime soon.
Walter made his way off the train, his luggage in tow. As expected he recieved odd glances and stares, whispers muttered in the distance. Equestria isn't exactly thriving with humans, spotting one is a rare sight to see in these parts, especially such a large one like Walter. He paid no mind to it, he assumed it was common for ponies, especially residents of Canterlot, to be wary of outsiders.
Walter wandered into the station's main hall, where ponies of all different colors meandered about, tending to their own devices. Things grew somewhat silent aside from a breeze of hushed indistinct whispers once Walter's presence was acknowledged. Humans aren't really as common as they once were, there are humans that live in Canterlot, but the majority of them work for the princesses and live within the Royal Palace.
Walter didn't care really, he's used to it by now. Being gawked at like the eighth wonder of the world isn't as bad as being looked down upon like diseased pests like he and his family were in the Griffon Empire.
Approaching the front desk of the station, Walter is greeted by the sight of a young mare clad in a crisp blue and white uniform outfit complete with a cutesy looking cap. Canterlot is the center of flashy fashion so it came to no surprise to see such a thing. Upon noticing Walter, the mare blinked in surprise. She gawked for a few brief moments of silence before clearing her throat, blushing out of embarrassment.
"Sorry sir, my name's Cloud, how may I assist you today?" the mare introduced herself, offering a sheepish smile.
"It's fine, I require a map of Canterlot and directions to the HCA main headquarters" Walter responded in a flat tone of voice, causing the mare to visibly flinch.
"R-Right then, let me get a map for you and show you how to get there" she said as she quickly scrambled to acquire a map.
After scrambling through her desk to acquire a map, she finally managed to find one. She researched the path to HCA main headquarters on her computer before drawing out directions for the large human. Once completed she handed him the map and the separate sheet of written directions.
"Thanks" Walter murmured as he grasped the papers between his bulky digits.
"Y-You're welcome sir, please have a good day" the mare replied and waved awkwardly as the human walked away.
Once Walter left the station, Cloud inhaled sharply and bit her bottom lip. Glancing over at her coworker, who had secretly taken several photos of the interaction, the two squealed quietly and giggled.
Outside the station Walter is greeted by the rather lively sight of Canterlot, a city bursting with colors, culture, and style. Everybody seemed to be rather cheerful and in high spirits, it was spring after all so all the markets and other local businesses were digging into the vibrant spring break themes.
Following the instructions that the mare gave him at the station, he managed to make his way to HCA headquarters, picking up some lunch along the way. Once arriving at the front desk, he was escorted to the third floor of the building where he was told to wait in a chair until this Snow Drop lady is ready.
Walter waited patiently, playing around on his phone for what felt like fifteen minutes or so when he heard the door to his right open up. Glancing over he saw an average sized beige cream colored mare dressed in formal attire approach him, her white mane tied back into a bun, a pair of maroon glasses sat comfortably upon her visage.
"Good evening, you must be Mr. Barnes, I'm Mrs. Drop" the mare greeted, extending her hand to him.
The mare nearly toppled backwards once Walter stood, standing about a foot and a half taller than her. She adjusted her glasses, her cheeks blushing red as she looked at him up and down.
"M-My, you're so big! Are you sure you aren't half minotaur?" she gasped, smiling up at Walter awkwardly.
That's what she said
"My mom and dad were just regular humans" Walter replied.
"I-I see, well then, lets speak in my office shall we?" Snow Drop said as she gestured to her office.
Walter nodded and entered the office with her, taking a seat in front of her desk. She began organizing a set of papers, occasionally glancing over at Walter who, to his own device, is scanning the room out of curiosity. Once she had her papers in order, Snow cleared her throat, bringing the attention of the large human man to her.
"Now then, we're going to be filling out your profile. I'll ask you a series of questions and you just have to answer as honestly as possible, okay?" Snow inquired.
"Affirmative" Walter replied flatly with a small yawn, scratching the scruff along his jawline.
"Right then, how old are you?"
"19"
"Date of birth?"
"May 15th, 1997"
"Oh, so your birthday is coming up soon? That's neat" Snow said as she scribbled information down on his file.
"Alright, what's your height?"
"One-hundred ninety-nine centimeters"
"Weight?"
"One-hundred sixty kilograms"
"Damn..." Snow muttered quietly to herself as she recorded this information onto his file.
"Hair color brown, eye color brown, Caucasian" she muttered to herself as she filled out some other basic info that didn't require his input.
"Sexual orientation?"
"Pansexual"
"Education?"
"Standard high school education, standard military training and education"
"Right then" Snow nodded, writing every bit of information down.
After some time passed, Snow Drop tucked his file neatly into her desk before pulling out a small collection of papers. Carefully glancing them over to make sure they are all there and in correct order, she cleared her throat and brought her eyes to meet Walter's.
"Mr. Barnes, I will now explain to you the purpose of the Human Conservation Association, if you have any questions feel free to speak up afterward" Snow Drop says as she then cleared her throat, licking her dry lips.
"Alright" Walter nodded.
"Well over five-hundred years ago, Discord unleashed a powerful chaotic spell that merged two different realities into one. Humans were thrusted into Equestria, and with them they brought weapons and technology beyond comprehension. Through Discord's influence, the humans waged war on Equus, leading to centuries of chaos. Luckily, with the power of the elements of harmony and the princesses, Discord was defeated, however he left one thing behind before his defeat: humans" Snow Drop began as she paused to take a drink of water.
"With what remained of humanity free of Discord's influence the princesses decided, instead of condemnation, they saw to it that humanity is rehabilitated and adjusted to their new life on Equus with the aid of equinity. Thus, the Human Conservation Association was created. Humans within the reach of the HCA have recieved countless of generous benefits and support, many humans under HCA guidance have lead successful and happy lives. In return however, humans must be appointed an appropriate guardian that will execute bi-monthly check-ups to assure that their human is doing well. The guardians will have the same rights and control as a parent would" Snow Drop paused, before scooting a contract towards Walter.
"Do you consent to the HCA and all guardians assigned to you are hereby granted paternal rights and power over you?" Snow Drop inquired.
Walter kept his quiet demeanor for what felt like a few minutes, he held an expression of deep thought as he contemplated his options. He knew this would most likely happen, however he has been preparing himself to do what he must to be accepted into Equestria, for his family's sake.
"If I feel a guardian is overstepping their boundaries and abusing their powers?" Walter inquired.
"You may report to the HCA headquarters and we'll relieve the guardian of their post and will be replaced by whomever you deem fit" Snow Drop responded.
"While under the authority of HCA am I still permitted to use my training to protect myself if I deem myself or others endangered by threats of any kind?" Walter inquired.
"Under the circumstance that your training meets Equestrian regulations. I know you've lived in the Griffon Empire all your life, but I must ask that you restrain yourself when the situation comes that you must defend yourself or others so that those who have committed the assault may be persecuted under the jurisdiction of Equestrian law" Snow Drop replied.
"I only stayed the minimal requirement amount, the only training I know is basic training" Walter explained.
"That's what concerns me. Griffon standards of basic training are far more gruesome than that of Equestrian basic training. To put it simply, we focus on subduing and surviving, Griffons focus on killing or be killed" Snow Drop retorted.
"Understood" Walter nodded, "I will restrain myself to the best of my abilities"
"Thank you" Snow Drop smiled.
The interview continued on with a few bumps and grinds here and there, but all in all it went rather well. Snow Drop had concluded the interview and had began to organize a temporary home placement until a more permanent residency is decided.
"Okay then, I've organized a temporary homestead for you to lay your head for a couple days until a permanent home is decided. You will be escorted by one Private Storm who will act as your Guardian until further notice. Any questions?" Snow Drop smiled as she placed all the files created today into a neatly sorted box of folders.
"Yes, just one. Where is my sister?" Walter demanded in a calm voice.
Snow Drop froze, pausing as if overcome with sudden paralysis. She managed to break free of her stillness and casted a disconcerting stare towards Walter.
He did not like the look she gave him, not one bit. It was a look of pity.
"What. Happened. To. Her" Walter demanded, his deadpan expression turning more serious and frustrated.
"Mr. Barnes, please remain ca-"
"Mrs. Drop if I was not calm I would've made a broken straw out of your neck right about now. Tell me where my sister is, I know you have some sort of idea about it. We were separated at Griffonstone Station, and I have the right to know where my family is" he demanded adamantly.
"Your sister is... Missing. Shortly after the train's arrival to Apple Loosa, her cabin was found vacant and it appears that there was a struggle; the room was a mess, but there's no sign that your sister was harmed... I'm sorry" Snow Drop hesitantly informed.
Walter's expression wavered between shock, fury, and anguish. It was an ugly amalgamation of the three powerful emotions, it was brief, but just catching a glimpse of said expression churned something in Snow Drop's chest.
"Mr. Barnes, Walter, I assure you that the HCA are doing the best we can to locate your sister. We will find her, I promise you" Snow Drop explained.
"...I'm going to make something clear to you, Mrs. Drop. I'll give you and your little club here a month to find my sister. She's a tough bitch, she's been in the Imperial Guard longer than I have. But if I don't start seeing satisfying results, I am going to push what skills I have to my fullest extent to find my family, and if I find out that a single strand of hair on her head is harmed..." Walter paused, before a dark and sinister grin spread across his face like venom infecting the bloodstream.
"Heads. Will. Roll" he muttered, causing a chilling sensation to crawl up Snow Drop's back.
Walter's expression returned to its normal deadpan visage, the image of that sinister smile burnt inside of Snow Drop's mind. He cracked his neck as he turned his back to Snow Drop, preparing to leave her office.
"Where is this Private Storm?" Walter inquired.
"She should be waiting for you in the main lobby, she's a black furred pegasus with blond hair" Snow Drop hesitantly responded.
"Affirmative..." Walter said as he opened up the door, before slowly turning his head to meet the gaze of Snow Drop.
"One month..." he coldly muttered before slamming the door shut behind him.
Walter emerged from the elevator that carried him from the third floor of the HCA facility, his expression frustrated and his posture stiff. He has grown tired of having what he cares about be torn away from him, he knows that his sister can survive the lower circles of hell without breaking a sweat, but that doesn't mean he can't be worried.
"Use the best of my abilities to find her... Yeah right, what the hell was I thinking?" Walter muttered quietly to himself.
"If my sister is in trouble what good is a weakling like me gonna do to protect her?" he criticized his earlier statement, it was originally intended as a bluff spoken only to push them to work harder, however if they truly cannot pull through on locating his sister then he's actually going to have to try all he could to find her himself.
"Me and my big fucking mouth" Walter hissed, resting his hands within his pockets while venturing onward towards the main lobby.
"Even if it was a bluff... I still must pull through. It's what Jessica would do for me..." Walter told himself as he finally made his way to the main lobby.
"I take it you must be Walter, aye?" a rather smooth and smoky woman's voice chirped up, bringing Walter's attention from his mulling to the sight of a mare standing before him.
The mare, a pegasus, stood tall before him, taller than Snow Drop at least. Her well combed fur shone an elegant hue of coal black, which complimented the white military fatigues that contrasted her black fur coat. Her frame was athletic, yet curvy. Her hips don't lie, neither does her chest. She brushed the bangs of her white mane out of her face, locking her emerald gaze with Walter's own harrowing oculars.
"Correct" Walter replied, ceasing his movement as the mare extended her hand to him.
"Private Swift Storm, it's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Barnes" she said, a small grin coming to her lips as Walter's paw engulfed her small nimble hand in greeting.
"I can't say it's a pleasure yet, we've only just met" Walter retorted, causing the mare to chortle with amusement.
"Follow me, wise guy" Storm ordered as she turned her back to Walter and began walking.
As Walter followed behind Storm out of the facility and towards the private lot where most of the staff vehicles are kept, he noticed that Storm would occasionally cast a subtle glance his direction. He took notice to this, but he didn't exactly pay much mind to it, he just distracted himself by examining the parking lot around him and the rest of Canterlot that lie ambient in the background.
"So, Mr. Barnes," Storm began.
"Call me Walter, Mr. Barnes is my father"
"Walter," Storm corrected, "What's your story?"
"Does it matter?" Walter inquired.
"Not really, figured I'd propose some small talk" Storm replied.
"Pick a different subject, then"
Storm grinned, raising a brow while turning her body fully towards him to meet his gaze. She gestured towards a rather pristine looking silver Chariot IV Explorer, a child of human vehicular technology adopted by ponies; rather than petroleum the vehicle is powered by magic. The closest comparison in appearance would be best described as a large Prius.
"Ladies first" Storm spoke, only to be met with an unamused stare from Walter.
After entering the vehicle Storm turned to Walter, starting up the car before speaking up.
"Franklin Jeremiah Barnes" she started, earning a sharp glare from Walter.
"What about him?" Walter muttered.
"He's quite the interesting man don't you think?" Storm inquired as she pulled out of the HCA parking lot.
Silence.
"Over twenty years spent in the military, he earned himself quite the fortune from the body count he amassed over the years that he serviced the Crown" Storm said as she pulled onto the main road.
Silence.
"Imagine, all of that honor and military pride lost after declining the privilege to wed royalty" Storm spoke, only to be met with deafening silence.
"He gave it all up for a mere worthless pe-" she was silenced by a massive hand wrapping around her throat.
Walter clutched her throat, his lifeless eyes seeping with unbridled fury. If he wanted to, he could crush Storm's throat like a flimsy plastic straw, but he didn't, he must've been holding back or otherwise Storm wouldn't have been able to speak up.
"So you are the Captain's boy" she grinned.
Walter glowered at her in silence before pulling his hand away, crossing his arms and shifting his glare forward.
"Cheer up kid, if I'd planned on bullying you the entire time I would be a bigger cunt than I already am" Storm informed him as she rubbed her sore neck.
"Not in a good mood" Walter growled, his narrow eyes still dark with animosity.
"I noticed, will some booze take the edge off?" Storm inquired.
Walter remained silent, raising an inquisitive brow towards Storm before shifting his eyes forward again.
"First you wanted to piss with me now you wanna date me?" Walter hissed.
"I only wanted to confirm whether or not you were his kid or not. It's not everyday that a bloke like you rolls in" Storm retorted.
"I'd only date ya if you can use your tongue as good as my marefriend can" Storm added with a cheeky smirk.
"No" Walter hissed, narrowing his eyes.
"So, will you tell me more about yourself or shall I press on with all the stories I've heard of your father?" Storm inquired, stopping at a red light.
"What exactly do you want to know about me?" he inquired.
"You know, hobbies, interests, topics that aren't exactly all that great but could lead to deeper conversation" Storm explained.
"So what, we're supposed to talk like we're friends?" Walter asked.
"I'm your guardian dip shit, I'm gonna either be your friend or the kind of cunt you need to get your life in order whether you want me to be around or not. It's your choice" Storm retorted.
Walter glanced over at her, slightly surprised. He isn't exactly a stranger to the hard-ass personality types, he just expected ponies to be more... Soft, then again Griffons are biased egomaniacs so relying on them for information is like arguing with a toddler. Walter kept quiet, clicking his tongue and staring out the window. He weighed his options, deciding to select the more easier route for him to take.
"I didn't have much growing up, after my father retired... He took up a collection of books and musical instruments from the palace that he used to educate my sister and I, along with any other neighborhood kid who couldn't afford proper education. Books, music, singing, sports... I guess those can be considered my hobbies" Walter said in a calm voice.
"Good hobbies to have, especially for a kid your age" Storm said, offering a friendly smile.
"You know how old I am?" Walter asked, tilting his head.
"I can see it, more or less, you have a baby face just like my nephew" she explained.
"Oh..." he mumbled, furrowing his brow.
The two continued idle chat for what felt like a half hour or so, stopping by a fast food joint to grab dinner before heading off towards the western housing district owned by the HCA. It's a moderately sized neighborhood used for both temporary and permanent housing for humans adopted into HCA's program. Guardian's are also allowed residency throughout the district, for the convenience of visitation.
Upon arriving to the temporary home, which appears to be occupied already, Walter and Storm exited the chariot with bags of fast food in tow. Storm lead Walter up the walkway, where she proceeded to knock on the front door and step back a few steps.
"Coming~" a young cheery voice called out.
Moments later, a young pegasus mare with a soft white-pink fur coat answered the door. She is dressed in a black tank top and pink sweat pants. She wore her cherry red mane back in a ponytail so her bangs wouldn't get in the way of her bright pink eyes. She smiled brightly upon seeing Storm, launching forward and hugging the taller pegasus by the waist.
"Swift! You're home!" the smaller pegasus cheered, her perky behavior changed however upon seeing Walter standing in the background.
"Swift... There's a giant hairless yeti standing behind you..." the small mare whispered, furrowing her brows quizzically at Walter.
"That's cute coming from a stick of gum" Walter retorted, causing the small mare to let out an exaggerated gasp, pretending to be more offended than she really should.
"It's Gumdrop, not stick of gum!" the mare spat, sticking her tongue out at Walter, who in turn just gave her a deadpan stare.
"Walter, Gumdrop. Gumdrop, Walter. I'm his current guardian, he'll be staying with us for a while until he's found a suitable permanent homestead" Storm explained to the smaller pegasus, petting her on the head.
"He looks meaner than the other humans we took care of" Gumdrop whispered, puffing out her cheeks.
"Don't worry Gummy, he just has a resting bitch face" Storm snorted, earning a scoff from the giant human behind her.
"Are we going to go inside and eat or stand on the porch and take a piss at me?" Walter hissed.
"Right right, lets go in and eat" Storm laughed, walking inside along with Gumdrop, Walter following in behind them while grumbling.
Late at night after dinner and pleasantries were exchanged, Walter made his way to the shower. It was later on that he discovered he'd forgotten his luggage at the HCA headquarters after storming out of Snow Drop's office. Until his luggage can be delivered to the temporary homestead, Walter would have to wear a robe while his clothes are being washed in the laundry room.
While in the shower, Walter stared emptily at the cubic pattern of tile that decorated the shower's interior. His mind wandered, traveling to the depths of his subconscious as soapy suds are cleansed from his body by the endless assault of hot water that shot from the shower head.
As he stared emptily into the shower head, tears began to burn his eyes, mixing with the hot water that rained upon his face. He bit his lip, drawing blood that slowly stained the water by his feet, fury and dread twisting his heart until he could not stand any longer. He fell to his knees, sobbing quietly as he held his sagging posture up by gripping the slick tile walls.
He wanted his father back.
He wanted his sister back.
But just like his mother, he feared the worst had happened. He is alone, at the mercy of ponies who pity him just because he is human.
Unable to think, unable to speak, Walter remained on the floor of the shower while he wept in silence, unaware that one of the other homestead residents were listening closely to his silent meltdown.
Thirty minutes passed until Walter had left the shower clad in a white robe, it was the most refreshing bathing session he has ever had considering all he had growing up was either a river of biting cold water or a tub of scolding hot water. Needless to say that despite the small secretive meltdown he had, he felt more refreshed than before.
He offered a glance towards the window at the end of the hallway, it seemed that day was done at last.
"Guess it's late" Walter muttered to himself before making his way downstairs and through the kitchen towards the laundry room.
The washer had completed its cycle, all that was needed now was to transfer his clothes to the dryer. After putting his damp laundry in the dryer, Walter ventured to the fridge and made himself a glass of cranberry-grape juice mixed with wine. He took his cocktail to the backyard patio where he could stargaze while he enjoyed a late night drink.
"Dad... You asshole" Walter hissed softly, taking a sip from his drink while holding an intense staring contest with the stars above.
"Oh, so it's alright for you to criticize your father but not I?" Storm's voice suddenly came as she leaned out the guest room window on the first floor.
"It's more complicated than that..." Walter muttered, offering a deadpan stare before returning to his stargazing.
Storm sighed, shaking her head as she closed the window and made her way through the house to the backyard patio, opening it and joining Walter outside where she pulled up a seat across from him. Walter continued to try and stargaze, however it was rather difficult to do when Storm's stare was burrowing into his mind.
"Your guest room is ready for you when you feel tired" Storm spoke, her voice much more gentle than before.
"Hmm... Thanks..." Walter mumbled, tapping his index finger on his glass before setting the drink down on the patio table.
An awkward silence held between the two for quite some time, Walter decided to take this as a cue to go to bed. He grabbed his drink, chugging it down before turning on his heels and heading towards the patio door. He was stopped however by Storm's hand firmly grasping his shoulder.
"What do you want?" Walter asked in a slightly frustrated tone, whipping his head around.
He is met with a warm smile and an even warmer gaze. Storm gently turned him around, grasping his much larger hands with her own smaller and softer ones. Walter jumped slightly when the pegasus gently pressed her body into his, her deep emerald eyes locking with his own lifeless brown hues.
He felt his defenses fall slightly as she rested her head on his chest. Walter simply stood there, stunned and confused from this sudden intimacy. It was sincere, and from the way he felt her heart race, this was surprising for the both of them. Storm smiled once she felt Walter's tension fall as his broad shoulders relaxed.
"I'm sorry for judging you so quickly" Storm began as she released his hands and slid her own around his torso to pull herself closer into the embrace.
Silence.
"I figured that since you were from the Griffon Kingdom, you'd be cruel and hard as nails, and I wouldn't be able to get much out of you without being the same way. I must have really hurt you when I spoke so awfully about your father" she said as she gently began rubbing his back.
Silence.
"It didn't take long for me to realize that... You're not the emotionless brute you put yourself out to be... You're much more than that" Storm said as she nuzzled her face against his pecs.
Silence.
"You're still a boy... You're scared, more so for your family than you are for yourself. I did some digging and I found out about your sister and... About your father. I'm sorry I was so insensitive" she whispered.
Silence, with the addition of a soft whimper.
"You've been strong for quite some time, haven't you? You kept strong to try and push others away, to try and prove that you didn't need their help... But in reality, you secretly want their help" Storm hummed as Walter slowly wrapped his arms around her.
"You don't need to be strong anymore, it's okay to rely on others. Rely on me, rely on Gumdrop, rely on any other friend you meet with the HCA. I know that others must only act nice towards you just because you're human, but some of us actually care about your well being, because we all have our demons. None of us are perfect, we're all incomplete pieces to a puzzle, but when we come together we create a masterpiece" Storm says as she listened to the strong beat of his heart pumping within his chest.
Storm decided to remain silent now, to allow them to bask in the intimacy they currently had together.
After what felt like an hour of embrace, Storm and Walter gradually pulled away from one another. Rather than being met with a cold dead stare from the giant human before her, she is met with a tired and miserable gaze. She offers a comforting smile as she reaches up and wipes the tears away from his eyes,
"We're all weak sometimes, it's okay to rely on friends and those you trust" Storm says as she caressed Walter's red and tired visage.
Walter lowered his head, nodding shortly in agreement.
"Come on now big guy, lets go inside and get some rest. You've had a long day, you deserve some good sleep" Storm said as she gently patted him on the chest, beckoning him to follow her inside.
Walter quietly complied, following the pegasus back into the house and to the guest room, where he lied down to rest to get the much needed sleep that he damn well deserved. Storm remained by his side, gently petting him on the head and humming a soft melody. She smiled as she watched the worn and distraught human before her slowly slip off into a deep and welcoming dream.
"Approaching Apple Loosa Station" an automated computer voice hummed through the static of the overhead speakers, informing the passengers of the train.
A collection of voices and casual chat began to flood the halls of the passenger cars, several ponies and griffons alike preparing to exit the train once it has reached it's stop.
Despite the gathering of voices exchanging conversation below, up above in the private cabins the chatter is almost rendered silent, only a soft muffled hum of idle voices managed to bleed through the walls of the personal abodes.
A simple eight by ten room complimented with a single bed, wooden panel wallpaper along with hardwood flooring added a rather authentic woodsman atmosphere. The calming scent of alpine candles filled the atmosphere, however, so did a powerful metallic copper odor.
Other residents within the upper car cabins had complained earlier of strange noises and a horrible odor emanating from the room. A staff member had been sent to go resolve the issue, but the stallion has yet to return from said room.
After pulling into Apple Loosa Station, security staff decided to go investigate the matter themselves, to solve this odor issue as well as the case of their missing staff member.
"What the hell is Steel doing? He already got chewed out for flirting with passengers" one security guard said, blowing a strand of her mane out of her face.
"I don't know, he hasn't had an incident in months after getting disciplined, why would he break his clean streak now?" the other security guard replied, adjusting his glasses after glancing over at his coworker.
"I swear to Luna if I find him fucking around again I'm gonna beat his ass" the mare security guard growled as they approached the cabin of suspect.
A fowl stench lingered around the door of the cabin, the odor was powerful enough to cause the two security guards to double take. There had been a few instances where a passenger had stunk up the entire area after an explosive case of number two, but this stench, it was something far worse.
"Fuck, what the hell is that smell?" the stallion security guard groaned, covering his muzzle in disgust.
"Get a sanitation crew up here, I have a bad feeling about this" the mare said as he dug through her vest until she found her skeleton key-card, swiping it in the lock before opening it.
There came a deafening silence, broken only by a shrill scream of horror...
Snow Drop stared blankly at the closed file she had just finished reading, a disturbed expression upon her visage. She took in a shaky breath, before exhaling in an attempt to calm her unsettled nerves. Closing her eyes, she removed her glasses and rested her face in her left hand.
"I have to notify the Princesses about this" she groaned, unsure of which she was more upset about: involving herself in something she felt she shouldn't, or the massive amount of paperwork that would follow.
Snow Drop drew in a more heavy breath this time, dragging her hand from her face and extending her index finger to her buzzer, connecting with her secretary.
"Miss Emerald, I need you to contact Pvt. Storm and inform her to retrieve Mr. Barnes for me. While you're at it, I need this Apple Loosa Station Incident report delivered directly to the princesses" Snow Drop spoke in a flat tone that could rival Walter's.
"Yes, Mrs. Drop" the secretary responded.
Snow Drop sighed, removing her finger from the buzzer and once more placing her hand on her face.
"Why did I have to stop drinking now?" Snow Drop groaned.
It had been twenty-four hours since Walter first graced Snow Drop's office with his presence, and twenty-four hours since he delivered a threat to locate his sister's whereabouts as quickly as possible, or else he would do something reckless. She had informed local law enforcement and had them keep an eye on Walter along with Pvt. Storm.
Although it was revealed later on that Walter's threat was empty, and merely a motivational bluff, Snow Drop did not cease to seek out as much information of Jessica Barnes' whereabouts as much as she possibly could. Her digging had lead her to... Interesting places.
Corporal Jessica [Raptor] Barnes, served ten years in the Imperial Guardsmen Special Forces before being dishonorably discharged along with Captain Franklin Barnes, has undergone both standard military training and special forces training before joining the Imperial Rangers after her promotion to Lance Corporal. That's about as much as she could dig up from her sources that isn't covered in black ink.
It appears that Corporal Barnes has had quite the impressive and successful military career along with her father, however mystery still shrouded as to why she was suddenly discharged along with her father. It is said that there was a scandal between Captain Barnes and members of the Crown, but nothing too specific had been released since the incident.
It appears dishonoring the Crown is explanation enough for the Empire's media.
It wasn't too long after Snow Drop finished going through what files she could get her hands on in regards of Jessica Barnes when a report from Apple Loosa came rushing in. There had been an incident in Apple Loosa and local law enforcement has done everything in its power to keep panic from spreading more than it had to. It wasn't until just recently that the HCA were able to retrieve a report on the incident to aid Snow Drop's personal investigation.
What she had come to learn disturbed her greatly.
By the time Jessica Barnes' train had reached Apple Loosa Station, said former Corporal of the IGSF had been reported to gone missing at an unknown time, however judging by the decay and odor that lingered from the corpses of mutilated griffon mercenaries, she had probably gone missing about three or so days before the train finally arrived at Apple Loosa Station.
Based on the report, Jessica Barnes had come under attack by the mercenaries in her cabin. After a few moments of struggle it seems she had miraculously overpowered the griffons and used their own weapons against them. Their throats had been torn from their esophagus and their entrails spilled before their knees. It isn't certain, but torture is suspected, most likely for information.
The corpses were discovered in the bathroom tub soaking in scalding hot water that had partially boiled the corpses in a broth of black moss. Jessica had gathered the majority of her belongings, stripping the cabin of whatever she may need to survive in the badlands before escaping out the window. It was most likely that whoever sent those mercenaries would be waiting at Apple Loosa to confirm if the job was completed or not.
The only thing Jessica left behind, was a pair of dog tags and a carving in the cabin's wood paneled walls that read 'Semper Familia', which translated from olden Equestrian tongue means 'Family Forever'. Upon finishing the report, Snow Drop knew that there was only one person who could make sense of all this.
But first, she must complete a mountain of paperwork that comes in tow with all the information she had dug up.
Two Days Later
Music boomed throughout the bar as collective voices of cheer laughed, sang along, and danced to the song that was being performed, although not professionally, quite well by a familiar large human drunkenly dancing upon the karaoke stage located near the center of the bar.
Walter hooted and laughed as he sang, accompanied by a few other drunken mares, including Gumdrop, who dirty danced along with a few other mares next to the large man as he shook his hips in a greatly exaggerated southern dance rhythm, mares and stallions from the crowd hollered and cheered Walter and his backup dancers on while Storm and many other members of the crowd recorded the scene before them on their respective smart phones.
"We don't care about the drinking, barely listen to the band, our hands they get to shaking when she gets the urge to dance!" Walter howled into the mic, doing his best cowboy accent as he sung while Gumdrop and the other mares on stage dirty danced with their rumps jiggling against his legs, often at times throwing his stance off balance, which only added to the hilarity.
Before the song could end, a strange mare from the crowd made her way on stage, pushing her way through Gumdrop and the other mares as she pushed Walter on a nearby stool, causing him to struggle from keeping his balance and continuing the song while the crisp orange-hued mare dressed in a flannel shirt, denim jeans, cowboy boots and a Stetson's hat grinds on his lap, causing the entire bar to roar in excitement.
By the end of the song, Walter had been booty bumped off of his stool, pressed against the wall behind him while the mare simply flashed her deep emerald eyes back at him and winked, stepping forward and removing her butt from his lap, adjusting her flannel shirt and tilting her Stetson's hat as she turned to greet him.
"Howdy" she greeted with a cocky grin.
Yes, hello? This is dog.
Walter stared at her in a drunken stupor for a few moments before she firmly patted him on the cheek to snap him to attention.
"Ya alright there, pardner?" she inquired, tilting her head with a smirk.
"Huh? Oh, yeah yeah, I'm good" Walter replied, scratching his beard.
"That was a mighty fine show you put on there" the mare said, her whisky breath brushing against his neck as she leaned in to speak into his ear.
"Thank you, I did my best" Walter replied with a goofy chuckle.
"How about we take that show to the next act back at my place?" she cooed, causing Walter's face to light up in awe and triumph.
His mental victory screech is interrupted however when Storm walked on stage and tapped Walter on the shoulder, holding out her phone to him.
"Sorry to interrupt, but Mrs. Drop is on the line and wants to speak to you urgently" Storm said, causing Walter to give her pleading eyes.
"Walter, it's about your sister" Storm added on, causing the man to freeze and his expression to fall into a more serious stare.
"I can see that now may not be the time for sexual antics, see you around pardner, maybe next time" the mare said as she leaned in and gave him a drunken kiss on the cheek before walking off stage.
Walter walked off stage as well with Storm following behind him, he made his way to the outside balcony where most of the bar's staff members would take their smoke breaks. Luckily nobody was taking a break at this time. Walter took a seat at a nearby bench, Storm leaned against the railing that looked out upon the late evening sights.
"This is Walter speaking" he spoke firmly, even in his drunken state he still seemed to pull together a sober act quite well when the time comes.
"Mr. Barnes, it's Snow Drop. I have recieved some information in regards of your sister that may interest you. I'd like to schedule a meeting with you as soon as possible When will you next be available?" Snow Drop inquired.
"Right the fuck now" Walter replied quickly.
"A-Ah, I see. Well then, inform Pvt. Storm to escort you to headquarters, I'll brief you when you arrive" Snow Drop explained before hanging up.
Walter sighed, shutting the phone off and handing it over to Storm, who took the device and tucked it into her pocket.
"Shall we get heading then?" Storm asked.
"Yes" Walter replied, standing from the bench and clenching his fists, making a straight b-line for the exit.
After dragging Gumdrop out of the bar, Storm managed to join Walter in her chariot, starting it up and driving back towards the HCA housing district. Once Gumdrop was tucked into bed and locked in the safety of her and Storm's room, Walter and his guardian bolted towards HCA headquarters.
After pulling into the lot, Walter exited the car and practically marched into the building at an alarmingly fast rate. Storm rushed to catch up with him, assuring on sight security that he wasn't here to cause trouble. After trudging through the main lobby and to the elevators, Storm and Walter made their way up to the third floor.
The elevator doors couldn't open fast enough, once there was a big enough gap Walter slid his massive bear paws through the opening and forced the doors open in an instant, causing the gears to creak and groan in protest.
"Try not to break anything" Storm muttered as she rushed alongside the anxious human.
Walter didn't respond, he kept his march firm and fast paced up until arriving at Snow Drop's office. He swung the door open, startling Snow Drop who nearly fell out of her seat, adjusting her glasses awkwardly as she stood up, smiling sheepishly at Walter and Storm.
"Please, come in, take a seat" Snow Drop said as she gestured to the chairs in front of her desk.
Walter pushed past the chairs, resting his hands on her desk before leaning in, narrowing his eyes.
"What do you have about Jessica?" Walter demanded.
"Walt, calm down" Storm said, placing her hand on his back.
Walter glanced back at her, giving her a quite stare before pulling away from Snow Drop's desk, slowly taking a seat in one of the chairs.
"Please, tell me what you found out" Walter corrected himself, this time in a much more calm tone of voice.
Snow Drop adjusted herself in her seat, clearing her throat once more before folding her hands over one another on her desk.
"It appears your sister was attacked," Snow Drop began, raising her hand to keep Walter from an out burst, "However, none of the blood found in her cabin can be matched to a human, all of it is griffon blood" Snow Drop continued, causing Walter to visibly relax into his chair.
"I knew she was too much of a tough bitch to worry about," Walter chuckled softly, rubbing his face. "So what exactly happened?"
"Well, two security staff members on the train recieved several complaints in regards of your sister's cabin for the past few days, first it was about a loud noise complaint followed by a foul stench that grew with intensity over time. A few hours before reaching Apple Loosa, two security staff went to investigate your sister's cabin, only to find it partially destroyed. They found the bodies of the griffons in the bathroom, mutilated and rotting. It appears that the attack had happened at least three days before reaching Apple Loosa, she must have fled to the badlands after scavenging as much as she could from the cabin for survival" Snow Drop explained.
"She also left behind these," Snow Drop said as she handed Walter a pair of dog tags and a picture of the carving.
Upon looking over the dog tags and the photo, Walter fell silent... Then broke out in hysterical laughter. This startled both Storm and Snow Drop, causing the two mares to cast disconcerted glances at one another before turning their attention back to the laughing human.
"That... Crazy bitch!" Walter laughed, wheezing as he fought to catch his breath.
"You've lost me" Snow Drop stated flatly.
"So, you see, my father had sent me and my sister here to Equestria to avoid the draft, however it seems that the Crown didn't take to kindly to that. They fucking sent mercenaries after my sister! Trained not only by elite Imperial Guardsmen, but also by my father! To top it all off, she sent them a 'fuck you' gift in the form of a little saying me and my family have" Walter chuckled, wiping tears from his eyes before letting out a calm sigh.
"Family forever, she's letting me know that she's okay and that I'll see her again" he grinned, crossing his arms.
"I knew I was being a fool for worrying too much about her, I mean the woman is way stronger than I am so what the hell would I be able to do?" he chuckled, before falling silent, tilting his head slightly in confusion.
"What is it?" Snow Drop asked.
"My only question is, why the hell did they attack my sister and not me? I avoided the draft too?" Walter mumbled, scratching his chin.
"Well, perhaps because your train was far too close to Canterlot for their liking?" Storm suggested.
"Maybe so, but I still just find it odd. Maybe it's because I'm a reject?" Walter mumbled, scratching his head.
"Either way, your sister seems to be doing well on her own. I will organize a search party of highly trained royal guardsmen to find your sister, and to fend off any of her pursuers along the way" Snow Drop says, offering a smile.
"Make sure to bring a fresh supply of body bags, if those idiots are stupid enough to try and charge into a fight dick-first against my sister, then there's going to be a whole lot of dead griffons left in her wake" Walter explained with a small grin.
"R-Right... Duly noted" Snow Drop replied with a nervous smile.
"Also, you might want to send special forces instead of regular guardsmen, you're dealing with griffons here. You said it yourself Snow Drop: Ponies are trained to subdue and capture... Griffons are trained to kill or be killed trying" Walter said with a grin, causing a cold tingle to shoot up both Storm and Snow Drop's spines.
"R-Right... On a side note, I've finally managed to organize a permanent homestead for you, however..." Snow Drop trailed off as she adjusted her glasses. "You'll be assigned roommates"
Walter tilted his head, glancing over at Storm then back at Snow Drop.
"Why?" Walter inquired.
"Well you are a qualified refugee, and it has been decided that it is best that you not live in solitude for it will not improve your current state. Having roommates will be good for your mental health as well as help you get more comfortable in the presence of ponies" Snow Drop explained, eliciting a goofy giggle from both Walter and Storm.
"What? What's so funny?" Snow Drop asked after a few moments of stifled laughter.
"You should've seen what we were doing before you called us" Storm said as Walter leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed victoriously.
"Walter is a natural stud" Storm giggled.
Still confused, Snow Drop is greeted with Storm's phone being shoved in her face, displaying a video of Walter dirty dancing with several mares while singing a lewd country song about butts. Snow Drop's face grew red upon seeing it all, and quickly yanked her eyes away from the screen.
"T-That is... I don't..." Snow Drop is at a loss of words, unsure of what to say about that.
"Well, we should probably get going now, it's pretty late" Storm spoke up.
"True that" Walter yawned as he shot up, stretching and popping his bones.
"Well, tomorrow Storm will introduce you to your new homestead. I've already emailed her directions" Snow Drop said as she waved the two off.
Soon after Storm and Walter left, Snow Drop's smile faded and she took a seat at her desk once more. Reaching into her drawer, she pulled out a ticket covered in blood. She stared at it with intensity, biting her lip before speaking.
"I don't understand... Why did Jessica switch tickets with Walter?" Snow Drop whispered to herself.
I have arrived safely in Equestria with not as much trouble as I expected. Jessica seems to have run into a bit of complications, but nothing she can't handle. I'll try to keep you updated on her status as much as possible, I'm afraid I'm going to have to go off of what intel the HCA can acquire though. I think that if I try to do things my way, then I'd probably get into more trouble from overreacting, after all you and mom trained big sis herself so there shouldn't be much to be too worried over, right?
As for me, not much has happened so far. I'm afraid I don't have many stories to share with you yet paps. I'm not going to lie though, I'm pretty damn scared. Scared of what's going to happen to me and how the hell I can start a new life without you or Jessica in it. I wish that you could've come along, I miss you so much. I just hope that you're doing alright, and make sure to knock a few heads in for me.
I love you dad, sincerely your son, Walter.
Walter slowly closed his hardback journal, sealing it with a strap before sliding it into his backpack. Taking in a slow and shaky deep breath, he turned his gaze to the sight of Canterlot fading into the distance. It's been just a few hours since he left Canterlot Station, Storm and Gumdrop were there to see him off after saying their goodbyes.
Once again Walter finds himself sitting in wait within a small booth on a train, staring out the window quietly as scenery flew by him. He had decided to write a small letter for his dad in his journal, not like he would be able to send it to him any time soon, but it felt good to distract himself with a journal addressed to his father, so when Frank finally comes to Equestria to join Walter and Jessica then Walter would have something to give him as a welcoming present.
Walter understood that he couldn't send status update letters to his father anyway, what with the war going on. Who knows what people could do with the information he writes down, especially since griffons don't take kindly to deserters, the attack on his sister is evidence of that.
Pulling his eyes away from the window Walter offered a glance around his booth in boredom. It's a simple eight-by-eight sized enclosed room with plain wallpaper and an overall cubical color theme. Growing bored of his silent trip, which should take at least another two hours, Walter decided to curl up on the cushioned bench he sat on and catch a small nap.
"Hey Flutters? What time is it?" Rainbow Dash called out as she adjusted her rainbow mane in the kitchen mirror, making sure that her denim booty shorts matched well with her black tank top that hugged her cleavage just as well as her booty shorts emphasized her round firm buttocks.
"It's twelve-forty, why do you ask?" Fluttershy called back as she came walking downstairs carrying a basket full of laundry.
"I'm gonna go pick up our new roommate, the one the HCA assigned to us" Rainbow Dash explained as she pulled on a blue sports jacket, casting a small grin towards her cream colored friend.
"Oh, uh... Are you sure? I mean Pinkie seemed rather adamant about greeting him at the station" Fluttershy spoke in her usual soft and timid voice.
"Don't worry about it Flutters, Pink is busy at the bakery and you seem to be occupied yourself. I'm not doing anything so I figured I would go show the new guy the ropes" Rainbow Dash insisted.
"Well, okay then. Just don't cause any trouble please, you promised Twilight that you would behave while her Applejack and Rarity are away in Canterlot" Fluttershy says as she sets the hamper full of laundry down by the laundry room entrance.
"I know I know, I'll keep my promise... Or at least try" she snickered before jogging out of the house.
Fluttershy simply watched as her cyan friend left the house, sighing and shaking her head before returning to her house duties.
Rainbow Dash flexed her wings, stretching and prepping herself before taking flight. Soaring into the air, Rainbow Dash is gifted with the overview scenery of Ponyville, a small town that has grown quite a bit in the past few years. Having once been nothing more than a hick town filled with buildings that look about half as old as Celestia, Ponyville now thrives as a modern moderately sized town.
Rainbow Dash couldn't help but feel upbeat on such a warm sunny day where everypony seemed to be cheerful and bubbly, as if at any moment ponies would break out in song, although ponies have toned themselves down since the golden years of random musicals in the streets. This didn't stop Rainbow Dash from enjoying a little music of her own, popping in her ear buds and blasting the volume to fully enjoy the powerful rhythm of upbeat jam.
As the music began to take over her body, Dash would begin to sway her hips, the ghost of funk taking her over as she broke out in a full-blown aerial boogie session, clapping her hands as she spun throughout the air, her wings slicing through the wind like hot knives through butter. Soon her small mission to welcome her new roommate at the train station turned into a full blown air show where ponies began to clap and dance along.
Although ponies have become more tame over the years, that didn't mean they couldn't have a fun once in a while.
Diving downward, Rainbow Dash came in for a hot landing, sliding across the paved road, swaying her hips and dancing as she began to sing along to the music blaring over her earbuds. Didn't take long for a few ponies to start singing along either, one stallion in particular decided to start singing along and dancing with her, busting out an impressive set of funky fresh leg swinging action.
The brown furred stallion swayed his head, his firm black mane bouncing along with his movements. Pulling out a pair of sunglasses, he throws them over his chocolate brown eyes. Rainbow Dash recognized this stallion, Tinker Ken, or TK as most ponies call him. He's a pretty laid back kind of guy most of the time, it seems like today the spirit of music managed to take hold of him for the time being.
Once the energetic session of hip shaking leg swinging funk action had come to a close, everypony went on about their business after giving a small applause and exchange of words with one another. TK returned to his normal laid back personality, waving Rainbow Dash off as he made his way back towards his carpentry shop.
"Nice singin' with'ya" TK called back as he made his smooth exit back to his own business.
"Same here TK!" Rainbow Dash called back, chuckling and waving back.
"Now, wasn't there something I was doing?" Rainbow Dash murmured to herself, scratching her head before it dawned onto her.
"Oh right! Train station!" Rainbow Dash said to herself as she took off flying at high speeds back towards her original destination.
Rainbow Dash came to a screeching halt, crashing into a cloud once she finally reached Ponyville's train station. After plucking bits of cloud out of her mane and clothes, Dash dove from the cloud and gently glided in a spiral all the way to a waiting bench where ponies could wait for the train without standing on their feet all day.
Plucking a final small tuft of cloud from her breasts, Rainbow Dash turned her attention towards the train track, quietly waiting for the next train to arrive. Pulling out her phone, she looked up the train's info on the information board nearby, texting a certain number that would text her back the time of each train's arrival.
"One o'clock" she mumbled to herself after reading off the train schedule, tucking her phone back into her denim booty shorts.
Once one o'clock came around, Rainbow Dash is greeted by the distant bellow of a train's horn. As the horn grew closer, a smile slowly crept onto Dash's lips.
Just before Twilight, Applejack, and Rarity left for Canterlot to discuss matters relating to the Grand Galloping Gala, Twilight notified the girls that they would be receiving a special roommate courtesy of the HCA. There weren't very many humans in Ponyville, most of them are either in Canterlot or scattered across smaller towns and villages throughout Equestria. For a human to be assigned to the house where Dash and her best friends live is quite exciting.
Rainbow Dash has only met a few humans in her life, one of them being her adoptive father Brian. Rainbow Dash hoped that this human roommate would be a chill and awesome guy like her dad was. Dash's patience is rewarded as the one o'clock train finally pulled into the station, coming to a gradual halt.
Watching as several ponies of all different colors poured out of the train, Rainbow Dash stands and giddily waits to see what she has been dying to see ever since Twilight spilled the beans. Dash's breath is caught in her throat once she finally sees him, the human that will be sharing a home with her and her best friends.
She finally saw him, Walter, her new roommate.
She expected to see an average sized human, maybe around her height and build, but average is the exact opposite of what was thrown onto her plate. As it turns out, Walter is a huge bitch. He must be around six and a half feet tall if not taller. Not only is his height above average, so is his build. His musculature is the very definition of swole, similar to Big Mac's physique but noticeably bigger.
Walter has long messy brown hair that reaches past his shoulders, a jawline that could shatter stone, and a well trimmed chinstrap that stretched along his jaw. His brows were large, bushy, yet noticeably trimmed, they complimented his narrow eyes which gave off that tired soldier vibe, he did come from the GK so that's not a surprise.
He wore a rather casual outfit, an orange-beige checkered shirt over a plain orange tank top, complete with cargo jeans and worn hiking boots. He looked like a college student dressed for a summer camping trip.
"Hey you! Big man!" Rainbow Dash called out, flapping her wings for a boost of speed over to where the burly human stood.
Walter shifted his gaze over to Dash, giving her an inquisitive stare as she approached. Adjusting some of his luggage, which consisted of a duffel bag, backpack, and a bag on wheels, Walter offered his attention to the cyan pegasus as she made her approach.
"Are you Walter?" Rainbow Dash asked, staring at him up and down as if she were sizing him up.
"...Who are you?" Walter asked, staring at her quizzically.
"Oh, well let me introduce myself then," Dash said as she cleared her throat and leaned forward, purposefully showing a bit of cleavage to him. "My name is Rainbow Dash, I'm one of your new roommates. I heard that you'd be coming into Ponyville by train around this time so I felt like coming to greet and show you around" Rainbow Dash explained, offering a friendly smile.
"...Oh" Walter replied, staring at her quietly for a moment before scratching at his scruffy chin.
"Well? Aren't you going to introduce yourself too?" Dash asked.
"Uh... Walter, Walter Barnes. It's nice to meet you" he responded, extending his massive hand out for her to take.
"Damn, your hands are like baseball gloves!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she took his extended hand, examining it like an overexcited child.
"...R-Right" Walter responded quietly, watching as she molested his massive hand.
I wonder what all he could do with big, thick fingers like these Rainbow Dash thought to herself before releasing his hand.
"Right then, now how about I give you a tour of the town after we drop your luggage off at home?" Rainbow Dash asked with a smile as she offered to take some of his luggage.
"Oh, uh, s-sure" Walter replied, sounding a bit nervous.
Just as Walter divided up some of his luggage for her to carry, he is suddenly consumed by a pink flash that sweeps him off his feet, barely giving him time to scream in shock as his backpack and duffel bag fly off of his body, dropping down at Rainbow Dash's feet. Even his shoes got left behind.
Rainbow Dash stood there for a few moments, stunned and in awe before letting out a frustrated groan, rubbing her temples in annoyance.
"Damn it Pinkie Pie..." Dash hissed quietly to herself before grabbing Walter's luggage and rushing back towards the house.
It all happened so fast, Walter doesn't even remember when he started screaming, all he knew is that he has been screaming for what felt like forever as his body is suspended mid air, two powerful yet small arms grappled him firmly around his torso, keeping him securely attached to whoever, or whatever, had tackled him back at the train station.
His high pitched manly screams came to a quick stop though once the world stopped blurring around him and the roar of wind flying around him died down. Stars spinning before his eyes, Walter struggled to stay balanced on his feet. He blindly reached around for something to help keep him upright, but only managed to fall face first into carpet.
The two small yet terrifyingly strong arms grappled onto him once more, rolling him over onto his back just as a soft, jiggly sensation planted firmly onto his crotch, exactly on top of his one-eyed monster clad beneath two layers of fabric. After his head finally stopped spinning, Walter stared hazily up at the pink mare that sat her round and plump buttocks directly onto his groin, pressing her breasts firmly against his chest in a full blown invasive bear hug.
Walter nearly squeaked like a rubber duck from how strong the bear hug was.
"Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie! I'm so glad to finally meet you, you know I've been waiting for so long, well not very long, Twilight told me about you coming to live with us and I got so excited that I wanted to throw you a party and-" the obnoxiously pink pony continued to ramble on and on, wrapping her legs around Walter's waist as she babbled nonstop to him.
Managing to slowly pry the insanely strong mare off of him, Walter let out a greedy gasp for oxygen, panting heavily, wheezing as he tried to fill his lungs of the air that she had squeezed out. As the pink mare rambled on, Walter slowly began to get a grip of his surroundings, taking in the details while desperately trying to drown out the sound of this crazy mare's high pitched girly voice.
He found himself in a home he didn't recognize, judging by the interior design it was quite modern. All the furniture put together is probably worth more money all together than his family ever had back in the GK. He lived in a cold mountainous region, far away from the capitol, so of course there weren't as many well paying jobs, they mostly lived off the land anyways.
His attention is brought back to the pink mare after she pulls him into another suffocating bear hug, planting his face between her well endowed breasts. This would be rather awesome, except he couldn't breath and is suffocating. As his ears are filled with the nonsensical ramblings of this crazed pink mare, Walter's vision begins to fade and a dark tunnel slowly creeps up from the corners of his eyes.
The last thing he hears before he blacks out is the sound of a door swinging opened followed by two overlapping voices, one of them belonging to that Rainbow Dash mare that he met at the train station.
Never in my life have I ever thought I would harbor such fear of a giant pair of breasts in my face, but as fate dictates, said fear has sadly became my reality. It has been less than ten minutes since I arrived in Ponyville, and I already manage to get myself sucked into what almost feels like a very crappy plot to an ecchi harem anime.
Getting shot at, I can handle. Being attacked with a knife, I can handle. Unfathomable power that of which lies within the form of a busty five foot six obnoxiously pink mare with the girliest high pitched voice I've ever heard, holy fucking shit. This mare is literally a foot shorter than I am and she can man handle me like a god damned minotaur.
I have been ganged up on by multiple full grown griffons at once, and I had an easier time handling them than surviving this mare's psychotically insane amount of energy. Just what the fuck is the HCA thinking throwing me into this mess! I wasn't ready, certainly not for this shit!
Okay, enough of my bickering, lets get back to the story now shall we?
Let's see now, where was I? Oh right!
Soon after stepping off the train at Ponyville's train station, I am greeted by a rather gorgeous looking pegasus mare, with cyan fur, athletic body, and an ass like nobody's business. Girl looks like she can break a walnuts between those buns!
Digression aside, me and this mare, Rainbow Dash, initiate in some small talk. She offers to take me out on a tour of the town, but after dropping my luggage off at first. I said 'why the fuck not?' and agreed to her proposal. Just before we have the chance to even leave the station, my vision suddenly turns white. I am swept off my feet, and all I can hear is the whistling roar of wind rushing past me like raging rapids, and the sound of my own voice screaming in the most effeminate tone I've ever heard.
I don't care who you are, even if you're some big swole bastard like I am, if a mare tackles you at mach speed you're going to scream like Richard Simmons trapped in a cheesecake warehouse, especially if that mare is Pinkie Pie; the greatly feared party pony infamous among Ponyville for her enthusiastic party antics. I had only heard whispers of her merciless reign within the realm of Canterlot, now that I have fallen into the clutches of Ponyville I'm afraid my fate is sealed.
This mare is gonna throw me a party whether I like it or not.
May Celestia have mercy on my soul.
Now here I am, dazed and confused, sprawled out on a couch since neither Rainbow Dash or the cream colored pegasus with a gentle pink mane could lift me so they practically dragged me onto the sofa, my vision and auditory functions distorted as if I were underwater in the dead of night. All I could see were brief glimpses of my surroundings while drifting in and out of consciousness.
Party pony got me fucked up.
"For the love of Celestia, Pinkie! Why the hell did you do that?!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, flailing her arms madly above her head as the party pony just sat before her on the recliner, her mane deflated and her ears hugged against her head.
"Rainbow Dash, please don't get too worked up, Pinkie was just excited and since she got off work early she wanted to meet him. You know that's just how Pinkie is" Fluttershy declared in a gentle yet firm voice, defending Pinkie Pie from Rainbow Dash's scolding.
"She needs to learn not to do that sort of thing! Especially with humans! I know he looks big and tough but he's still human! It's common knowledge that humans have a more fragile anatomy than ponies!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, placing her hands on her hips.
"We learned this in school, Fluttershy. The anatomy of a pony is more than two times more tough than human anatomy! If she was just a small fraction more reckless than she was with him he could've been seriously injured, or crippled even!" Rainbow Dash added pointing towards Walter, whom of which is sprawled across the couch like a tetraplegic cat.
"Since when did you pay attention in school?" Fluttershy calmly retorted, folding her arms and furrowing her brow at the now blushing Rainbow Dash.
"Since when did you start dishing out sass? That's Rarity's job!" Rainbow Dash hissed, unfortunate enough to be unable to conceive a superior comeback.
The argument is suddenly interrupted by the sound of a groan, followed by a loud thump of Walter's limp body sliding off the sofa before his face became intimately acquainted with the carpet floor beneath him.
"Hijo de puta..." I groaned, curling up in the fetal position while clutching the sides of my head in bemused misery. My head hasn't been this discombobulated since I challenged my big sister to a sparring session.
It seems that after listening to muffled voices argue back and forth for ten minutes straight has allowed my scattered brain to regain some sense of sobriety after the affliction of suffocating via big bouncy chesticles. Once the oxygen returned to my brain, I slowly began to gather my senses, hazily examining my surroundings.
It appears that I was still in the modern styled home that I saw before being smothered by tits, a large living room about the size of an average apartment. The furniture seemed rather aesthetically pleasing, with a mute grey-blue color theme among the furniture complimented by the rich auburn-hued hardwood floor completed with a lovely fireplace.
Okay, stamp out this admiration of your surroundings jackass, you got other things weighing on your plate. After giving my head a slow cleansing shake to try and reboot my senses.
"Hey hey hey, take it easy there dude, not everybody can just walk off a Pinkie Pie tackle" Dash says as she rushes over to help me up to my feet.
"It's not the first time I got my ass kicked by a woman that's smaller than me" I laughed, amused by my own disposition.
"Ha, okay then" Dash rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she slowly lowers me on the couch so I am sitting upright.
"So, um... Sorry for all the chaos you experienced, this isn't what we necessarily had in mind for first impressions" the cream colored pegasus spoke up as she walked over and crouched in front of me, extending her small nimble hands forward, taking mine within a gentle grasp. "My name is Fluttershy, it is a pleasure to meet you Mr. Barnes" she greeted with a warm smile.
I like Fluttershy, consider her at the top of my list of 'best pony' so far.
"Oh, it's uh, heh, nice to meet you too. You can just call me Walter though, Mr. Barnes sounds like you're talking to my dad" I say with a small ice-breaking chuckle, prompting a small snicker from the soft-spoken mare as well.
"And as you already know, I'm Rainbow Dash, the most awesome and badass mare of the house!" Rainbow Dash declared, flexing her abs as she assumed a confident pose.
"And I'm Pinkie Pie! Just letting you know in case you forgot" Pinkie Pie chimed in with a giggle and a snort.
"The only way I can forget you is if you starve my brain of oxygen again with your massive..." I cut myself off, clearing my throat. "Your massive... Personality?" I poorly corrected myself, giving a sheepish smile as Pinkie cast a glance down at her breasts, blushing.
"Right, well anyway I managed to bring your luggage and shoes along after you got tackled, I set them by the front door" Rainbow Dash explained, pointing over to the front entrance of the home where his luggage and discarded shoes were haphazardly sprawled on the floor.
"Thanks" I sighed as I held my still spinning head.
"Hey Flutters, could you grab some of Twilight's special tea? The kind she drinks when she gets one of her infamous migraines?" Rainbow Dash asked her cream colored friend, who nodded and left to the kitchen while Pinkie Pie just sat and watched.
After Fluttershy prepares a pot of tea belonging to this Twilight chick, I am blessed with instant relief of my cranial discombobulation, allowing my senses to become sharp and aware once again. The tea is super strong, it tastes like a mixture between peppermint and hazelnuts, with a cough-drop aftertaste. If this tea is strong enough to get my senses back on the right track after being tackled at mach speed, I'd hate to endure one of those killer migraines this Twilight chick goes through.
Wait, Twilight? As in protege of Celestia Twilight? Now that I think of it, all of these girls look familiar, I swear that I've seen them somewhere before, but I can't exactly put my finger on it.
"So uh, are there more of you guys here or is it just us?" I asked, finishing the painkilling tea and setting the petite cup on the coffee table.
"Oh there's more of us, three more to be exact. They just went off to Canterlot to discuss the setup and events for the Grand Galloping Gala!" Pinkie chimed in, jumping up from behind the couch.
"FUCK" I jumped, quickly scampering behind Fluttershy.
"Take me to dinner first" Pinkie snorted, giggling at her own jokative retort.
"...Roight" I grumble, narrowing my eyes at the pink mare as I hid behind Fluttershy.
"U-Um, W-Walter? It's okay, Pinkie won't hurt you" Fluttershy said, smiling sheepishly back at me.
"That mare tackled me at so hard that my shoes came off, I have the right to fear her" I retorted quickly.
"There's no time to be scared silly! It's time for a party!" Pinkie Pie declared as she whipped out a large bottle of tequila from behind her back.
"Where... Where the hell were you keeping that?" I inquired in utter bemusement.
She just laughed and rushed to the kitchen to start pouring glasses full of hard liquor.
"Wait wait wait, as much as I'd like to party, my brain is still recovering from being tackled at mach speed! Besides, it wouldn't really be a proper party unless the rest of the gang were here, right?" I spoke up, causing Pinkie Pie to pause and glance over at me. "How do you think the others would feel if we threw a party now and they weren't able to participate?" I asked with a sheepish smile.
"Oh, well I guess that's true..." Pinkie Pie replied, her mane deflating at the realization that she hadn't considered how her other friends would feel.
"Hey don't beat yourself up about it, there are other ways to celebrate my arrival" I say as I step away from Fluttershy, figuring that I've hidden behind her long enough by now.
"Really?" Pinkie Pie perked up again, looking at me with excitement.
"Yeah, do you know of any karaoke bars here in town?" I say with a grin.
"Oh! There's a karaoke bar in the center of town we could go to, me and a couple of gals from work often go there to have fun" Rainbow Dash chimed in.
"Perfect, then lets go there. But first, let me get some more of that tea" I say as I jog to the kitchen, pouring the rest of the tea into a large glass before chugging it down.
After putting my shoes back on and adjusting my disheveled attire I take a seat on the sofa and wait for the girls to get ready to go out. To no surprise, Pinkie Pie is first in line to be ready.
Pinkie is dressed in a turquoise blue dress with white frills along the trim and a black belt that strapped around her waist. Her dress is complimented with matching turquoise and white striped stockings that reach up to her inner thighs. I swear I could see snow white garter belts as well. After tying her hair back into a ponytail, no pun intended, Pinkie did a quick spin in front of me.
"How do I look?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"Gorgeous" I replied, deciding to keep my honest R rated thoughts to myself.
"You sure you don't want to say more than that?" Pinkie Pie inquired, wiggling her brows, seemingly aware that I was holding back a whole lot more compliments.
"You might as well wait until I'm drunk to get an honest answer" I retorted, causing the pink mare to have a giggle fit.
A few minutes of conversation with Pinkie later and I am greeted with the sight of Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash making their way downstairs from their bedrooms.
Fluttershy is dressed in a beautiful yellow short skirt sundress with denim jeans, her light pink mane had been woven into one large braid that rested over her left shoulder. Rainbow Dash had put on skin tight yoga pants that hugged her firm bubbly ass perfectly and a bright red cut-off tank top that showed off her abs and belly button, the icing on the cake was her leather biker's jacket that gave her a punk-rock kind of atmosphere to her.
Meanwhile I'm dressed like a college student who spent his life savings in Goodwill.
Once Walter and the girls were prepared, Rainbow Dash took the lead in guiding them to town where she decided to give a small tour on the way to the karaoke bar. She kept it fast and simple, showing him landmarks as well as Pinkie Pie's place of work.
The town is lively with several ponies going on and about, it was about mid afternoon so some ponies were out getting lunch while younger ponies were skating, hanging out at parks and restaurants. However it seems that the further they went into the lively town, the more attention Walter would attract, just like how it was with Canterlot.
With Walter's intimidating size and dangerous looking eyes, he is bound to attract a few gawks and hushed whispers in public sooner or later. Walter didn't seem to care really, he was focused more on listening to the girls talk with one another, amused by their back and forth bickering.
It was about three-thirty by the time they arrived at the karaoke bar, which looked more like a club. It stands about three stories high and has a modern look to it, a smooth black matte exterior with murals of dancing and singing ponies painted along the front and sides of the building. Above the entrance to the building is a neon sign in the shape of a microphone with a pink bow tied around the grip.
"I know the owner of this place, met her once during spring break at a rave" Rainbow Dash explained as they entered the building.
The lobby is filled with several different colorful decorations: furniture, paintings, statues, etc. Everything had either a music or alcohol theme to it. Connected to the main lobby is a bar, where various ponies were drinking, chatting, watching television, having a good time.
Rainbow Dash lead the group over to the bar where an orange-red mare is stationed. The mare has a snow-white mane with red and orange highlights, and her eyes are a rich golden yellow hue. The bartender is dressed in a black tank top and hot pink denim booty shorts. Upon seeing Rainbow Dash and the others approach the mare gave a wide smirk and crossed her arms.
"Well well, look who it is, Miss Independent herself!" the mare spoke as she greeted Rainbow Dash with an over the counter top hug.
"It's good to see ya too Wilde, how have you and the foals been doing?" Rainbow Dash asked as she pulled away from the hug to bump knuckles with the bartender.
"About as fine as your human friend over here" Wilde responded while shooting predatory eyes over at Walter.
"I charge 300 bits by the hour" Walter quipped, causing the bartender to burst out laughing.
"And he has jokes too! You got yourself a keeper!" Wilde snorted, causing Rainbow Dash to blush.
"Oh, Walter and I aren't dating, we're just roommates is all" Rainbow Dash quickly explained.
"Ah is that so? Then consider yourself hired beefcake" Wilde remarked, earning a laugh from Pinkie, Walter, and Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy just smiled and stifled a soft chuckle.
"Right then, so what brings you all here this afternoon?" Wilde asked as she leaned against the bar, resting her hands on the counter top.
"Well, as I've said Walter and I are roommates, but he's a new addition to the gang so in celebration we've decided to bring him out to a night on the town" Rainbow Dash explained.
"Oh is that so? I'm glad that my bar is your choice of celebration then!" Wilde said as she pulled up a tablet from behind the bar. "So I assume you guys want a room for karaoke?" Wilde asked.
"Damn right, we'd also like an order of pizza and soda. We're gonna start out light for the first round" Rainbow Dash said as Wilde nodded and began jotting down information on her tablet.
"Alright then, your room is going to be B-4 on the second floor" Wilde said as she handed a key to Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash pulled her coin purse and set twenty bits on the counter, Wilde proceeded to place the bits into a cash register while the group headed towards the stairs. Before he could make it to the staircase with the others Wilde pulled him aside. She gave him a friendly smile before slowly placing her hand against his chest, fondling his pecs absentmindedly.
"So hey, if you're ever on the hunt for a job, feel free to come on by. I have a position open for a bouncer with your name on it. I'll pay you twelve bits per hour plus tips..." she said before leaning in close, cupping her hand over Walter's crotch.
"And, if you're feeling a bit stressed out, feel free to come to me for some... Sweet release" Wilde whispered, causing the large human's face to light up a bright red.
"I'll um... I'll be sure to drop my resume off when I get the chance" Walter replied with an awkward smile.
"I'll be waiting" Wilde replied, grinning as she released her grip on Walter's junk, allowing him to quickly jog after the rest of his group.
Holy fucking shit, talk about grabbing life by the dick.
After the hushed incident between me and that bartender mare, I quickly rushed after the rest of my group, both flustered and a bit excited. I do need a job after all, and with the addition of the monthly checks the HCA provides me I'll be pretty much set financially.
After rejoining with the group, Fluttershy glances back at me with a curious gaze.
"What happened?" Fluttershy inquired, tilting her head curiously as she slowed her pace to walk beside me.
"Oh, Wilde just offered me a job is all. It's close to home and she promised a good pay so I think I'll take it after I get a resume pulled together" I explained.
"Oh that's great! I'm happy for you" Fluttershy said with a smile.
Sweet baby Luna she's precious.
"Thank you, I'm glad that I'll at least have a job with a friendly boss" I say as we approach the room we were assigned to.
"Alright guys, here it is. Who wants to sing first?" Rainbow Dash asked as she unlocked the room and walked through.
"I think Walter should sing first!" Pinkie declared, causing Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash to glance over at her in confusion.
"Why? I figured you'd want to sing first?" Rainbow Dash inquired as the group flooded into the room.
"Because Papa Bear wants Walter to sing his favorite song!" Pinkie Pie replied, earning a look of confusion from me, Fluttershy and Dash.
"Pinkie, who's Papa Bear?" Fluttershy asked.
Pinkie Pie just giggled and snorted before practically pushing me over to the karaoke machine. I gave Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash a confused glance, but Rainbow Dash just gestured for me to play along. Probably better too, it would hurt my brain too much to try and figure out what may be going on in Pinkie Pie's head.
I browsed through the wide variety of songs installed on the machine, searching and searching until I found one of the most played songs on my phone. I grinned, selecting the song I listened to quite frequently when I'm in the mood for a humorous jam session.
The intro to the song threw Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy off at first, Pinkie Pie just bounced in her seat, shaking her hips before the main course came along. Once the course started Rainbow Dash burst out laughing, holding her stomach as she fell over on Fluttershy's lap. Fluttershy just covered her mouth, her face red with stifled laughter.
You know, at first I was kind of unsure about these mares. But in all honesty, I got a good feeling about this new life.
Sweet fucking Luna my head, what the fuck happened last night?
My mind struggled to get the gears inside my head turning while my eyes practically rolled in my skull. I am overwhelmed by the sensation of being under water once again, but only my head this time. With a groan of discomfort, I slowly force my eyes to peel open, only to be greeted with the blinding light of day. I quickly shut my eyes, covering my face with my hands and rolling over on my belly to protect my sensitive vision from the sun.
It was then I noticed something... Odd. Slowly stretching my hand out I grab a handful of what feels like grass. So it appears that not only am I not asleep in a comfortable bed, but it appears that I'm not even inside my new home. I guess it's quite normal to get so black out drunk that you don't wake up in an unfamiliar place, but that isn't even the worst of my problems.
I'm stark naked.
Fuck my life. I'm sprawled out face first in a field of grass looking like an ape got drunk and had a full body wax before passing out god knows where in the center of a grassy field. Slowly and hesitantly I open my eyes, lifting my head slowly.
I could barely see through the thickness of my long disheveled hair that hung over my face, but from what I can tell I appear to be in what seems to be at the center of a sports stadium. There are bleachers surrounding the vast field of neatly trimmed grass, and from what I can decipher, based on the format of the white stripes decorating the grass, I'm smack dab in the center of a rugby field.
At least I think it's a rugby field, I don't fuckin' know what kind of sports ponies play. All I know is that it's a huge ass field and there's no doubt that it's used for sports. Digression aside, once my head felt like it wasn't spinning so badly I slowly began to stand up, groaning as my joints popped under the stress of my weight.
"Fuuuuuuuuuuuck..." I groaned, hunching over, resting my hands on my knees until I managed to somewhat keep my upright balance.
"Where am I, what the fuck happened, why the fuck did it happen, how the fuck am I naked?" I mumbled to myself as I slowly straightened my posture, glancing around to see if there was anybody around me.
Luckily it seems to be empty, I don't see a single soul in sight so I guess this is my chance. I cover my groin and make a mad dash for the nearest opening that must lead into the locker room area. My suspicions are correct, I managed to stumble upon a vast locker room that appear to be actively occupied. I didn't really care at the moment though, my head is spinning and I need to find a way to straighten myself up quickly, and so I decided to take a cold shower in the large shower room not too far off from the locker room.
After figuring out the unfamiliar shower valves, I turn on the water and adjust it to cold. I let out a gasp as the icy water pelted my skin, soaking me entire body in frigid water. It took very little time for my senses to get their shit together after the frigid wake up call pelted my unsuspecting flesh, my spine tingled and my body shuddered as it slowly adjusted to the new cold temperature.
It has been a good day for Spitfire so far, she managed to get through her early morning paperwork in regards of the upcoming Gala that will be taking place in Ponyville, and for the most part her stay in this former small country town has been quite pleasant so far.
She remembers when she was a little filly that Ponyville used to be more like a village than a town, everything looked like it came right out of some medieval fairy tale picture book. After Canterlot expanded to its limit businesses began to move to Ponyville, which boosted the local economy and brought the town to where it is today.
She often times missed the old fairy tale look the town had to it, but still economic growth wouldn't hurt anybody. As she mulled over the changes the town went through, she made her way down the hall of the Steelwing Sports Stadium where she aimed to get in some morning exercises before returning to her paperwork and planning for the air show. She could've done this paperwork in Canterlot, but after a bad break up with her ex, she just needed to be somewhere else.
Upon reaching the field she took a deep breath and let out a slow and relaxed sigh of contentment. It's a gorgeous day, and the calming silence that fills the stadium mixed with the distant ambiance of the town felt like a gentle calming and relaxing melody that did wonders for her tense nerves.
She decided to start out her work out routine with a simple few laps around the field to get her blood pumping, however she stopped dead in her tracks once she reached the entrance into the lockers. She noticed the massive indent of a body in the grass, as if they had just laid there in an awkward sprawled out position all night or something.
Her ears twitched, another strange entity had come to her attention. She heard what sounded like singing coming from within the locker room. Curiosity got the best of Spitfire, and so she raised a curious brow and made her way into the locker room. The singing got louder, and by the sound of this stranger's deep voice it is most certainly a stallion.
Sneakily tip toeing through the locker room, Spitfire followed the sound of the stranger's voice until she reached the showers. She hesitated for a moment, a blush filling her cheeks as she slowly crept into the showers to see who the hell made that dent in the grass. Rather than a stallion, she came across a human that closely resembled a shaved bear.
There were many things Spitfire noticed about this massive human: he's by far the largest human she's ever seen, even bigger than that apple farmer Big Mac that she sees walking around town on occasion. Secondly... His back is covered in horrifying scars. There are scars on other parts of his body that she can visibly make out, but none of them compare to the horrible flogging scars that almost covered the entirety of his back.
Spitfire quickly retreated around a corner, her mind trying to process what she just saw. She wandered about who this human is, if he is homeless, and if he is the culprit behind the massive indent in the grass out on the field. The scars were also a part of her curiosity however she felt that finding out who he is and how he got here is her primary concern.
Stepping out of the showers quietly, Spitfire waited a few moments before taking a deep breath and calling out.
"Hello? Who's in there?" she called out, cutting the human man's singing short, earning what sounded like a yelp of surprise from him.
"Uh... Walter?" the man replied hesitantly.
"...Walter who? Why are you in the mare's locker room showers?" she called out, crossing her arms.
"Shit this is the mare's locker room? Fuck me running" the man cursed.
"What are you doing here?" Spitfire demanded in a calm tone.
"Uh... To be honest I don't know, I just woke up in the stadium not too long ago" he responded.
A black out drunk eh? I would be drinking too if I had scars that ugly Spitfire mulled to herself.
"So I guess you had a long night of drinking then?" she called back.
"I mean I guess so? I don't even remember having any alcohol, we started with some pizza and soda then that's where my memory cuts off" the man explained, shutting the shower head off.
"Sounds like somebody might have drugged you" Spitfire remarked.
"Nah, I was out with my roommates, one of them is a good gal she wouldn't let anybody do that to me" the man replied. "Say, are there any towels out there that I could use?" he asked in a sheepish tone.
Spitfire glanced around, searching the best she could for a towel but all she managed to find is an Equestrian flag.
"Forgive me Celestia" she sighed before taking down the flag, folding it up neatly before handing it in through the showers entrance.
"This all you could find?" he asked.
"Yeah, everything else is locked up in the lockers" Spitfire replied.
"Well fuck, I guess it'll do" he sighed as he began drying himself off.
Once the strange man had finished drying himself off he wrapped himself in the flag and coyly stepped out of the showers with his long dark brown hair hanging partially over his face. Spitfire looked him over, giving him a quizzical look before shaking her head and clearing her throat.
"Who are you again?" she asked, far too distracted with all the weird things that have happened this morning to remember his name.
"Walter, my name is Walter" he replied, giving a sheepish smile as he tightened his grip on the flag.
"So Walter, where are your clothes?" Spitfire inquired.
"Um... I don't know. I woke up without them in the field" he replied with a sheepish smile
"Do you live around here?" Spitfire sighed, shaking her head.
"In Ponyville, yes. Just moved here yesterday. But I don't know if I live in this exact area, I don't really know where I am" Walter explained.
"You're in Steelwing Sports Stadium in North-West Ponyville" Spitfire says.
"Uh... Right, well I'm sorry about all this. If you could point me towards Sugar Cube Corner I think I can make my way home from there" Walter said with an awkward smile.
"Sugar Cube Corner? That's on the Eastern part of town" Spitfire explained.
"Oh... How the fuck did I wind up on the other side of town?" he mumbled to himself.
"I don't know, just come with me to my office and I'll try to sort something out for you" Spitfire said with a sigh, beckoning him to follow her as she started walking away.
"Oh, uh, okay" Walter hesitantly nodded before following behind her.
As I followed behind this admittedly smoking hot mare, I answer her questions to the best of my ability. I had to fight back my instincts to refuse her questions due to the rigorous training they had me do in the military. I had to keep reminding myself that I wasn't in the Griffon Kingdom over and over again just to hold a simple questions and answers conversation with this gal.
I explained to her that I had just been accepted into the HCA recovery program and that they would help me build a stable life here in Equestria. I told her about how it took me a while to get used to being in a secure environment and about being tackled by Pinkie Pie at mach speed shortly after my arrival to Ponyville. That's when I discovered that Spitfire actually knew Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, basically every single one of my roommates. She said that she used to be an upperclassmen to Rainbow Dash while she was in Flight School.
Once we reached the office, she had me sit down on a bench while she made a few calls. Eventually she got pulled through to the person she had in mind, and before I could drift off in deep thought the mare gestures me to come take the phone. I look at her a bit confused before standing up and walking over, grasping the phone in one hand while I held the flag around me in the other.
"Hello, this is Walter" I spoke up, unsure of what else to say.
"Greetings Walter, my name is Twilight Sparkle, I'm one of your roommates. Could you inform me of what happened to you please?" a young mare's voice replied.
"Oh, Twilight? Y-Yeah um, so last night I went out with Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy to have a small little pre-celebration outing since we managed to convince Pinkie Pie to wait to have the welcoming party until after you and the others got home. So uh, um... Well, I don't know when we started drinking alcohol, but last I remember I was singing karaoke and eating pizza. I woke up this morning in a stadium all the way across town. I don't know how I exactly got here and um... I-I seem to have lost my phone so maybe you could give a call to the girls back at the house to try and have them pick me up?" I explained, she could probably hear my awkward smile over the phone.
There's a long pause, then a slow and painful sigh. I could practically hear her pinch the bridge of her nose while bouncing millions of thoughts throughout her head.
"That's... Most unfortunate to hear. I'll arrange Fluttershy to come pick you up, the girls are probably worried about you" Twilight says while I take a seat on the office bench again.
"Thank you Miss Sparkle, I'm sorry for the trouble. I didn't expect to get black out drunk, I usually just drink light beer or hard cider" I explained sheepishly.
"It's fine, we'll find out what happened later. For now just keep calm and Fluttershy will come pick you up. Talk to you later" Twilight said, hanging up faster than I could say goodbye.
It has been a chaotic morning for the girls, the house was partially destroyed when they awoke and halfway through cleaning up after their mess they discovered their new roommate, Walter, is missing.
After the initial panic, the girls searched the entire house for as much evidence of where Walter might have gone. In their scramble Fluttershy decided to go through all the bedrooms while Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie looked around outside. After not finding much of anything in either of the other bedrooms, she decided to look inside her own.
To her genuine surprise, she found all articles of Walter's clothing sprawled beneath her blanket sheets, covered in what she could only assume to be her womanly fluids.
She hastily emptied the pockets of Walter's personal belongings: his phone, headphones, wallet, and pocket knife. After she made sure the pockets were empty she buried his clothes at the bottom of her laundry hamper. Thankfully she did this just in time since Rainbow Dash had flown up the stairs and into her room, startling Fluttershy a bit.
"Flutters, Twilight just called she wants to talk to you" Rainbow Dash explained.
"A-Ah, right, I'm coming down" Fluttershy nodded in response, setting the laundry basket down and walking with Rainbow Dash out of the room and back down the stairs.
"Hello?" Fluttershy spoke up as she picked up the house phone.
"Hey Fluttershy, it's Twilight. So I recieved a call from Spitfire at the Steelwing Sports Stadium that she found a large hungover human of the name Walter using the mare's shower room. She tells me that he woke up naked and without a clue as to what happened the night before leading up to a certain point" Twilight said in a rather frustrated tone.
"He's all the way across town? We've been looking for him all morning! Oh my..." Fluttershy sighed, rubbing her face.
"Look, I don't know what happened and frankly I don't have time right now to talk about it. We're almost done with the plans for the Gala so I need to focus on getting this work done. Go pick Walter up at the stadium, and bring him a set of clothes he can wear" Twilight instructed.
"R-Right, I'll do that right away. Thank you Twilight" Fluttershy said as she hung up the phone.
"Was she talking about Walter?" Rainbow Dash asked as soon as Fluttershy hung up.
"Y-Yeah, apparently he's all the way across town. She says he's at Steelwing Sports Stadium and that we need to pick him up" Fluttershy explained.
"Right! I'll go do that real quick!" Rainbow Dash replied, but before she could take off Fluttershy grabbed her by the shoulder.
"She wants me to go pick him up, I don't think she trusts you or Pinkie with the chariot yet after that Christmas party incident" Fluttershy explained as Rainbow Dash deflated.
"Damn it, I thought she'd forgot about that" Rainbow Dash groaned.
"It took three days to get that smell out of the car Rainbow Dash, I doubt she'll be forgetting it any time soon" Fluttershy said as she began to gather her things.
"What're we supposed to do here while you go pick him up?" Rainbow Dash asked as Pinkie simply sat on the floor in front of the TV, watching cartoons.
"Just watch TV or something until I get back" Fluttershy said as she grabbed a change of clothes from Walter's luggage before making her way to the garage.
It took Fluttershy about half an hour to drive across town in Rarity's blue-silver chariot that she left behind since Twilight had rented them a vehicle to drive around in up in Canterlot. As she drove she pondered about what exactly happened last night that escalated things, she knew for certain that she had decided to be the sober friend of the bunch to help the group get home safely, but she must've gotten tied up in drinking as well.
Upon arriving at the stadium Fluttershy parked the chariot in the front lot just as several other ponies were making their way into the building to prepare for a day's work. After grabbing Walter's change of clothes, she stepped in through the front entrance and approached the front desk where a stallion dressed in a crisp silver blue uniform sat, organizing some papers into a file as the cream colored pegasus gently tapped on the front desk counter to get his attention.
"Good morning, how may I help you?" the stallion greeted as he looked up from his files, offering a friendly smile.
"Good morning, my name is Fluttershy. I'm here to speak with Spitfire?" Fluttershy explained as the stallion browsed through a list of appointments.
"It doesn't look like she hasn't made any appointments as of yet" the stallion informed her.
"She made a call this morning" Fluttershy explained.
"Oh, then that explains why it isn't on the schedule. Give me a moment and I'll call her" the stallion said as he scooted over to a phone next to his computer.
After a brief conversation with Spitfire, the stallion gave a nod and hung the phone up, casting a glance over at Fluttershy.
"Okay she said to go ahead and send you to her office, her office number is B-412 on the second floor" he explained.
"Thank you" Fluttershy smiled and nodded as she left he front desk and headed to the elevator.
Arriving at the second floor, Fluttershy stepped out of the elevator and made her way down the hall until she found the room the stallion had told her about. She could hear Walter and Spitfire's voices behind the door conversing with one another, having small talk and what not. After Fluttershy knocked on the door, their voices cut off.
"Come in!" Spitfire called out.
Fluttershy slowly stepped into the office, casting a relieved glance over at Walter who seemed relatively fine, despite having only a Equestrian flag to cover him.
"Walter, I'm so glad you're okay. We've been worried about you all morning" Fluttershy said as she walked over and handed Walter some of his clothes.
"Oh thank Celestia, real clothes" Walter sighed in relief, taking the clean apparel in one hand while he held the flag closed with the other.
"You can get changed in the bathroom across from my office" Spitfire said as Walter immediately stood up and stepped out of the office, heading to the bathroom across the hall.
"Thank fucking Celestia, actual clothes!" I hummed in celebration as I dropped the flag to my ankles as soon as the bathroom door was locked.
I quickly pulled on my underwear, then threw on the black t-shirt and denim jeans. I guess she forgot my shoes but that doesn't matter, I got the essentials covered and that's all that matters. I washed my face in the bathroom sink, cleaning the crusty gunk out from the corners of my eyes before finally giving myself a brief look over in the mirror.
As I stared myself in the mirror, I could've sworn that the white of my eyes were dark yellow, and my irises were blood red instead of brown. I froze, staring at the unfamiliar eyes that stared back, my skin had turned pale, and to put icing on this freaky cake a creepy grin spread across my face. I quickly shook my head, splashing more water onto my face before glancing back up at my reflection. It was normal now.
"Fucking hell..." I sighed, figuring my brain was still recovering from the hangover and I was just seeing stuff.
After drying my face off with some paper towel, I straighten my posture and go to meet with Fluttershy in Spitfire's office, more than ready to get home and relax.
I can't help but wonder though, what the fuck happened last night?
Sweet fucking Celestia, my brain wants to drill its way to freedom out the back of my skull. That’s the last time I shotgun hard liquor... Then again, I don’t remember there being any booze last night? How I got drunk is still a mystery, a mystery neither Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie or I will ever uncover anytime soon since we were all blackout drunk for the most part.
A long awkward ride home with Fluttershy is what I’m met with after the whole rigmarole with that Spitfire mare. As I lay sprawled out like a dying squid in the passenger seat of the car, Fluttershy pays me a disconcerted glance, her gentle teal eyes filled with worry.
“Do you feel okay Walter?” Fluttershy inquires with concern, her tender voice kissing my ears, her voice is so sweet and motherly it could rival Celestia’s, and that mare knows how to sweet talk.
“I feel like I tried to discover the secrets of a concrete wall by bashing my skull against it until I blacked out.” I mumbled in response, offering a weak smile of reassurance. “Other than that, I feel fine, nothing personal of mine is missing… I don’t think”
“I somehow managed to… Find the personal belongings that you had on your person last night. They were… In the laundry room, I am going to run them through the washer as soon as we get back home.” Fluttershy responded, a heated blush rising to her cheeks.
“...Flutters, I didn’t… Do anything to you or the girls last night while I was drunk, did I?” I asked after a long pause of silence, examining Fluttershy’s flustered visage.
“W-What? No, no no you didn’t… You didn’t do anything to us, at least nothing I can remember…” Fluttershy replied, swallowing nervously.
“I… I’m sorry, I can usually hold my liquor rather well, I must have had a strong drink or… Something. I just can’t remember…” I say with a sigh, rubbing my face. My dreadful mulling is interrupted by Fluttershy’s hand resting on my knee. I glance over at her and she casts me a warm smile, her mirthful eyes locking with my own.
“It’s okay Walter, everybody is safe, that’s what matters.” Fluttershy says reassuringly.
“Right… Y-Yeah, thanks…” I nodded, smiling sheepishly as Fluttershy pulls her hand from my knee. The mare then reaches into her purse and pulls out my phone, wallet, keys, pocket knife, and headphones. She hands them to me, to which I clasp them with a more than thankful smile on my face. I tuck my wallet and knife into my pocket, hooking my headphones to my phone, turning on some music that would help smooth my disheveled senses. The calming melody of Elton John calming my worries, allowing a brief distraction from the underwater feeling in my head.
Glancing out the window I watch as the scenery of the north-west end of Ponyville fades away, slowly bleeding into the colorful less industrial eastern side of town. Trees and nature became more and more frequent, after all the eastern part of Ponyville is mostly a living district and retains most of its former structures in contrast to the new and updated buildings that make up modern day Ponyville.
There are still modern homes and buildings scattered throughout eastern Ponyville, but no changes were made to the old dusty brick roads, the padded dirt sidewalks, and the lush greenery that flourishes throughout this part of town. It’s rather beautiful in its own way, a little piece of old country mixed in with a few specs of modern day’s touch. A smile comes across my features as we pull up to our house, the rigmarole caused by last night’s fiasco was finally over, and I could recover from this damned hangover at last.
I rest on the living room couch while the girls scramble to find the best hangover cures they could think of. I shotgun several glasses of water and a nice hot cup of coffee, followed by a small plate of toast and crackers. I begin to feel a little bit better, my condition gradually improving as I lay sprawled on the couch.
The girls decide to leave me be for the time being; Pinkie Pie rushed off to work, Fluttershy tended to her garden, and Rainbow Dash decided to start her daily exercise routine, at least that’s what she calls it. In reality she works out once in a great while when she feels like she’s getting fat. When she’s not doing her job working with other pegasi to maintain the weather, she is usually slacking off and lazing about; it's honestly kind of a shock to me that she's as fit as she is, all things considered. As of now I am left to my own devices, comfortably cozied up on the couch while watching television at a low volume. I was on the verge of sleep, however I am interrupted by the sound of the phone ringing from the kitchen.
“Fuck’n horse shit.” I hiss quietly, groaning as I contemplate on whether or not I should go and answer. I decide to simply cover my ears and wait it out, hoping the ringing would go away, or Fluttershy would hear it and get it herself. After five minutes of constant ringing, it finally fell silent. I let out a sigh of relief, my body once again relaxing. My hopes to get a good nap in are crushed once more as the phone sounds off once again, if somebody didn’t pick it up it would probably keep ringing on for who knows how long. Begrudgingly I begin to pull myself out of my comfortable position on the couch, mumbling obscenities as I make my way to the phone, grappling it aggressively before hefting it up to my face. “Hello?” I spat groggily.
“Who is this?” a rather posh voice sounded from the other end of the phone.
“I could ask you the same thing.” I retorted gruffly as I fought through the fog of my violent hangover.
“I’m Rarity, and you?” the feminine voice responded, her tone hinting at curiosity and trepidation.
“Oh, Rarity? Sorry, this is... Walter. I’m just a bit… Um, well let's just say I’m recovering from a long night last night.” I mumbled apologetically, only to earn a dismissive snort from the other end of the line.
“Oh yes, I heard all about that.” Rarity said; I could practically hear her rolling her eyes.
“Is there something you needed?” I asked, clearing my throat so I didn’t sound so hoarse.
“Right, could you tell Fluttershy that we aren’t able to return to Ponyville? We’re still organizing a few things here in Canterlot. Don’t forget about the Gala tonight, you lot will have to start the party without us, at least until we manage to finally get back.” Rarity explained, sounding mildly displeased.
“Oh, Gala? What’s the Gala?” I inquired.
“It’s where distasteful nobles gather to jut their noses into one another’s fanny. I must be going now darling, talk to you later, toodles~” Rarity says as she hangs up, leaving me with the soft hum of the dial tone.
“Oh… Kay?” I mumbled, staring at the phone in silence before hanging it up it's cradle. Big social meetings… Not exactly my strong suite. I have to not only worry about how others see me, but also about the reputation of the girls. The girls are very important to Equestria it seems; being the bearers of these Elements of Harmony must be a big deal. I am nervous, extremely nervous. I could stay home, but being alone in my thoughts for too long is never a good thing, not ever. Standing in the kitchen by the phone, I mull over the choices laid before me before deciding that I might as well go, hopefully nobody pays any attention to me while I’m there and the whole party goes by fast. “Oh who am I kidding, I look like a mountain of flesh and body hair, of course they’re gonna notice my huge ass” I murmur bitterly to myself.
“Walter?” I tense up as I hear Fluttershy’s voice followed by the patio door sliding open. “I heard the phone earlier, did somebody call?” she inquired as she approached the kitchen sink to wash her hands free of dirt.
“Huh? Oh yeah, Rarity just called, she said that the Gala is tonight and that she and the others are still held up in Canterlot. She says to just head out to the party without them and that they would join us later into the night.” I explain as Fluttershy wiped her brow of sweat.
“Oh! I almost forgot about it!” Fluttershy gasped, clapping her hands together. “It’ll be your first ever Gala wouldn’t it? I need to find you an appropriate suit, we’ll need to stop by Rarity’s shop and see if Sweetie Belle can help us get a suit thrown together for you!” Fluttershy says with a smile. “I’m going to go take a shower and get cleaned up, once I’m done let's go get that stuff out of the way.” Fluttershy says as she passes by me quickly, jogging up the stairs while her more than bubbly backside bounces with each fast paced step she takes.
Dude, you're staring at her ass.
“So are you.” I mumbled in retort to my inner thoughts.
True.
“Did you say something?” Fluttershy called down from the top of the staircase.
“No! I was just… Clearing my throat!” I lied, quickly scampering off to the living room to sit down and wait for Fluttershy to return. Once she comes back down cleansed of dirt and in a fresh pair of clothes, Fluttershy and I head out on the town.
As our house fades over the horizon behind us, Fluttershy and I are soon engrossed more and more by the livelihood of Ponyville’s rather country-esque sense of culture, a way of life that has been around for way longer than I have most likely, however I do see specs of other cultures slowly bleeding in as well.
Long ago I heard Ponyville just used to be your average small backwater town, however, shortly after the industrial boom of more advanced technologies there was a need to expand on modern lifestyle, and Ponyville was among the first few villages to merge with modern culture. From there on Ponyville grew like a puzzle game, pieces being added to it little by little until it eventually became the large town it is now.
“So Walter, I’d like to personally apologize for what happened last night.” Fluttershy began, speaking in a soft voice. I turn my head to her in full attention, tilting my head.
“It’s alright Flutters, not like it was your fault, nobody knows what happened and I think it should stay that way.” I say with a short laugh. Fluttershy didn’t seem amused.
“No, it’s… It’s not right. You’ve probably already been through so much, yet one of the first steps to your new life is recovering from such a hectic night.” Fluttershy sighs, causing my brows to furrow.
“Hey now hey, there ain’t no reason to beat yourself or anybody else up over it. I probably got a hold of liquor and got wasted somehow. It’s probably my fault to begin with, and besides, one way to tell we had a good time is when we can’t even remember what happened.” I say as I pat her on the shoulder. “Personally, I would rather wake up naked in a strange place than be forced to fight for a country that doesn’t even look at me as an intelligent species.”
“I-If you say so.” Fluttershy replied, her face slowly reddening. I quickly remove my hand from her shoulder, smiling sheepishly. I seem to keep forgetting that Fluttershy is a recovering introvert, so interacting with others on a close level is still rather difficult for her.
“So, what’s this Gala going to be like? Rarity says it’s where a bunch of snobby rich people go to stick their noses in each others butts. Is that true?” I inquired, attempting to keep the small talk alive until we reach our destination.
“Oh, w-well Rarity isn’t entirely wrong. I don’t personally take a liking to speaking ill about others, but I can’t help but agree with Rarity. Myself along with the other girls have to attend because we are important figureheads to Equestria and what not…” Fluttershy explains.
“Figureheads? You’re talkin’ about the whole Elements of Harmony thing right?” I asked.
“Right, the Elements of Harmony must deal with certain matters that normal ponies can’t often do by themselves. We are seen as the last line of defense against great threats against Equestria.” she goes on to explain further while I listen intently.
“Kind of like the Avengers?” I ask with a small grin. Fluttershy glances at me with a confused expression.
“Avengers?” Fluttershy replies, tilting her head.
“Never mind.” I chuckle softly as Fluttershy just gave me a sideways glance. We continued to hold idle conversation as we made our way through town, arriving at what can only be described as the most girliest fucking store I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen quite a lot of bright colorful shit ever since I came to Equestria.
Rarity’s boutique is a tall victorian style building, roughly two stories tall and thoroughly bestrewn with ornate design. Man whoever built this joint must’ve had one hell of a time throwing the boutique’s frilly design together. Everything looked so neatly constructed and well kept, the building looks completely brand new.
Upon approaching the boutique’s lavender hued door, I found myself staring up at the sign of a golden pony mannequin silhouette looming over Fluttershy and I. Letting out a whistle, I glance over at Fluttershy and raise an inquisitive brow.
“This place must’ve costed a fortune.” I say before glancing back up to take a second glance over the looming presence of the boutique. Fluttershy shrugs, nodding her head in agreeance.
We entered the building after our knocks were greeted with a small and gentle voice calling out to us, telling us to come inside. Upon entering we are greeted by a teenage filly, maybe fifteen or so years old. She had pale alabaster fur, light amethyst hued hair with pink highlights, and a smooth horn protruding from her forehead. The small unicorn smiled politely to me, before her eyes flickered over to Fluttershy, that’s when her expression became that of recognition.
“Auntie! It’s nice to see you again!” the unicorn says as she pulls Fluttershy into a close hug. Fluttershy smiles warmly and returns the hug.
“Sweetie Belle, it’s always good to see you too!” Fluttershy says as she gently strokes the filly’s mane. Meanwhile I just stood on the sidelines, standing silently and awkwardly, waiting for the warm bubbly greeting to end.
“Who’s this… Big dude?” The filly, who I can safely assume is Sweetie Belle, inquires as she cranes her neck upward to look at me more observantly than before. With a soft chuckle Fluttershy pats her hand on my bicep and smiles.
“This is Walter, he’s a new roommate of the girls and I. He’s new to Equestria, and he’s also never been to the Gala before so I brought him here so you could possibly prepare a suit for him?” Fluttershy explained as Sweetie Belle continued to size me up, looking at me like I was math homework.
“Tsk… This could be a challenge. I haven’t really worked on anybody this big before, I mean I helped Apple Bloom’s big brother fix up his overalls but this human, Walter, is almost two times Big Mac’s size.” Sweetie Belle says as she begins to circle me.
“Geez, I’m not that fat.” I remark with a chuckle, earning a look from Sweetie Belle who shook her head quickly.
“N-No no, I didn’t mean it like that! I mean, you’re built like a minotaur, and you have a very… Aesthetically pleasing balance between muscle and body fat. Your frame is very large and bulky.” Sweetie Belle explains, smiling sheepishly.
“I’m only fu-- I’m only messing with you” I say, quickly censoring myself as I pat the filly on the head. “I don’t want anything fancy, just an average suit that fits is all I need.”
“If only it were more simpler than that. If my sister found out that I gave a customer some mediocre suit, especially for somebody attending the Gala, I would not hear the end of it. I have a reputation to hold up to, all I need is for you to let me get some good measurements of you and I can put something together from there.” Sweetie Belle explained.
“Oh, well okay, so how do we do this?” I inquired.
“Follow me to over here by the dressing room with all the mirrors.” she says, taking me by the hand and leading me over to a vast array of mirrors with measuring tape strewn about along with many other tailoring equipment. Fluttershy follows close behind us. Once at the measurement station, Sweetie Belle begins to size me up once more, mumbling quietly to herself before dragging over several crates, stacking them on one another before climbing on top of them to get a higher angle. After clicking her tongue and mulling silently to herself for a few minutes, she gives a firm nod and speaks up.
“I need you to strip.” Sweetie Belle states with a straight face.
“...Uh… What?” I blinked, glancing over at her.
“I can’t take proper measurements with your baggy casual clothes in the way. I need raw data, it’s easier to work with.” Sweetie Belle explains.
“Oh… Um… Okay then. Do I have to…”
“You can leave your underwear on, obviously. Unless you’re running short on undergarments?” Sweetie Belle replied with a smirk, chuckling softly as I give her a stare.
“Right right, well. Okay then. Just… Um, Fluttershy could you uh…” I glance over at the cream colored pegasus, who stared at me blankly before the realization dawned on her. She blushed, smiling sheepishly as she backed out of the room after whispering an apology. Once Fluttershy was gone, I turned to Sweetie Belle with a very serious expression. “Whatever you see, I don’t want you speaking a word of it to any of the other girls, okay? I don’t want them to see it yet.” I say as Sweetie Belle gave me a puzzled expression.
“What do you mean?” she asked, and so I began to quietly remove my clothes, stripping down to my boxers. As soon as I pulled my inner layer off, I heard an audible gasp escape from Sweetie Belle’s gaping mouth. Scars laced across my back like an abstract painting, as if somebody dipped a rope in molten lead and lashed it against my back over and over until nothing but improperly healed scars was all that was left of over forty-percent of my flesh.
“What… What happened?” Sweetie Belle whispered shakily, her hand extending to softly graze her nimble fingers across my scars.
“Disobedience, that’s what happened to Imperial Guardsmen who don’t follow orders, or intentionally break the rules. Part of it is bad blood between me and a few higher ranking cadets, but hey, that’s life for humans in the Griffon Kingdom.” I explained as I glanced over my shoulder at her. Sweetie Belle remained silence, appalled most likely. “Believe it or not, this is the smallest punishment they could’ve given me, if it wasn’t for my dad and his connections… Much worse could’ve happened to me.”
“I’m… So sorry.” she says, gently stroking the old scars, as if she were trying to soothe a frightened animal. I give a shrug and chew on the inside of my cheek absentmindedly.
“It’s nothing to fret over anymore, it happened a long time ago. It’s not the worst injury I’ve ever gotten.” I explained. “Now how’s about we get this over with so I don’t have to be half naked any longer than I should be?” I say as Sweetie Belle nods slowly, smiling sheepishly as she began to measure my physique.
Sweetie Belle spent the next twenty-five minutes thoroughly examining every portion of my physique pertinent to crafting my suit as elegantly as possible. I held out my arms in a T-pose for several long minutes, occasionally flexing like He-Man so I would be able to comfortably move around in my future suit without having to waddle around like a penguin, although that would be kind of funny.
I suddenly have a hot burning sensation itching on the back of my head. I grumble softly, excusing myself quietly as I released my arm from its stiff outstretched position, despite Sweetie Belle’s protest, scratching the back of my head quickly to try and fend off the burning sensation. I dig my fingers through the thick wavy locks of my brown hair, tracing the ugly X-shaped scar on the back of my head beneath all my hair.
“Hurry up and itch so I can get back to measuring you.” Sweetie Belle says as she poked the side of my belly with her nimble index finger.
“Sorry, it just started burning out of nowhere.” I mutter with a small chuckle before outstretching my arm once again. “Continue”
It only took about ten more minutes or so until I was all measured up, at least by her standards. She seemed a bit rushed, and I couldn’t blame her, finding out that she had to prepare a suit for a giant dingus like me out of the blue in time for this big Gala event tonight must be stress inducing.
“Say, Sweetie Belle?” I began, glancing over at her as she wrote down all of her measurements on a clipboard while she thought deeply about how to approach the situation. She pauses briefly, glancing up at me and tilting her head in inquisition.
“Yes?”
“This is very kind of you, and I don’t really have a lot of cash on me but if you ever need a favor from me, do not hesitate to contact me okay?” I say as I glance down at her. She smiles warmly, a blush washing across her face.
“I-It’s really not a big deal, Walter.” she replied bashfully.
“It is though. The kindness that I’ve been shown so far has to be paid back somehow!” I say as I grab the pencil and clipboard she was holding, scribbling down my phone number at the bottom of the paper before handing the items back to her. “Any time, no matter the occasion, call me if you or your friends need help.” I say with a smile.
“Thank you, Walter. I’ll be sure to hold you up on that offer if the time comes.” Sweetie Belle says with a sheepish smile, “I’m going to go… Get to work on your suit. It’ll take some time but it’ll be done before tonight. You can go out and do whatever and I’ll give you a call when it’s done.” Sweetie Belle says as she bows politely before taking her leave into the back room. I get dressed once again and take my leave, meeting with Fluttershy out in the lobby.
“How’d it go?” Fluttershy asked, smiling up at me as we left the boutique.
“As awkward as any man would be having a small preteen girl feeling him up in his underwear.” I snorted before shaking my head, “It went fine. She got the measurements, although I think she made me do a few odd poses for her own amusement.” I say with a small laugh.
“Oh? Like what?” Fluttershy inquired, perking a brow.
“Like… This!” I say, taking up an overly exaggerated pose that one would only see in a power rangers movie, flexing my right arm while my left extended into the air, looking as if I were about to throw an invisible spear up into the air. Upon seeing my exaggerated pose, Fluttershy couldn't help but let out a small giggle.
“Walter, please, people are staring.” Fluttershy wheezed as she grabbed a hold of my wrist and began to pull me along, breaking me out of my absurd pose. Fluttershy and I began to meander about the town, walking nowhere specifically, just talking and enjoying one another’s company.
Some time after they left the boutique, Fluttershy decided to bring us both to Sugar Cube Corner, a giant three-story building that looked more like a massive gingerbread house than an actual structure of any kind. It was bright and colorful, a mixture of pink, cream, and chocolate brown dominated most of the color scheme. Upon entering, I immediately noticed the upbeat warm and bubbly atmosphere that filled the restaurant. Customers laughed and smiled as they exchanged words over their meals. However, the atmosphere quickly fell silent as my presence became noticed. It threw me off at how many ponies just stopped what they were doing to turn and gawk at me, I mean sure ponies often do that in public but not as much while I’m with Fluttershy.
“It’s okay.” Fluttershy whispered softly to me, gently clasping her small nimble fingers around the hulk of my massive paw, squeezing my hand firmly as she casts me a warm smile. Inhaling slowly, I nod, but before I can make any further progression into the restaurant I am swept off my feet by a blur of pink.
“GAH!” I screamed, albeit not as manly as I’d hoped, while tumbling backward onto the floor while I am showered with pure affection, my face swallowed up by busty and firm cleavage. If I opened my eyes I’d only be met with utter darkness, but even without my vision I could already tell who it was that has assaulted me with affection: Pinkie Pie.
“Hi Pinkie.” I managed to groan, although my voice was muffled she seemed to hear me quite clearly.
“Hi Wally! I’m so happy you and Fluttershy are here! Now I can show you guys my new cupcake recipe!” Pinkie Pie cheered giddily, quickly pulling herself off of me only to practically manhandle me, dragging me over to a table where Fluttershy and I are placed. “Just sit tight and I’ll be back in a jiffy!” she giggled before disappearing.
I am simply left there in the center of the restaurant, my hair disheveled, looking as if I just walked out of a hurricane, or was attacked by a gang of giant blow dryers. Fluttershy simply adjusted comfortably into her seat before reaching up to comb my hair back into order. Fluttershy didn’t seem as phased by Pinkie’s antics as I did, which could only mean that these kind of shenanigans are a regular occurrence.
“Believe it or not, you’ll get used to this sort of thing. That’s just Pinkie being Pinkie.” Fluttershy says with a sheepish smile as she finishes fixing me up.
“So she suffocates you guys with her boobs too?” I inquire. Fluttershy blushed, chuckling softly as she scratches the back of her head.
“Well, sometimes, if she decides to do a running-jump hug, she doesn’t have to do that quite as often with we me or the other girls because we’re not as tall as you are.” Fluttershy explained. “She probably sensed the tension in the air and decided to break the ice?” Fluttershy added with a sheepish grin.
“More like shatter the ice into tiny little pieces.” I retorted, earning a shrug from Fluttershy. Looking around now ponies weren’t as tense or uncomfortable as they were before, it seemed that being friends with both Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie is enough to calm the suspicions of others. I wonder how bad mingling in with society here would’ve been had I not been assigned to the Elements of Harmony.
Without much warning Pinkie returns in a blur, setting down two plates for Fluttershy and I, and I have to be honest, I was quite impressed with what I was looking at. On my plate were three medium-sized cupcakes, which smelled strongly of cheesecake. The first layer of the cupcake was cream cheese, most likely, and on top of that was a cream frosting with caramel swirls mixed in. To add the finishing touch, Pinkie shaved a few layers off of a bar of dark chocolate onto our cupcakes, sprinkling the pastries until they were perfectly decorated in the chocolate.
“This looks amazing, I’ve never seen cupcakes that look like this before!” I say as I examine the pastries closely. Pinkie blushed, her smile widening into a disproportionately sized grin.
“Well don’t just look at it, stuff it in your face! Tell me how it tastes!” Pinkie Pie says as she leans her elbows on the table, her cleavage staring me dead in the face while her deep blue eyes peered into my very soul.
“My pleasure.” I reply, licking my lips as l pluck one of the pastries from the platter, lifting it up to my open maw. Just as I’m about to take a bite, my phone goes off. I furrow my brows, letting out a sigh as I set the pastry down, an audible pout escaping Pinkie’s lips as I reach into my pocket and pull out my phone. “Who the fuck…” I mumbled quietly as I look at the caller ID, it was Storm.
“Storm?” I mumbled, perking a curious brow. I accept the call and raise the phone to my ear.
“Walter, you busy?” Storm asked, Gumdrop singing softly in the background, most likely doing household chores.
“Well, not really. I’m at a bakery with my friends. What’s up?” I responded while Pinkie just pouted and glared playfully at me, puffing out her cheeks, waiting for me to get done with the phone so I could enjoy her sugary creation.
“Sorry to interrupt. I just got wind of who your new Guardian is gonna be.” she explained.
“New Guardian? Oh right, you were my temporary one. So, who is it?” I asked while reaching over and petting Pinkie on the head, scratching behind her ears to soothe her frustration. She squeaked softly before melting into my hand.
“Captain Ashfall Venture, retired, he’s a veteran who fought during the Changeling Wars, he’s old but he’s still tougher than nails.” Storm explains as the sound of papers being sorted through sounded in the background. “It’s strange though, as to why they are appointing him to you...”
“Why’s that?” I asked, perking a brow.
“Well, Celestia appointed Captain Venture as your Guardian herself, and Venture is the type of guy who is usually appointed to babysit nobles.” Storm continued to explain.
“And?”
“Walter, nobles don’t fuck around when it comes to protection. Venture may be old but he has more finesse and skill than most veterans out there. He’s the kind of guy that…” she trailed off, seeming unsure if she should speak any further.
“Storm, what is it?” I demanded, removing my hand from Pinkie’s poofy mane despite her protest.
“Never mind, I just think it’s odd as to why they’d appoint him to you. It seems Celestia isn’t taking any chances with your well being.” Storm says with a small sigh.
“Is he that big of a deal?” I asked, tilting my head.
“I little bit, but I’m probably just being weird. Anyway, Venture will be meeting with you at the Gala tonight. He’ll find you, just keep an eye out for a tall lean vet with a fiery mane. I’ll talk to you later kiddo, buh-bye!” Storm says before hanging up.
“Okay… So that was my old Guardian. She says that my new Guardian will meet with me at the Gala tonight.” I explained as I reached for the cupcake, plucking it up and preparing it to be devoured while I tucked my phone away back into my pocket.
“Oh, so who’s your new Guardian?” Fluttershy asked.
“I’unno, some old dude who served in the Changeling Wars? Captain Ashfall Venture.” I reply, shrugging as I sank my teeth into the amazingly delicious yet almost too sugary pastry, my mouth recoiling from the overwhelmingly pleasant flavor. “Oh my god my mouth is having an orgasm…” I moan softly and quietly, tears leaking from the corners of my eyes. I dare say that this cupcake is better than sex.
Yes, I’ve had sex before. Shut up.
I couldn’t help but hear a mixture of Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie’s voices overlapping one another in a sniggering fit. Fluttershy took a break from her giggling to take a bite out of the cupcake herself, earning a much more salacious version of my reaction. Fluttershy’s face flushed red and she quickly covered her mouth with a napkin to wipe the remnants of frosting from the corner of her mouth.
“So, any official quotes that you two would like to agree on? I like to put the reaction of customers in quotation next to the product they tested, however I don’t think I can put either of your first reactions on there.” Pinkie Pie explains with a giggle.
“Oh, uh… Hm.” I pause, clicking my tongue as I rattled my brain for thoughts.
“W-Well, how about: ‘Worth Every Bit?’, because honestly, if I were paying a hefty sum for this pastry, I’d definitely say it was worth the cost.” Fluttershy suggested, earning a nod from me in agreement.
“Alrighty! I like it, thank you two for testing a new delightful cupcake of mine!” Pinkie Pie says gleefully as she then takes off, most likely to add the pastry to the menu.
Fluttershy and I stick around for an hour or so at Sugar Cube Corner, after that we left and wandered around town getting to know each other better. I learned of how Fluttershy met the others and how over time she managed to escape her shy introvert habits, she is still a bit coy every once in awhile but it’s not as bad as it used to be.
“Daddy!” a colt calls out as he makes a mad sprint across the front yard of Ponyville Schoolhouse.
“Steel, my boy!” an older stallion calls out, kneeling down, opening his arms in order to affectionately intercept his child. I watch the scene quietly, my smile faltering noticeably as I spectate the scene. After a brief reunion the pair enter a chariot and drive away, I must have been making a face because Fluttershy spoke up.
“Walter, you okay?” Fluttershy asked, obviously picking up on my inner dilemma.
“Huh? Oh, yeah I’m… I’m fine.” I say, forcing a smile onto my lips.
“Are you sure?” Fluttershy pressed on, gently placing her hand on my shoulder.
Swallow your emotions, Walter!
“Yeah I’m fine. Let's hurry back to Sweetie Belle!” I say as I grasp her hand gently and began to fast-walk in the direction of the Boutique.
“Captain, it’s nice to see you again.” Snowdrop spoke up as she stood to formally greet an old friend, extending her hand out for the grizzly looking older stallion with cold gray fur, a blonde/red mane that resembled the tendrils of a flame, and tired blue eyes that held a certain edge to them.
“Indeed it is, Lieutenant.” the older stallion remarked, squeezing the mare’s hand firmly in a brief shake before letting go and falling to his sides. “So, ‘Snowdrop’, what have you got for me this time?” the unicorn asked as he idly chewed on some nicotine gum he had rolling around in his cheek.
“Please, Ash, just call me Snow. I know it’s a silly name but it’s the one that Luna gave me.” Snowdrop says with a small sigh as the stallion smirked and gave a short nod. “As for what I have for you, it is a personal request from Princess Celestia herself. We have a more special case for you, so you needn’t worry about babysitting a noble or anything like that.” Snowdrop says as a distinct wave of relief washes over Ashfall’s visage.
“Huhn. Right. So, who’s my object of affection this time?” Ashfall inquired mildly as he laced his fingers behind the small of his back, earning a small grin from Snowdrop.
“Walter Barnes, a refugee from the war that broke out in the GK.” Snowdrop says as she hands Ashfall a bundle of files.
“Barnes… Why does that name sound familiar?” Ashfall mutters as he began to leaf through the pile of papers and documents within the folders.
“You probably recognize the name from your charge’s father, Franklin ‘Fury’ Barnes.” Snowdrop explains, causing Ashfall’s eyes dart up to meet hers, and one of his thick motley orange brows to lift in inquisition.
“Human, then… Hrn. Franklin Fury had a kid... Who’s the mother?” Ashfall inquired as his eyes returned to the files and he continued leafing.
“Sarah Crewes.” Snowdrop says, casing Ashfall’s head to raise up this time rather than just his eyes.
“No shit? Fury and Crewes bumped uglies? Shitfire, why does this kid need my protection?” Ashfall asked with a snort of what could have been annoyance or disbelief.
“You see, that’s where it gets complicated. Walter isn’t exactly like his parents or his sister.”
“Stars... they had two kids. Of course they did.” Ashfall muttered as he lifted a scarred hand to rub at one of his temples.
“Yes, and unlike his parents or his sister, Walter didn’t exactly walk down the same path of special forces like the rest of his family. An incident occurred, an incident Celestia has chosen to make classified, and it forced Walter out of any future in military careers.” Snowdrop explains while Ashfall takes a seat in front of Snowdrop’s desk, resting the files on his lap.
Slowly closing the folder, Ashfall leans back in the chair as he gathers his thoughts. “It said that Walter was a PFC, he should have gotten an acceptable amount of basic training, by griffon standards, to protect himself. I understand my role as a guardian, but as to why Crown Jewel requested me specifically to act as this kid’s bodyguard is still a mystery to me.” Ashfall says as he took a brief glance at the files again.
“It’s not that he can't defend himself, it’s that he shouldn't.” Snowdrop replied, earning a curious glance from Ashfall.
“And why’s that?” Ashfall asked, slowly perking a brow.
“...Alright, I’m going to go off the record here and let you in on what little information I can give you. I’m only doing this because we’re tight like that, you hear me?” Snowdrop says, earning a nod from Ashfall.
“I’d like to know what I’m dealing with before I jump neck deep into it” Ashfall stated, before allowing the corner of his mouth to raise ever so slightly. “But yeah. Tight like that. Hhrm.”
“The part about Walter being a PFC is false, a lot of Walter’s information was forged by Franklin Barnes, since he is the one who provided all of Walter and Jessica’s information. Jessica’s profile checks out, but according to our sources in the Imperial Legion, not a whole lot of Walter’s info matches up.” Snowdrop began as she crossed her arms. “Walter’s former rank was sergeant, top of his class in the Imperial Guard Academy, has lead several operations from Gorgonzola to the Forsaken Forest.” Snowdrop explains, earning a confused stare from Ashfall.
“How in the hell did he rank up to sergeant as a preteen?” Ashfall inquired in disbelief, though it seems the question was more posed toward himself as the gears inside his head began to rattle and roar like a V12 Diesel.
“That’s where things get complicated. Our sources say that not too long before his rapid climb of ranks, Walter was involved with a branch of military only referred to as Phantom. We have little to no information in regards of this confidential branch, all we managed to gather is the name.” Snowdrop began as she took a drink from a flask hidden in a drawer of her desk. “Not too long after his seventeenth birthday, Walter was shot in the back of the head by an unknown gunman. He miraculously survived, but the injury resulted in both brain damage and memory loss. He was demoted to Private First Class, where he served as military police until another incident occurred, which earned him a dishonorable discharge.” Snowdrop explains as thoroughly as possible.
“What happened?” Ashfall asked curiously. Snowdrop had his full attention now, as he slowly crossed his legs and sat back in the chair.
“Walter developed a clandestine romantic relationship with another human male; some of the older cadets found out about it and reportedly decided that it would be a good idea to lure Walter and his partner outside the base and beat them up. You know how they are over in the GK over… that sort of thing. Anyways, something... snapped, and Walter wound up beating the older cadets an inch from death. Walter was dishonorably discharged and punished by flogging before being sent home.”
Ashfall remained silent, partially in disbelief of what all he was hearing. He tapped his chin idly, scratching his goatee while mulling around in his thoughts.
“So you see, this is why Celestia has chosen you. As far as we’re concerned, Walter is a ticking time bomb. We don’t know what happened to him or why, all we know now is that he’s a very scared young man who just wants a second chance at life. For the safety of Walter and those around him, you must protect him from getting into any fights. You have six public campaigns and multiple black operations under your belt, Captain, you’re more than capable of handling this.” Snowdrop says as she offers a confident smile.
Despite the smile offered his way, the old captain seemed ill at ease. “Am I cleared by Crown Jewel to come at this suited and booted, or am I pulling the usual security detail?”
“In regards to your position as Walter Barnes’ guardian, you are hereby permitted to arm yourself with whatever necessities you deem appropriate. You may visit the local armory and get yourself suited up with what you think you’d need for this operation. But remember, you have to stay discreet, Walter is to be kept in the dark about all of this, as well as the Element Bearers.” Snowdrop responded.
“Crown’s giving me an open shopping cart? Hah.” For the first time since entering the office, Captain Venture grins, and his mind switches gears. “Thanks for the intel, Trueblood.” Ashfall speaks softly with a razors edge, placing the files back on Snowdrop’s desk.
“Snowdrop, it’s Snowdrop now.” the mare snaps, correcting the old stallion.
“Right right, ‘Snowdrop’. Got it. So when do I meet this kid?” Ashfall inquired, standing up from his seat.
“At the Gala, tonight. Good luck, Captain. And take care.”
“It’s just like you to always be prepared, dad...” Jessica sighed to herself, walking a step behind her brother Walter as they closed in on the train station. The train dock crowd was dense with faces, both foreign and native. All of them were in the station for the same purpose as Jessica and her little brother: to escape, one way or another, for one reason or another.
War between the Crown and the Legion has begun to bleed out across the nation, resulting in a growing chaos among every facet of Imperial life. Thinking quickly, the father of the two siblings had made preparations, purchasing two tickets to Equestria in hopes of using the chaos to his advantage. He had to stay behind, despite the protest of Walter; somebody had to stay behind to fight in their place.
Walter lead the way but kept within arm’s reach of his sister. He’s a big kid, so naturally he was assigned to be the eyes above the crowd for Jessica.
“Did you say something?” Walter asked as he turned his head slightly toward his smaller sister; his eyes continued to comb his surroundings thoroughly, continuously on the lookout for trouble. .
“Hmm? Oh, no. Just talking to myself, Little Bear, keep on moving” Jessica replied as she pinched Walter’s backside, causing him to jump a bit and shoot a glare back at her.
“Stop that!” Walter hissed in irritation as he rubbed his abused cheek, “That’s been like four times now!”
“Eyes front, soldier boy, we need dock fifteen” Jessica spoke through a laugh, while shooting Walter a mischievous smile. Walter simply scowled at her for a brief few seconds before returning his eyes forward to navigate the crowd.
Walter, the child who inherited their mother’s size and strength, has always been a head taller than most humans his age, and when he’d hit puberty he shot up even higher. It’s scary to think that he still has at least five years of growing left. Jessica on the other hand, she inherited a bit more of their father’s traits: short, scary, and intelligent.
“Do you see our dock yet?” Jessica asked, craning her neck up at Walter as she followed in the wake his bulk made through the tightly packed station crowd.
“What?” Walter called back over the din of several dozen conversations, his eyes still scanning the area for their dock. With the combined ruckus of the crowd it was rather difficult to communicate without shouting back and forth. Letting out an annoyed sigh, Jessica clambered up onto Walter’s back, climbing up until her breasts were resting on top of his head. She firmly wrapped her thick muscular legs around Walter’s pectorals, causing the large man to blush in embarrassment. “The fuck, Jess?” Walter hissed.
“Shaddup ya’ big bastard, can’t even hear me all the way down there. Just keep looking!” Jessica barked in response, hooking her arm around Walter’s thick neck to keep herself balanced while they both continued their search for their dock.
“There!” Walter sighed in relief, pointing over at dock fifteen, which was currently boarding passengers onto two different trains. One was heading to Appleloosa, the other to Ponyville.
Just like their dad said it would be, or at least, that’s what Jessica had been told.
“The hell? Two trains? My ticket says Appleloosa. What does yours say?” Walter asked nervously as he gestured towards his ticket.
“Ponyville” Jessica replied, earning a frown of confusion and concern from her younger brother as he craned his neck to look at her.
“That doesn’t make sense... Did dad mess up?” Walter asked, as he tried to keep his emotions out of his voice..
Things began to click into place in Jessica’s mind as she threw herself into deep thought, but before she could ask herself anymore questions, she spotted something interesting from the corner of her eyes: three griffon soldiers trying desperately to blend in with the crowd, probably armed, on the Crown’s payroll most likely. They must be there for Walter. Jessica thought to herself, as if they’d been there for her, there’d be far more of them, and they wouldn’t bother trying to blend in.The griffons were dressed in summer apparel, pretending to be on their phones, standing by the platform waiting to follow Walter onto the Appleloosa train.
“Walter, wait on the platform will you?” Jessica says as she hopped down off of Walter’s back. Before he could say anything to her, she’d already slipped into the crowd and disappeared. Maneuvering her way through the crowd, she wove her way over to one of the pillars that supported the second story of the station, where a security officer was standing. Jessica approached the uniformed griffon and waved a hand to catch her attention.
“What is it, citizen?” the guard inquired nonchalantly, staring down at Jessica with disinterest.
“See those three over there near dock fifteen dressed like they got lost on their way to the nineties?” Jessica asks as she pointed to the group of griffons. “Those goons belong to my friend’s ex boyfriend, they were harassing her earlier before we got to the station. That’s her over there next to my brother” Jessica explained, pointing to Walter who just so happened to be standing next to a young griffon woman who seemed to be asking Walter questions about the train. Jessica then pointed over to the three mercenaries who obviously had their eyes locked in the direction of Walter and the griffon woman, making Jessica’s lie all the more convincing. “I think they’re waiting for her to board so they snatch her and exit through the other train” Jessica explained with forced nervous strain. Since the large boarding platform on each of the trains were just close enough for people on either side to travel between the trains quite easily, she hoped that her bullshit story would hold water.
“Right... Thank you for your assistance, human.” the security guard said, before speaking into her radio, calling for backup. Jessica quickly disappeared into the crowd, silently creeping her way back over to Walter while a group of security guards made their way to the men. Of course the griffon guard had believed her, humans in Imperial territory had been conditioned and groomed over generations to be utterly loyal dogs. It helped that the three griffon men stuck out like sore thumbs, and more than likely were a pack of would be kidnappers.. It also helped that Jessica was quite attractive, and the guard had been eyeing her up the whole time like a tasty little morsel to drag off to the nearest supply closet. Everybody wanted to take the pretty girl’s word, in hopes it would lead them somewhere.
As the altercation between the security guards and the hired guns broke out on the dock, Jessica appeared next to Walter and swiped his ticket, exchanging it for hers.
“You’re going to Ponyville” Jessica instructed, clasping Walter’s large hands around her ticket.
“Huh? But what about you?” Walter asked as he gave his sister a confused stare, the very idea of splitting from her side drawing pained lines on his face.
“I’ll be fine, I’ll be able to find you faster than if it were the other way around” Jessica said, smiling softly as she shoved Walter into the train to Ponyville without waiting for his rebuttal. She had to make sure he would make it to his booth safely. Once he was out of her line of sight she quickly dashed into her own train, making her way to her cabin to avoid being spotted by either guard or goon. Her journey was gonna be a bumpy, but she could handle it, after all this was all a part of their father’s plan. A plan she prayed would work out in the end...
Present Day...
“Hold still you big oaf.” Sweetie Belle hisses as she fumbles with my bowtie, yanking me down so I was at eye level with the teenaged mare.
“Sorry” I grumble in response as the small mare fiddles with my bowtie, an accessory woven by dark red silk materials.
“I understand the suit is likely a bit tight, but I had to work with what materials I had left, our next shipment comes tomorrow and we both know we don’t have time for that.” Sweetie Belle says as she finishes fiddling with my bowtie, a satisfied smirk on her muzzle.
“Right, right” I nod, sighing quietly to myself as she continues to make the final adjustments to my suit.
I stand clad in firm yet smooth tuxedo, beautifully embroidered with dark gray velvety designs that stretch tastefully along the fringe of my coat and below my cufflinks. The design also spans across my upper back, perfectly aligned along my shoulder blades. My outfit is complete with matching slacks and dress shoes, along with a custom made pair of white cotton gloves to fit my meteor sized fists.
“I wouldn’t exactly compare it to the best of my sister’s work, but I’m pretty confident she would be proud of this suit, given the shortage of materials I had to work with.” Sweetie Belle says as she takes a lint roller, brushing it across the entirety of my tux, taking precaution to assure that this suit will be in its highest state of elegance when I finally do arrive at the Gala.
“I haven’t worn a suit like this in years… Ever since I was discharged from the Imperial Guardsmen.” I mutter as I look myself over, mentally comparing the elegantly tailored suit to my old ill-fitting dress uniform. For a scant moment, I envisioned my father standing beside me, wielding that warm and welcoming smile he always carries about. I could almost hear him cracking jokes with my sister about how fancy I looked, just like my first day of Academy.
“Walter, are you alright?” Sweetie Belle’s concerned voice drifts to my senses, causing me to turn her direction. She must’ve seen the look on my face, the look I was too distracted to notice since my mind was elsewhere. “Your eyes are all red and…” she paused, trailing off as I tried using my thumb to wipe the budding tears in the corner of my eyes, forcing a smile to my lips.
“I’m… I’m okay, just thinking about… My family” I replied honestly; I’m a horrible liar after all, and lying to Sweetie feels as if it would be like kicking an adorable puppy. Sweetie Belle’s features turned conflicted, likely as she pondered if she should press on or leave it be. Without speaking another word she plucked a lovely smelling rose and clipped it onto the chest pocket of my jacket.
“There we go, not many stallions wear boutonnieres nowadays, this will give you a bit more of a unique style.” she says warmly, gently patting my shoulders before looking up at me, brushing some of my hair out of my face, tucking it behind my ears. “I pray to the stars that you may soon see your family again soon, Walter.” She murmured softly to me, before hopping down off her stepping stool.
“Thank you, I hope I do too.” I respond with an admittedly weak smile as I return to checking myself over in the mirror once more. The suit isn’t exactly as comfortable as my usual baggy apparel, but it hugs my bulky frame and gave huge emphasis on my musculature. It also made my ass look more toned than it probably is, but then again I don’t look at my own ass that much. Certainly explains what Sweetie was doing back there all that time... I just hope nobody else adopts the habit of doing so. I silently wish for everybody at this Gala to be a herd of dusty prudes who haven't seen their own junks in over a decade. Old rich people I could handle. However, on the other side of the spectrum… Eugh.
“Walter, are you ready?” Fluttershy calls out as she enters the room. She had acquired a formal attire for the Gala as well it seems; a sparkling blue cocktail dress that hugs around her waist enough to compliment her curves and bust while also adding emphasis to her natural beauty and modesty. She looked as if she were prepared to sing O’riordan’s ‘Linger’ on a stage under a spotlight. Needless to say I was at a loss of words, luckily I didn’t have to say anything since Fluttershy spoke up once more. “I take it that you like my dress?” Fluttershy inquires, a smirk creeping to her lips.
“Uh… Yeah, y-yeah, I do. It’s very lovely.” I reply stiff and awkward, spilling my words out like a broken water faucet, or at least that’s how I thought I sounded like.
“You look quite strapping yourself, Walter. The suit looks good on you.” Fluttershy says as she approaches, looking me over while Sweetie Belle beamed at her impressive handiwork.
“Thanks.” I reply, a small smile touching my lips as I looked myself over in the mirror. “I think it hugs me a bit too tightly though… It shows off more of my… Assets… Than I’d like it to.”
“If I’m gonna show off, then so are you.” Fluttershy says as she playfully bumps my shoulder with her fist.
“Fair enough...”
“Oh Fluttershy, don’t forget to grab Pinky and Dash’s outfits too!” Sweetie Belle says as she darts over to a table, lifting up two ornately designed packages wrapped in a smooth silky fabric, each fabric consisting of the color pertaining to either of the two mares back home; one being pink, and the other being cyan blue. “My sister made a few adjustments to their dresses since the last Gala.”
“Thank you” Fluttershy replies sweetly, taking the packages as Sweetie Belle handed them over.
“Are we ready to head out? What time do you think we should get there?” I ask as Fluttershy turns to me with the packages held before her bust.
“We should probably get there early to meet up with the other girls. We’ll have to run by the house real quick though to pick up Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie.” Fluttershy replies, saying her goodbyes to Sweetie Belle before heading out of the boutique with me.
One Week Ago...
The skies were dyed an obnoxious blue, the most heavily saturated color in the midst of the scorched earth of the western frontier. The hue of the sky reflected off of Jessica’s aviators, which barely protected her hazel brown eyes from the biting sting of direct sunlight. Her voice hums softly along with the rhythm of Cage The Elephant blasting over her earbuds that were plugged into the MP3 player tucked neatly within her cleavage.
Sweat glistened off of her fair, slightly tanned skin, mixed in with dried splotches of blood which was scattered across her features. The groddy mix slowly ran ugly black rivulets down her body, sticking to the tone of her muscles. She sways her hips to the melody of guitar riffs; subtle drum strikes blending with a steady rhythm of bass guitar.
She sways her hips, skipping in her steps while she treks along the hardened dirt surface of the earth beneath her. This wasn’t the worst situation she’d been thrown into before; the skin-peeling, boot melting heat of the Saddle Arabian desert was far less tolerable than the west frontier. At least there were clouds to block the sun, and on occasion a lonely joshua tree to pause under.
Three days ago, Jessica had a run in with the goons sent after Walter by the Crown. Her little escapade at the train station had worked flawlessly and allowed a safe exit for her younger brother, Walter, who had been all but ignorant to the situation. The goons had been underwhelmingly easy to handle, as predicted, and clearly weren’t prepared whatsoever to face off with former Special Forces in the slightest.
Upon interrogating them, through the muffled cries for mercy, Jessica had managed to extract what information she could from the Griffons. It’s quite funny, the avian felines always acted all serious, strong, and superior; but when you start to pluck them like a christmas turkey, their tones changed rather quickly. Jessica had learned a few things from her little session. Number one being it wasn’t the Crown that had ordered Walter’s capture. The only name she was able to pry out of them was Hamilton. they explained that whoever hired them for this job sent some man named Hamilton to act as middleman.
She’d have to find a settlement of some sort soon, preferably one with a radio tower close by so she can relay her report back to her father. And get some fresh water. Her hot canteen bounced off her hip, sloshing with the final vestiges of her water.
As Cage The Elephant transitioned The Offspring, a twinkle of luck sparkled from the edge of her peripheral vision. An oasis sat far off in the distance, a splotch of green among the grilled orange landscape and cracked earth. Kicking up some dust as she turned on her heel, Jessica spun around and made a B-line straight towards the oasis, where hopefully she would be able to replenish her water supply but also set up camp. The wood from the trees would be able to provide ample wood for a campfire, because once night came it would get colder than a witch’s tit.
As dusk approached, Jessica had set up a moderately sized campsite complete with a petite hut crafted out of branches and leaves woven together with tree sap and supported by twigs. It didn’t have to be too large, considering the soil surrounding the oasis was soft enough for her to dig using the wooden spade she carved using her seven inch ka-bar. She had a nice little fox hole dug in, a rudimentary roof built over her head, and plenty of water in the small pond surrounded by lush green foliage.
Now all that was left was to get some shut eye, she has a long journey ahead of her if she’s to reunite with her brother. The thought of Walter bounced around inside her mind as she drifted off into sleep.
Present Day…
“Hnnh… This party is about as lively as it always is.” Ashfall mutters under his breath, his gritty voice dripping with sarcasm meant for nobody but himself. The old unicorn stallion is currently hidden away on a balcony, outside the large gathering of influential nobles and successful business owners. He chews idly on a stick of nicotine gum, his harrowed hues gazing up at the sky as Luna’s night began to bleed across the horizon. Whilst admiring the handiwork of the lunar princess, Ashfall feels a presence approach him from behind.
“Hello, Captain Venture” Twilight Sparkle says as she makes her way next to Ashfall, leaning up against the balcony railing.
Ashfall shifts his gaze over to the lavender hued unicorn, his aged eyes taking in the sight of the mare’s elegant appearance. Twilight is clad in a silky black cocktail dress with a slit reaching down the center of her chest, exposing the small gap between her cleavage through the small ribbon straps keeping each adjacent side of the slit’s edge close together. The edge of her skirt reached just a few inches below her mid thigh, leading down to her high-heeled black shoes that looked like they could cause some serious harm if she accidentally stepped her heel on somebody’s foot.
“Miss Sparkle” Ashfall greeted while keeping his personal opinion about her dress to himself. Giving a small nod in her direction, he returned to staring blankly out over the many lights decorating the town’s nightlife.
“I read your files after I heard about your posting. I knew I recognized your name from my father’s stories. He served in the Changeling Wars, just like you did” Twilight says as Ashfall gave a small mumble, internally cringing at the thought of that past conflict. His leading opinion was ‘Clusterfuck’, though he wasn’t about to blurt it out. “Only he wasn’t a SOG Operative, like you were.”
“Mhmm” Ashfall rumbled as she stated the obvious, watching as ponies of the night began to go about their business in the town below. Thestrals and normal ponies mingling together, hitting dive bars and clubs with long waiting lists. Regardless of standing, the Gala always brought out a huge crowd. The City was more than happy to take them when the Gala wouldn’t.
“Captain, I take it you’re aware of the position you’ve taken up, yes?” Twilight inquired. He’d known exactly why the slim little thing had come to him. She wasn’t the only one who liked to be prepared.
“Fully.” Ashfall muttered in response.
“Did Snowdrop fill you in on any sensitive information?” Twilight inquired quietly, trepidation clear in her voice.
“She only told me what I needed to know.” Ashfall says, neither confirming nor denying Twilight’s inquiry.
“Good” Twilight nodded, adjusting her glasses as she shifted her weight around. She knew he was hardly someone ponies enjoyed spending much time around. He preferred it that way.
“So where exactly is this kid I’m in charge of?” Ashfall inquired, turning his gaze to Twilight.
“I contacted my friend earlier, she says that they’re on their way here. You know what he looks like?” Twilight asked as she observed the older stallion’s visage, but only found well calculated blankness.
“Tall mountain of flesh with a baby face” Ashfall replies, earning a small chuckle from Twilight.
“Close enough” she smiles as she turns her attention back towards the party going on inside the large community facility. “Keep an eye out for him, he should be here any minute” she says as she returns to the party.
“Mm.” Ashfall nods, glancing down at the entrance to the large community center’s entrance, where he could see guests of the Gala arriving still. As the minutes pass his eyes find focus on a certain chariot pulling up to meet with the valet. Stepping out is a gorgeous yellow colored pegasus with flowing pink hair and deep teal blue eyes, the Element of Kindness, Fluttershy. Clad in an astonishing sparkling blue dress that hugged her perfectly, Little Miss Kindness really had it going for her. Ashfall’s attention is quickly redirected as the small compact vehicle shakes and sways side to side before a giant hairless yeti crawls out from the passenger side of the vehicle.
“Shitfire… He looks bigger in person. The kid’s a damn three-hundred pound wall of flesh.” Ashfall spat, accidentally losing his nicotine gum in the process. The gum would drop downward and land in the beehive hairdo of an middle-aged mare and her husband, both recently arrived guests as well. Pausing with his hand outstretched, Ashfall clenched his fingers and pursed his lips, before about-facing, and marching away as he whistled innocently.
“Walter, can you help me out here?” Dash called out, grunting as she tried to maneuver her way out of the chariot without harming her dress while Pinkie just watched in mild amusement.
“Sure” I reply, approaching the opened back side door of the vehicle. I reach down and scoop my arms beneath her legs, reaching my other arm in to reach around her back and grasp her waist. Once I had a firm grasp of her, I lifted Rainbow Dash from the back of the vehicle, carrying her like a damsel in a fairy tail. I quickly placed her back down on her feet, brushing her off for a few seconds before noticing the dark red hues on her cheeks.
“Oh, uh, sorry. You probably meant like… Offering a hand or something” I say, smiling sheepishly.
“No, no it’s um… Fine. I’m gonna go ahead and head inside, there’s way too much makeup on my face for me to be comfortable with” Rainbow Dash says with an awkward smile before scampering off inside the building.
“Me next! Me next!” Pinkie Pie chirped gleefully as she outstretched her arms.
“I’ll just meet you inside, Walter. Feel free to explore around the building and get yourself comfortable” Fluttershy chuckled in amusement, turning and heading inside the building after Rainbow Dash.
“Right, see ya inside then” I say with an awkward smile, peering down at the giddy Pinkie Pie who was looking up at me with an ear-to-ear grin. I let out a sigh and lifted her out of the car as well despite her being more than capable of getting out of the car herself.
Pinkie Pie’s dress is a red-laced party dress, the skirt reaching down just past her knees leading to her equally red high heels. The top part of her dress is double layered, the outer layer being an ornately embroidered transparent fabric, and the inner layer being the same material as the skirt, hugging her chest like a strapless bra, emphasizing the hell out of her cleavage.
Rainbow Dash’s dress is a longer party dress, not laced like Pinkie Pie’s, and made more of smooth silky fabrics. The straps of her light blue dress are criss-crossed, overlapping one another and reaching over her shoulders to the back part of her dress. The front part of the overlapping straps are connected to wider fabric that cover just enough of her breasts to appear modest, but showed off enough of her assets to look interesting. The skirt reached down past her knees, leading down to her teal blue high heels.
As I set Pinkie Pie down she scampers off into the building as well, most likely to see how she can improve upon the party, if the Gala can even be called that from how much I’ve been told about it. I give a quick glance around, taking in the exterior sights of the community center. It’s a vast three story building, designed to look more like a giant castle repurposed for the use of the public with similar architecture to Rarity’s Boutique, only somewhat more modernized.
Figuring that I had enough of taking in the sights, I make my way towards the entrance while the valet pulled away to park our chariot. Once inside the faint smell of cleaning chemicals lacing the pristine and practically spotless marble hallways filled my nostrils. The Gala seems to be located on the second floor based on all the muffled voices and music coming from above. Taking in a deep sigh, I steel my nerves and begin my ascent up the staircase leading to the second floor.
Two Days Ago…
It’s been roughly two weeks since Jessica had last seen her brother, and roughly two weeks that she has been trekking across this grilled frontier. She had left the comfort of her oasis campsite a few days ago, she managed to gather up plenty of resources in preparation for the second part of her voyage across the frontier.
Her already worn and dirtied tank top and combat pants were even more tattered and torn into worse condition. Her former apparel had become the mere base of a new attire, crafted with the pelt of mountain lions who felt it would be a good idea to try to make a meal out of her. Needless to say she looked like a close relative to Tarzan, the pelts wrapped around her curved athletic physique, protecting her vitals. To top it all off, she had a pretty sweet hood made from the head of one of said mountain lions.
Strung to her back is a short bow made from tree saplings and twine. It wasn’t exactly like her dad’s compound bow back home, but it was better than nothing, she had about six arrows kept secure within a pelt quiver on her hip.
Jessica came to a pause once she came across a lonely joshua tree standing among some dead grass and a small murky pond. She slid down the tree and took a seat on the shady earth below, a sigh of relief escaping her dry lips as the shade provided a pleasant escape from the rays of the sun.
While drawing her canteen to her dry lips, the sound of a distant engine approaching caught her attention. Taking a fast swig of her water, she tucked the canteen into her bag and brought her eyes forward to meet with the sight of a large offroad chariot heading straight for her.
Jessica calmly grabbed a handful of dirt and sand from the ground, crushing it up as small as she could manage before tucking them in her pocket. One the chariot finally came to a stop before her, she stood up and stretched her limbs out, popping her neck and spine while two large buffalo men emerged from the offroad, neither of them had a friendly look on their faces.
“I take it that you’re not the search party?” Jessica remarked as her eyes quickly scanned over each of the two buffalo men. They are both around the same height, six feet at most, roughly two-hundred pounds each. The one on the left is wearing only a red button-up shirt and nothing else, exposing his well sculpted pectorals and abdominals. His denim shorts reached down to his knees, leading to his black combat boots. The one on the right has a similar get up, only he has a white tank top and blue sneakers.
“This is private property” the one on the left says, crossing his arms, obviously wanting to show off the 357 holstered on his hip as a subtle threat.
“Well pardon me for not noticing the keep out signs Jim Bob” Jessica replied without batting an eyelash, obviously stepping on the buffalo’s nerve.
“We don’t take kindly to strangers around here, especially your kind” the buffalo on the right says as he rests his hand on the grip of his holstered pistol, a Colt 1911 from the looks of it.
“Who taught you that one, Uncle Doyle?” Jessica retorted, causing the buffalo on the right to growl lowly.
“Now you listen he-” as the left buffalo made an attempt to reach out and grab Jessica, she pulled the sand from her pocket and threw it at the two buffalo's faces, causing them each to shout out in surprise and hold their eyes in pain. Quickly, Jessica lined her fist with the center mass of the buffalo on her left, driving her balled of hand into his abdomen, sending him flying back several steps into his car gasping for the air that she had just punched out of him.
Without wasting time, she relieved the buffalo of his revolver and held it firmly like a small club. She then swung over and struck the buffalo on the right upside the head, sending him toppling to the ground unconscious. She reached down and grabbed his colt, shoving both of the firearms into her back before walking over and striking the other buffalo straight across the chin, knocking him out cold, sending him to the dirt snoring.
“I don’t have time for this shit” Jessica sighed, shaking her head as she hopped into their roofless offroad chariot, digging around until she found some rope. She tied each of the buffalo up quite thoroughly before hoisting them into the back seat of the vehicle. She then climbed in the driver’s seat, where she discovered the keys were still in the ignition. Kind of stupid of them to do if they planned on intimidating a stranger out in the middle of nowhere.
Starting up the offroad, she turned around and followed their tire tracks. They had to come from somewhere, and from there she can hopefully find a way back to her little brother. As she drove, she pulled out her phone from between her breasts, turning it on to look at the background picture on the device. It was of her, Walter, and their father Frank-- back when Walter was smaller than her.
“I’m coming Little Bear, I’m coming…” Jessica says softly to herself before shutting off her phone and tucking it back within the comfort of her cleavage.
Present Day...
My worst fears have been made reality. My hope for the party consisting of modest old people was only partially granted, sure there were a handful of geezers scattered throughout the crowd, but for the most part every other face I see is young and they’ve all been eyeing me down like a piece of meat thrown into a group of hungry wolves.
So many people have been looking at my ass that I’m surprised it hasn’t caught on fire at this point. Feeling rather put out, I quickly shuffled my way toward the direction of the closest food and beverages. One of the pros of being over six feet tall is that you can see over the heads of a crowd of average sized ponies.
Darting over to tables on the far side of the room, I quickly make a plate full of finger foods as if I were at a buffet. After that I grabbed one of the half empty looking wine bottles and slithered my way to the far corner of the room, taking a seat at an unoccupied table far away from everybody else.
“Fuck…” I sighed,tossing a small handful of finger foods into my open maw, chewing on them before washing it all down with a swig of wine.
“Well I’ll be, if it ain’t Mr. Stranger” came a familiar southern drawl, drawing my attention from my plate and towards the same orange colored mare that I met at that club with Storm. My cheeks flush red at the memory of her thick well rounded butt grinding up against me while I drunkenly sang along to Trace Adkins.
“O-Oh, um, hi” I reply, tripping over my words a bit. She wears a bright red dress, which hugged her athletic curvy frame in all the right ways. It’s a strapless dress, and unlike the other dresses I’ve seen this one seems to be putting emphasis on her ass more than her breasts. Her skirt reached up a few inches above her knees, which made me sweat nervously since she took a seat next to me, allowing me a good view of her toned yet smooth lower thighs.
“I believe we haven’t properly introduced ourselves, the name’s Applejack” she greeted, her southern accent caressing my ears like an invisible seductress trying to charm me into a trap. Clearing my throat and bringing my eyes back to my plate of food, I force myself to speak up.
“Walter Barnes, you can just call me Walter.” I reply, earning a look of surprise from Applejack.
“So you’re Walter? Hah, you’re bigger than I thought y’all were gonna be.” Applejack says, while I just stared at her with confusion. “Ah right, you probably didn’t know. I’m friends with Flutters, Pinky, and Dash. In fact, I live in the same house as they do, along with Rarity and Twilight” she explained, causing my face to light up in realization.
“Oh, so you’re with them then? Jesus, living with six women sounds… Taxing” I muttered, a sheepish smile on my face.
“Maybe that’s a good thing?” Applejack inquired with a playful grin, causing my cheeks to heat up even more.
“Hah, you know, my entire living situation with you guys sounds like the start of a very crappy harem anime.” I say with a laugh.
“I’m surprised you know what anime is, considering how strict the Griffon Kingdom is with foreign media” Applejack says as she swipes the wine bottle I grabbed from the beverage table, taking a swig straight from it.
“Well, a lot of first class citizens have free access to foreign media so long as it doesn’t have what they’d call, ‘Propaganda’ in it. And considering first class citizens had free access to foreign media it wasn’t all that hard for second class citizens to get their hands on it through unorthodox means.” I explained with a roll of my wrist. “Also, how’d you know where I was from?”
“Twi told me” Applejack shrugged as she crossed her legs and stared up at me with curious eyes.
“Ah, right, I figured as much” I nodded with a shrug. “When will I be able to meet her and that Rarity mare I spoke to over the phone?” I inquired.
“Later on after Twilight gives the introduction speech for Princess Celestia and Princess Luna” Applejack explained. “In the meantime, try not to get too wasted, first impressions are important, especially at the Gala” Applejack explained, making me a bit self conscious about how I just nabbed half a bottle of wine for myself.
“Try not to have too much fun, save that for when we can all meet up and hang out later after the Gala” Applejack says as she leans in closely to my ear, “And maybe I can teach you how to dance~” she whispers before pulling away and standing up. “I’ve got some more business to attend to, I’ll see you around cowboy” Applejack says as she walks off, leaving me a flustered mess.
“I wasn’t even drinking that much...” I mutter softly to myself, running my fingers idly over the edge of my plate before tossing another finger food in my mouth.
"Don't let the lady chew your ass too hard, Kid. High functioning alcoholics make the world go round. Hell, just look at me. All it cost me was my marriage." came a gruff voice from across the table.
Standing across the table is a tall and steely looking unicorn, a bit into his older years by the look of his grizzled face and tired eyes. He stands roughly six feet tall, half a foot shorter than me, packing a lean frame similar to an athletic runner under a plain tux.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” I replied a bit awkwardly, giving a small smile as the older stallion pulled up a seat across from me.
“Mm. The name’s Ashfall Venture, I was assigned to be your new guardian.” he says while leaning back in his chair. Seems he didn’t feel like wasting words on an introduction.
“Oh, so you’re Ashfall? It’s nice to meet you sir” I replied with a friendly smile, but didn’t have it returned.
“Mhm… So, kid I looked into your file. Imperial Guardsmen, Private First Class. Those avians take pride in bragging about how even a low ranking IG is superior to a higher ranking Royal Guards. You buy into that?” Ashfall asks as he pops another nicotine gum into his mouth.
“Those birds are just blowing smoke out their asses; they train us to kill and use fear as a tool to control others. That’s basically the law enforcement in the Kingdom, everybody knows that military and law enforcement are trained to kill, to encourage citizens not to break the law. It’s more of an intimidation factor than anything else. Although it may make griffon soldiers more deadly, I would consider the Royal Guards to be more superior than the Imperial Guard.” I explain, earning a bit of an appreciative brow quirk from Ashfall, who just gave a small grin and crossed his arms.
“Glad to hear you didn’t buy into the propaganda. Makes my job easier, I suppose.” Ashfall watched me with eyes that put my old drill instructors to shame.
“Well, it really doesn’t take that much effort to kill somebody; if you know how to use a gun or throw a punch you can kill people easily… It takes far more strength, training, and patience to overcome your enemy nonlethally. Just because you’re good at killing doesn’t really make you a superior soldier, but if you’re good at winning the fight without killing your enemy then that shows far more strength than that of a soldier groomed to kill and spread fear.” I explained, taking a swig of wine. “At least in my opinion, anyways.”
“A good opinion to have” Ashfall rumbled quietly, “I also heard that you had a sister, and that she was supposed to be here with you?” the older unicorn inquires while pouring himself a glass of wine, however rather than drinking from it he just stared it down quietly, waiting for me to respond.
“Well, it’s a bit complicated… We were supposed to meet at the same place, but her train never showed… Do you… know anything about it, Sir?” I ask quietly, feeling that helpless nervousness seep into my veins.
“Not yet.” A quiet answer, well calculated.
“Ah, I understand. So, anything else you’re curious about? I’m not sure what all my files detailed” I say while taking a bite from the gourmet cheese and crackers splayed out among the other finger foods on my plate.
“Don’t think it fully covered why you’re here. In Equestria.” His eyes continued to bore into me, as if he could cut his truth out by sheer will alone.
“Well… War, I guess. War broke out, and before me or my sister could really process everything my dad threw us some duffel bags and told us to pack up everything we needed. He got us train tickets, and sent us off so we… So we wouldn’t have to fight… But he has to… I still don’t feel good about it…”
A long period of silence passed between the two of us as he slowly turned his gaze to his untouched glass of wine, as if considering it. “Alright then. How are you settling?” With the innocent question posed, I felt as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders, somehow.
“I...I’m settling relatively good. I’ve run into a bit of… Interesting obstacles, but nothing too difficult or unpleasant.” I reply while scratching my jawline absentmindedly. “This place is… So different than what I’m used too… People stare at me, but It’s not as bad as it was in the Kingdom… I’d rather be looked at with curiosity rather than disgust.”
“Hrn, right…” For a brief second, a sneer spread across Ashfall’s lips as he looked to the crowd, before he turned his attentions back to me. “Anything else I should know?”
“Well… Nothing that I think would interest you. But there is one thing that seems to be rather… Concerning.” I paused, glancing over at the crowd, noticing how many of the younger noble folk were stealing glances my way. “I feel like a piece of meat in this suit…”
“Because you are.” He grunted out gruffly, his eyes going back to the crowd at large. “Nobility. I’d prefer being in the field in the rain, muck, and filth than be surrounded by degenerates.”
“I feel the same… It feels peaceful sometimes, being out there at an outpost somewhere in the mountains, nothing but cool air and the smell of pine trees. It was nice… The only thing that ruined it for me were rich asshole kids that wanted to play soldier…” I mutter, taking a sip of wine. “So far I haven’t been given a reason to hate the nobility here, but I assume I’ll find one pretty quick”
“Hrm. Just stick with me, kid. Even the ballsiest lion won’t fuck with an angry badger.”
“I’m glad to hear that. I’d rather not get involved with conflict… As I’ve said before, IG’s are programmed to kill, and I don’t want to harm anybody even if I feel like they deserve it…” I explain with a sheepish smile.
Casting another glance around the room, Ashfall swirled his wine slightly, as if going to drink. “Just focus on enjoying your night and ogling pretty girls.” It may have sounded like a suggestion, but somehow, the old unicorn managed to make it feel like an order.
“Understood, Sir” I nodded, responding as if I were following an order from a superior officer. “I don’t see any of my friends around yet, I think they went to the bathroom to freshen up. Anything we can do to pass time until Twilight introduces the princesses?”
Sighing wistfully, Ashfall set his glass upon a nearby table, leaving it swirled and utterly untouched. “Last time I had fun was Da Nang, Oh-Seven. Not gonna get any hints here.”
“Da Nang? You were in the Changeling Wars? My dad fought in them too, only in a different region than you, most likely. I remember he was gone a lot and he seemed very paranoid… Sometimes I think he suspected that me and my sis were changelings” I say with a sigh. “That war was hell, a lot of mistrust, confusion, and friendly fire… What branch were you in?”
“Classified. Don’t worry about it.”
“Hah, same answer my dad gave me” I chuckled slightly, staring blankly at my glass of wine before setting it down. “I miss him a lot… He only has one arm, I don’t know how much use he’s gonna be to the Empire… I just hope he’s stuck at a desk job or helping provide strategies…” Ash glanced back toward me with a look that I couldn’t quite decipher… Regardless, it made me uncomfortable. Before long, he looked away, and simply shrugged.
As an awkward silence consumed the air around me and Ash, my eyes would begin to wander across the room in absent minded curiosity. My eyes quickly locked onto a fully armored royal guard who’s making a beeline straight towards our table. She wasn’t local police, considering they wear a navy blue uniform and not much else. She’s a thestral, or a bat pony in layman's terms, her fur coat is a faded dark maroon shade and her eyes are a slitted gray hue. She wears the armor of the Night Guard, soldiers under the jurisdiction of Princess Luna I believe. The thestral mare made her approach swiftly and calmly, stopping beside me while offering a rather curious yet cautious gaze. “Can I… Help you?” I asked calmly, staring up at her in confusion.
“Yes, you can. Miss Sparkle has ordered me to retrieve you” the thestral guard responded, crossing her arms behind her back and stepping to the side to allow me room to move. “Please, come with me” she instructed.
I pay a glance over at Ash, who simply just shrugged quietly and carried on with his idle people watching. I gave a small sigh and nodded, standing up, causing the thestral to crane her neck up in surprise.
“I heard you were tall, but damn…” she muttered quietly before clearing her throat, gesturing me to follow her as she lead the way. Unlike most of the ponies in the room, this thestral was a bit shorter than normal, probably about five feet even or a little bit above. I could barely make out her cool dark blue mane hanging out the back of her silver helmet. Her armor is basically a mirrored design of Celestia’s RG, but forged with steel and ebony from the looks of it, or some other similar material.
“I thought Twilight was gonna meet up with me after she introduced the princesses?” I inquired as I followed behind the mare, who simply paid a brief glance back at me before shrugging and resuming onwards. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see my new guardian, shadowing me silently.
“I’m just doing what I was told” she shrugged. “And I wasn’t told much.”
“Fair enough” I mumbled, occasionally glancing back before just keeping my gaze forward. I guess this was a part of a guardian’s job but I never expected to be shadowed as if I were some VIP. Are humans really that important here in Equestria?
“Up here, to the left” the thestral instructed, gesturing to the large twin doors at the end of the hall which probably led into a repurposed conference room or something. Once we had approached, the thestral knocked on the twin doors, I could hear a gentle feminine voice speak up from within the room.
“Come in” the voice called out, prompting the guard to open the twin doors and lead me into the room. Once inside, I was introduced to the sight of an ornately designed room, as predicted, repurposed for the leisure of presumably VIP guests… I just wasn’t exactly expecting to see both of Equestria’s leaders sitting in wait, along with who I presume must be Twilight Sparkle.
“I’ve brought Mr. Barnes, your highness” the guard spoke as she gave a bow.
“Thank you kindly, Sergeant Grey. You are excused” Princess Luna responds in a calm and gentle voice. The thestral nodded and obediently left the room, leaving me standing before two of the most powerful ponies in all of Equestria… Not gonna lie, my mouth felt pretty fuckin’ dry right about now.
The two alicorns are posted comfortably upon thrones, Celestia’s throne consisting of gold and ivory, and Luna’s consisting of silver and ebony. They sit next to each other, a large red carpet outstretching from beneath their thrones all the way towards the entrance to the room. Lined up along the walls adjacent from each other are a row of chairs, neatly aligned and out of the way. The rest of the room is constructed of pure white marble with milky gray designs etched into the smooth surface.
“Greetings, Mr. Barnes. Please, have a seat” Celestia spoke, her voice tender and motherly. Using her magic, she surrounds a chair lined up against one of the walls of the room in her golden aura, hovering it over before her and her sister.
“It’s nice to meet you, your highnesses. Is there anything you needed from me?” I asked nervously.
“Yes, but don’t worry… It won’t take long” Celestia spoke, before glancing over at Twilight, giving her a short nod as her motherly smile faded to that of a stern visage. Nodding back at Celestia, Twilight calmly approached me and cleared her throat.
“Initiate STASIS Protocol, Passcode: Alpha Kilo Sigma Indigo Sector”
And just like that, everything went quiet, and my vision slowly faded to black. I was confused, not quite sure as to what was going on. I didn’t feel panic, I didn’t feel fear, I felt… Nothing. But, I swear, as I faded out of conscious… I swore I could hear my sister’s voice calling my name.
The solar princess and her lunar sibling exchange glances between one another, both of their expressions filled with concern. Tension and unease grew across Twilight’s features, her eyes examining the now limp form of Walter as he lies motionless in the chair.
“This is odd… This isn’t the reaction I thought would happen.” Twilight says as she kneels down, cautiously reaching out to cup Walter’s face between her hands. Slowly she examined his blank expression while her own concern grew.
“This command we recovered from our sources, it was one of stationary order, yes? Is this not the reaction you anticipated?” Luna inquired in a clipped tone as she lifted a brow.
“Not exactly… From what our sources provided, the command I gave was supposed to just put him in a trance like state but still remain somewhat conscious, so we could gently question him.” Twilight explained, glancing over at Luna before returning her gaze to the unconscious human before her. “It’s like he just… Completely shut down.”
“Does this suggest that our source gave us faulty information?” Celestia asks, frowning slightly. Nobody in the room liked those implications, not in the slightest.
“I’m not sure, a lot of information surrounding this man is rather… Distorted. We don’t know exactly what’s true or false when it comes to him, which is why I was hoping we could get some information from his subconscious, assuming that he’s oblivious to everything going on around him”
Ponyville. Seemingly, quite lively at night, though not surprising since it’s the perfect time for thestrals and other nightlife to come out and start having some fun during the time of the gala. It also proved to be the perfect time for Jessica to infiltrate the masses without drawing too much attention.
It’d been a few days since Jessica ran afoul of the buffalo hillbillies, but having traced their tracks back to their mobile home, she’d been finally given a break. The hillbillies had quite the stockpile within their home; weapons, ammo, tools, food & water, and spare clothing were all enclosed within their mobile home. It certainly seemed that Jessica hadn’t been the only woman unfortunate enough to get within a hundred foot radius of those two, either that or they liked to dress up in womens clothing several sizes too small for them. But, the stains and tears on the clothes put that pipedream to rest quicker than Jessica had the pair.
While she couldn’t be of any help to their past victims, she felt that she’d done right by them in her vicious removal of their testicles. Small victories, right? Right.
After throwing on some civilian colors that were less tattered and stained than her own, Jessica picked over the accumulated gear and weapons. None of it would be any use to the castrated duo afterall. Once pleased, she took off in their jeep, leaving the carnage behind her. With the Jeep, she could almost taste the impending reunion. Or rather, that’s what she thought...
Upon arriving at Ponyville, she didn’t really know where Walter could be. But, knowing her brother’s habits, she decided to check the first place a big oaf like him would visit in a town like this: a bar.
It took some asking around, but eventually Jessica had found out where her brother may have visited recently. She managed to get some info from a local that he had seen a man fitting Walter’s description enter a karaoke bar with three colorful looking mares, it seems Walter has gotten quite ‘biz-ay’ since his arrival in Equestria, or at least that’s what Jessica would say just to make him all flustered.
This karaoke bar that the local had mentioned is a moderately sized building, two stories high covered in a black matte paint job with colorful murals of dancing, singing, and drinking ponies having a good time. Above the entrance to the bar is a neon sign in the shape of a microphone with a pink bow tied around the grip. Jessica looked over the building a bit while adjusting the hood over her head, entering the building while examining the colorful furniture and decorations around her.
“Welcome to Siren’s Lounge, how may I help ya darling?” Wilde calls out to Jessica with a warm smile..
“I’m looking for a human man; about six feet seven inches, three-hundred or so pounds, dark brown hair, dresses like he lives in the back alley of a Goodwill?” Jessica says as she leans up against the counter, revealing the bottom half of her face to the mare across from her.
“Yeah, I saw a guy like that not too long ago. What’s it to you, if I may ask?” Wilde inquired, tilting her head curiously.
“He’s family, we got separated a while back on our way into town. I’ve been looking for him for a while, I would call him but I’m afraid I’m out of minutes.” Jessica explains in a very friendly voice.
“Oh, are you his little sister?” Wilde asks.
“Nope, big sis, he’s my own little Baby Huey.” Jessica replied with a grin.
“Oh my… Just how old is he?” Wilde asked, seeming a tad flustered.
“Old enough to fuck, if that’s what you’re curious about.” Jessica replied, causing the older mare’s face to light up red.
“A-Ah, well, a-anyway, if you’re looking to find him you’ll probably find him at the Gala. I heard that all the Elements of Harmony are gonna be there, if they’re gonna be there then so is your brother, since they’re friends with him and all” Wilde explained.
“...Friends, eh?” Jessica murmured, furrowing her brow slightly. “Thanks for the info, babe, maybe I’ll drop by sometime and I can see what that pierced tongue can do” Jessica says as she turns around and walks out of the bar, leaving Wilde a hot steaming mess.
“Sister, I do not see this taking us anywhere constructive anytime soon. Perhaps we should postpone such experiments to a later date?” Luna suggests as Twilight tries to use a spell on Walter to diagnose what exactly happened.
“You have a point, sister. We all anticipated this scenario to go far more smoothly than it currently has unfolded. Twilight? Once you are finished, please make sure Mr. Barnes remains unaware of what unfolded tonight.” Celestia says as she turns her gaze from her sibling to Twilight, who seemed to hold a worried expression on her face. “Is something troubling you, my student?”
“Um, yes… I can’t find his memories. There’s… It’s like, he has hundreds of thousands of memories buried within his mind, it’s hard to locate which one is his precisely.” Twilight explains as Celestia and Luna cast one another a concerned glance.
“This is troubling news…” Celestia speaks softly as Twilight nods in agreement.
“I… I think I found some of his memories!” Twilight says as she then attempted to access the memory.
Suddenly, all sound leaves her ears, all that is left is the sound of a heartbeat. Darkness begins to creep up on her, surrounding her vision with blackness until she can no longer see any of her surroundings.
It felt as if somebody had forced her eyelids shut. She tried desperately to open her eyes, for the disappearance of her two main senses began to throw her into a panic. After what felt like several long minutes of panic, she was finally able to force her eyes back open, only this time she was no longer in the council room of the Ponyville Community Center, no, she was somewhere far far away… The Griffon Kingdom.
Or at least, that’s what she could guess based on the immense crowd of angry looking griffons standing before her, shouting, all of their voices merging into one unintelligible roar. Fear is the first thing that filled her, fear that eventually turned into confusion since none of their gazes seemed to be locked onto her, rather, somebody behind her.
Slowly turning around, Twilight stifles the urge to cry out in shock, covering her mouth, her eyes widening like dinner plates. Before her is Walter, but much younger than he is when she first met him, at least several pounds lighter. His hair is cut short, fashioned in a rugged crew cut and the goatee he has on his chin is nowhere to be seen on his shaved face. His youthful age spoke higher volumes without his facial hair, which is why it twisted Twilight’s heart to see his face covered in broken flesh, dried blood, and swollen bruises.
Walter was heavily restrained, trapped within a reinforced wooden pillory held together by fat iron nails and fittings. His eyes were drained of color and life, completely different from the warm and welcoming gaze he had when she first saw him. His wrists were bruised and bloody, most likely from the rusted iron shackles that kept his arms bound by chain.
Standing behind Walter were several heavily armed Imperial Officers, all of them dressed in combative uniform, all except for one, who wore a high ranking military fatigues, gripping a thorned whip in his clawed fist.
“Private First Class Walter Barnes, you are hereby discharged from the Legion permanently, and for your crimes of aggravated assault, attempted murder, and the hospitalization of ten of your fellow Imperial Guardsmen, you are to be reprimanded at the full extent of the law. Under most circumstances, scum like you are left to the judgement of the victim’s families. However, thanks to the kind generosity of the Crown, you have been given a pardon, under the condition that you endure the punishment of thirty-five lashes before the public eye.” The well dressed griffon man says as he slowly steps over and kneels down, leaning his beak next to Walter’s ear. “If you beg for mercy, and grovel at my feet… I will reduce your sentence to twenty-five lashes.” the griffon says with a sadistic smile stretched across their beak.
“Your son screamed like a little bitch while I shattered his beak with my boot, asshole…” Walter choked out, spitting a wad of blood at the griffon man’s feet before returning to his aggressive staring contest with the stage floor beneath him.
“Have it your way, you filthy ape.” the griffon hissed venomously, a visible scowl splashed across his features as he quickly stepped behind Walter, moving back several feet before unravelling the gruesome looking thorned whip.
“No! Please!” Twilight called out desperately, running between Walter and the Imperial Officer. “You can’t do this, he’s just a boy! You can’t!” Twilight pleaded, but her voice seemed to fall on deaf ears. She flinched as the officer slung back his hand before thrusting his fist forward, lashing the whip aggressively. The thorned whip phased through her completely, as if she were a ghost, and clashed with Walter’s exposed back with a loud crack mixed in with the sickening squelch of Walter’s flesh being shredded mercilessly.
“GRH!” Walter muffled his cry of pain, his entire body jolting forward in agony, trying to escape the white hot pain eating away at the torn flesh on his back. He gritted his teeth, clenching his fists until his knuckles were bone-white.
“NO!” Twilight cried out, watching in helpless horror as Walter is flogged over and over again. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion, blood and tears splattered against the concrete stage along with chunks of flesh. Soon enough Walter could no longer stifle his screams of pain, his agonizing cry of misery shook the air like the explosions of cannon fire.
Twilight tried to use healing magic, desperately trying to light up her horn with her violet aura, but no such thing would happen. She could not use any magic, she could not interfere with the horrific torture Walter was enduring. Not once however, did Walter beg for mercy, not once did he cry out for them to stop. His screams were of pain, this is true, but they almost sounded as if he were… Laughing. A toothy grin was spread across his face, his bloodshot eyes aimed directly at the crowd before him, obviously intending to make them uneasy… Which seemed to be working based on the disconcerted gazes the crowd was giving.
By the time the officer had reached the final lash, Walter’s entire back was covered in torn and abused flesh soaked in blood. Twilight’s voice had left her, it was stuck at the bottom of her throat, held back by the inability to choose whether she should scream or cry. Beads of tears raced down her cheeks as she held her hands over her mouth, holding back the urge to vomit, hunched over with her back facing Walter.
Twilight’s mind was racing; fear, shock, horror, and awe. She was at a loss of words, or rather, the ability to speak was robbed entirely from her. Her body shook, trembling like an autumn leaf. All she could do was just stand there and watch as Walter was flogged, she was overwhelmed by a feeling she had not felt in a long time… Helplessness.
As Walter is removed from the pilloy and thrown to the concrete floor of the stage, darkness would once again begin to consume her sight. It seems the memory was over, considering Walter was most likely losing consciousness after enduring so much abuse. A small wave of relief washed over Twilight, for the horrible memory was finally over… But what she saw would always be imprinted within her mind.
“Twilight? Twilight!” Celestia called out for her protege in alarm, raising from her seat and approaching the unicorn in her tranced out state. Upon reaching Twilight and kneeling down Celestia is met with the horrified expression that had framed itself firmly on the unicorn’s visage. Twilight’s eyes glowed a dull blue light, signifying that this trance she was in involved magic somehow. Obviously she had been sucked into Walter’s memories, something that usually happens when a unicorn is not careful with memory altering spells.
“Twilight? Twilight can you hear me?” Celestia spoke worriedly, placing her hands on Twilight’s shoulders, gently shaking them. The concern for her student grew even greater as tears began to pour down Twilight’s face like a broken faucet.
“N-No! Please!” Twilight would cry out, struggling weakly to reach out, her hands desperately grasping for Walter. “You can’t do this! He’s just a boy! You can’t!” the unicorn cries out as she tries to reach out for Walter, a strong instinct to protect radiating from the powerful look of helplessness strewn across her face.
Celestia’s horn lights up in a golden aura, she had no other choice at the moment but to forcibly pull Twilight from Walter’s memories. Whatever was happening, obviously it had destroyed any ounce of stability Twilight’s composure had to offer. With surgical precision, Celestia manages to drag Twilight free from the memory, bringing her back to reality. Twilight awakens with a loud gasp,cold sweat beading down her face as her composure slowly reforms, allowing the visibly shaken unicorn to gradually calm down. Being in the arms of her mentor was also an aiding factor in this.
“Twilight, what did you see?” Celestia inquired, still cradling the smaller mare within her arms.
“...A bit of Walter’s past it seems. I let my guard down and… I got sucked in. I shouldn’t have been so careless.” Twilight mutters as she slowly pulls herself onto her feet, adjusting her dress before casting Walter a disconcerted stare.
“Accessing Walter’s memories holds more risk than it does benefit. Perhaps we should try another approach…” Celestia says as she stood up along with Twilight, concern still evident on her visage.
“Another approach… I may have an idea, but it would require a lot of your time, Princess Luna” Twilight says, the Lunar diarch perking up in attention.
“What would that be?” Luna inquired.
“His dreams; if we were to access his dreams, and subtly guide his subconscious to reveal the information we need, then no harm would be done, we could document the outcomes, and Walter would not get suspicious. He would most likely conclude that he’s been experiencing an odd array of dreams. But to be on the safe side, we should limit to how often we manipulate his dreams.” Twilight concludes while Celestia and Luna exchanging thoughtful glances before returning their gazes to Twilight.
“I approve of your proposal. In another time, we shall resume such experiments, in the meantime, it would be best if we return Walter to the land of the living, yes?” Luna says with a hand gesture to the limp body of Walter.
“Yes, Twilight if you may” Celestia nods in agreement.
With a firm nod, Twilight turns to Walter, taking in a shaky breath before slowly and clearly speaking.
“Oscar. Alpha. Epsilon. Beta.”
And with that, Walter’s empty eyes slowly regained their life, however they quickly fell closed. Convenient too, it was easier this way, having him unconscious would give them enough time to move his person somewhere less conspicuous.
Suddenly, a loud commotion coming from the hallway outside the room draws the attention of all three of them. By the sound of it, there was two voices trading hostile threats with one another. One was a male’s voice, and the other, a female’s.
Ashfall leaned idly up against the wall adjacent from the twin doors leading to the council rooms his charge had just entered. It would seem that his presence was requested by Twilight, but as to why she would isolate Walter like this was beyond him. As of now his only chore was to stand guard outside the room, and make sure nobody got lost and tried to wander mistakenly into the room. Why they couldn’t have a pack of REMF’s do it, was beyond both his imagination and pay grade. He had been standing there in silence for several long minutes, swirling the freshly acquired slab of nicotine gum around idly in his mouth as he waited..
The sound of approaching footsteps came to his attention, it wasn’t the first pair of footsteps he had heard in the past twenty minutes, beforehand it was simply that thestral mare from earlier patrolling around the hallways. It usually takes her roughly five minutes to make her rounds in the small maze of corridors. However, it seems like something had slowed her down, or had her distracted, considering she hadn’t passed by in the past ten minutes. Glancing upward to see if the thestral had returned to her patrol, he is met with an unexpected sight.
A woman, a human woman, standing no taller than five and a half feet tall. Her frame is built like that of a professional wrestler. Despite her shrouded attire, Ashfall could clearly observe the empowered physique that lies underneath those ragged clothes, especially those legs of hers. She looks like she could launch sputnik into space just by kicking it as hard as she could. Sensing a tense aura coming from this woman, Ashfall centers himself in the middle of the hallway, acting as an obvious obstacle between this mysterious woman and the room behind him. He slowly clasped his hands behind his back, to look both professional, and to unclasp the catch on his sidearm.
“Oho?” the woman grins, the lower half of her face being the only visible part of her visage. “You’re different from the other guards aye? A frail old stallion, but a skilled one at that, I see. I like a challenge…” the woman says as she cracks her knuckles and neck, before letting out a slow sigh. “But unfortunately, I have no time to play with you… According to those I asked around with, Walter is in that room. I promise I won’t hurt you too much if you stand down right now…” the woman says, her tone shifting from playful to dark and serious real quick.
“Hnn…You know, the Gala is invite only..” Ashfall remarks with a deadpan growl, narrowing his eyes as he slowly adjusted his stance into a combative pose. Mild surprise struck as the woman drew a pistol from a holster concealed in her ratty clothes, but decades of training and combat saw her staring down the barrel of a .45 USP as she fixed a 9mm for his center mass. Or at least, that’s what would have happened if his decades of service hadn’t caught up to him in the face of youthful exuberance.
“Ah-ah, down, on the floor.” The woman motioned with her pistol. “Like I said. I am in a hurry. I don’t have time to play with you.” The woman says coldly as Ashfall narrows his eyes, cursing himself silently.
“What exactly is your relationship with Walter?” Ashfall inquires, setting his sidearm down on the marble floors. She was only a few meters away, all he needed, was a distraction.
“He’s my-”
A shrill ear piercing shriek caused her to flinch as a maid spotted the stand off, and began screaming her head off. It cost her a second of attention, but a second was all Ash ever needed. Lifting his pistol with the toe of his dress shoes, Ashfall flicked the 861 gram weapon at the woman as he went low. Spells took moments and he only had one. As the woman swiftly recovered from her own surprise and trained the pistol barrel on him, his small spell went off, and a tiny jolt of telekinesis flicked her safety on. Tackling her hard at the midsection, Ashfall drove air from her lungs as the pair crashed into the wall, the gun lost between them.
“Hah! Keep this up you old fuck and I might have to take you for a rut!” the woman remarks with a hyena’s cackle, sucking air into her lungs as fast as she could manage while pushing herself and Ash away from the wall, giving her just enough footroom to bring her right leg back and drive her knee into Ashfall’s pelvis. She repeated the strike enough to shake Ashfall’s grip enough for her to pull herself into a more advantageous position. She draws her head back and strikes her forehead hard into Ashfall’s jaw, resulting in a welt to form at the top front of her forehead.
“Try to keep up, Kid.” She’d given him all the time he needed, five moments and a half breath. His horn flashed and banged, blinding her as he drew into her guard and delivered a piston driven straight to her jaw. His horn flashed and banged again within the span of a second, dazzling her eyes as he grabbed her arm and hip tossed her to the ground, twisting the limb the wrong way as she fell. His horn continued to flash and bang, filling the hall with chaos.
“Nffg! Fuck… This is almost getting me wet!” she groans under her breath, gritting her teeth as she twisted and contorted her body, her arm may not be any use to her at the moment but she had other limbs to work with. Warping her body, slithering her powerful thighs and muscular calves around Ashfall’s body, she manages to turn herself around, dislocating her entrapped arm in the process, giving her just enough room to place Ashfall in a vice-like grip between her two thighs, clamping down hard on his windpipe with her pillars of hard muscular flesh. “Hope you don’t mind the musk! I haven’t-- nnffg-- had too many chances to bathe!” she remarks with a wheezing chuckle.
With his head trapped between the mystery woman’s thighs and all air cut off from his brain, Ashfall’s options were brutally small. He could always wait her out until guards came running to investigate the racket, but then they’d see him like this. No, he was going to fight, and if there was ever one thing he was good at, it was fighting. Flicking his dress shoe, the short, five inch blade jutted from the heel. Bringing his leg up hard and fast, he struck her across the face with his heel, before bringing it back and driving the blade into her shoulder. The shock of the wound caused her grip to slacken just so, enough to get air back to his brain, and finish a quick combat spell. Electric energy coiled around his fingers as he grabbed the tendons behind her knee, and dumped fifty thousand volts into the back of her leg.
“GNNAAAAFFUCK!” The woman cried out in a violent hissing screech, the shock of the electric current causing her legs to unfoil from Ashfall’s neck almost instantly. Acting quickly on her reflexes, she strikes Ashfall in the center of his back during her descent to the marble floor. She tuck-and-rolls a good distance from Ashfall, and after regaining her footing, she locks her predatory gaze onto the older stallion once more. “You fuckass…” she snarls bitterly, gritting her teeth as she forcibly pops her dislocated arm back into place. Quickly she rips her hooded jacket from her shoulders, throwing it into Ashfall’s peripheral vision. This provides her with a window, giving her just enough time to launch a sprinting tackle into Ashfall’s center mass. The force of her tackle grants the momentum required to lift Ashfall off the ground, her aimless tackle guiding them both straight through the twin doors behind Ashfall, carrying him several feet before dropping him hard in the center of the room.
Gasps of surprise went up around the room as the fighting pair crashed through, still locked in combat. “Punk ass-” Ashfall snarled as he fought her for mount.
“Old ass-” Jessica growled back as she tried to dig her thumbs into his eyes, only to have to defend her own.
“ENOUGH!” Celestia’s booming voice rocked the room as a squad of royal guards came galloping to.
Looking up from the clinch, Ashfall huffed lightly. “Evening, Princesses. Elements. Don’t mind me, just taking out the trash.”
“What in Equestria’s name is the meaning of this?!” Celestia barked, both her and Luna marching forward with their horns lit up in their respective radiating auras.
“Would you believe me if I told you two I’m here to sell girl scout cookies?” the mystery woman remarked jokatively, snickering while she remained locked in a stalemate with Ashfall.
“You have got to be the worst girl scout I’ve ever met. Stop squirming so I can stab you again.” Ashfall grunted in mild displeasure.
“Keep your limp old man dick away from my ass you dusty fuck” the woman spat in return. Suddenly the two would become enveloped in magic aura, the mystery woman in Celestia’s golden aura, and Ashfall in Luna’s turquoise magic. They are forcibly separated from each other, Ashfall being set across the room next to the royal guards who had barged into the room after the outburst began. Celestia hovers the mystery woman closer to her, casting a shadow over the small human female with her powerful authoritative radiance.
“I am Princess Celestia, Diarch of Equestria. And, who might you be, little one?” The duality of her voice against the authoritarian aura she emitted caused the woman to completely pause, caught up in the magic of the moment. “Well?”
The human woman pauses under the authoritative gaze of Celestia, her sarcastic demeanor bleeding away into a more serious stature. Before words could leave the mystery woman’s parted lips, a soft yet deep masculine voice breaks the silence deafening the room.
“...Jessica?”
There’s that feeling again, the feeling of my head being held under water after having it rapidly struck with a blunt object. My ears ring, I can practically feel my brain cells clamoring around inside my skull trying to set my mind straight again. It feels like I am trapped inside my own head, swimming around in a pool of chilled molasses.
My mind slowly begins to clear itself, the thick gelatinous mass that is my brain slowly diluting into a more sensible state of conscious, allowing me to slowly orientate my senses. The first thing to reach my comprehension was that I was postured limply on a structure of some sort, most likely a chair. My ears were still ringing, and I couldn’t muster the strength to open my eyes fully. All I could make sense of my surrounding was the blurred movement of three colorful figures presumably conversing with one another. As time passes however, two more blurred figures enter the room, resulting in the previous three figures to move more erratically.
The ringing slowly begins to fade away as time progresses, and soon enough the ringing had died down enough for me to make out voices. The voices were unintelligible for a few minutes until I could make out the frustrated voice of a woman.
“I am Princess Celestia, Diarch of Equestria. And, who might you be, little one?” The woman’s voice speaks sharply. That name quickly resonates recognition within my mind, and I slowly drag my head to face the origin of her voice. “Well?”
As I begin to peel my eyelids open more and more, my vision clears and a peculiar sight is revealed before me. Before me is Celestia, who I remember is one of the two leaders of Equestria, standing with her hands on her hips, her footlong horn enveloped in a golden aura, an expression of frustration and impatience strewn across her visage.
After soaking in Celestia’s appearance, my gaze shifts to the woman dressed in ragged clothing before the solar alicorn. She is short, no doubt about it. I’m mad that it took me this long to process her face, but… I know her. I’ve known her for a long time. This woman… She’s… She’s my…
I force my body to stand from the chair I was slumped over, my knees shaking slightly under the stress of my body weight. My eyes lock onto the small human woman in shock, disbelief. Tears begin to form, blurring my already hazy vision, but despite this I could still make her out.
“Jessica…?” I managed to choke out in a soft and tired tone of voice.
All the attention in the room shifts from Jessica to me, but I could care less. I walk past Twilight, who I now just noticed was standing to the right of me while I was slumped in the chair. I completely ignore both of the insanely powerful alicorn diarchs, standing less than a foot away from my sibling now as she stares at me with an equal gaze of shock and excitement.
“Hey there Little Bear! Glad to see you’re still in one pe-” before Jessica had the chance to say anything else, she is interrupted by my massive arms wrapping around her form, yanking her free of Celestia’s telekinetic grasp. Jessica squeaks as I squeeze down on her, burying my face into the crook of her neck while my eyes leak tears like broken faucets. Jessica remains silent, apart from wincing in pain, not saying a word as she slowly relaxes within my grasp while I hold her two feet off the ground, embracing her in what appears to be an inescapable bear hug. “I missed ya too, big guy…” Jessica whispers as she rests her chin on my shoulder.
Across the room, Ashfall could only mutter and shake his head as all the mares smiled at the show of affection. “I need a fucking smoke…”
“So I take it that… You are Jessica Barnes?” Twilight interjects, approaching Jessica and I while I continued to keep my face hidden within Jessica’s neck. My sister manages to shift her gaze over to Twilight, showing a small grin.
“That’d be me”
“Reports say that you went missing three days before your train arrived at Appleloosa, would you mind answering a few of our questions? That is, after your brother here decides to release you” Celestia says, gesturing to me.
“That’s gonna be awhile, Princess. Whatever questions you have Little Bear will mostly ask me as well so you might as well ask me here” Jessica says a she wiggles a bit to try and adjust to a more comfortable position, but sighs in defeat considering my arms would not budge.
“Very well. Would you care to explain all that occurred over the past two weeks?” Celestia inquired.
I didn’t even listen while Jessica explained all that happened to her over the past two weeks, I was just glad she was here, that I had family close to me again. While she rambled on back and forth with the solar alicorn, I noticed that the royal guards that were gathered near the entrance of the room began to make their approach. They paused though after I gave them the look of death, though, I’m sure that whatever gesture Luna made might have had more of an effect..
“Little Bear, I caused quite a mess. I was reckless, now I have to own up to it” Jessica says as she pulls on my ear.
“But… You just got here!” I protested, slowly setting her down. Jessica winces once again in pain, holding onto her bleeding shoulder, a look of realization falling onto her face as if she just now remembered how she got that wound.
“It’ll be alright Little Bear, I won’t be gone for long. I just have to take responsibility for what I did. Once things are cleared up things will be relatively back to normal” Jessica explains as she smiles up at me.
“But… But…” I fumble over my words, staring down at her like a kicked puppy.
“Awe come on Little Bear, you know it’s hard to say no to you when you look at me like that” Jessica laughs softly, reaching up with a non-bloody hand, cupping my cheek with it. “How about you and I go have a brother and sister day after I sort my shit out?” she proposes, flashing a toothy grin my way.
“...Aaaaaagh….. Alright, alright… Okay” I nodded, sniffling a bit, rubbing my face as I lean down and hug her once again.
“You look fuckin’ sexy in that suit, by the way” Jessica remarks, reaching down with a free hand, squeezing a good handful of my butt.
“AYEE!” I screeched, yanking myself away from her, holding my posterior with a bright red blush on my face.
It seems everybody in the room shares the same expression of disbelief toward Jessica, except for Ashfall, he just looks tired and grumpy.
“Time for me to go now, toodles~” Jessica snickered as she walked over towards the guards, allowing them to slap a pair of cuffs onto her while they lead her out of the room and down the hall.
“Damn it Jess, you had to ruin a good moment…” I muttered, my hands still covering my backside. “...Hey, what am I doing in here again?” I asked as I glanced around, noticing how I was in a council room rather than the ballroom. Last I remember I was sitting down at a table stuffing my face with finger foods and washing it all down with wine.
“You were very drunk,” Twilight began.
Oh, that explains it…
“And since you seemed to be losing the strength to stand upright I would bring you here to rest up until you were in a better state of mind” Twilight explained with a sheepish smile.
“...But why are they here?” I asked, gesturing towards Celestia and Luna.
“Well… I needed to talk with them anyways, so I figured I’d have you rest in here while I did so”
“You mean… While I was drunk, you thought it would be a good idea to bring me into a room of the two ruling diarchs of Equestria…?” I asked, staring at Twilight with wide eyes of embarrassment.
“...Yes?”
“...Oh god” I slam my face within my hands, “The first time I get to meet the princesses and I’m under the influence!” I groaned quietly while Twilight attempted to comfort me by hesitantly rubbing my back.
“If it is of any consolement, we did not mind your presence. You were still very sweet and quite adorable, even while tipsy” Luna interjected, causing my face to grow an even darker shade of red.
“Yes, I do agree” Celestia responded, a playful smirk crossing her lips.
“Gaaaaaah! I’m so sorry your majesties! I gotta go scream in the bathroom now!” I say, bowing my head quickly to both of them before I took off running out of the room.
Why me?
I quickly make a mad dash to the bathroom, making my way past a few guards getting chewed out by a higher ranking guard. I didn’t particularly care about what was going on nor was it my business, so I just kept marching onward until I entered the bathroom, which thankfully was empty.
I pull off my cotton gloves, tucking them into my pockets before turning on one of the sinks across from the bathroom stalls. I lean over and begin splashing my hot flustered face, groaning lowly as the cold water begins to cool me off a bit.
I hear one of the stall doors behind me open, I don’t hear anybody leave the stall for a few minutes, but soon I can feel a presence approaching me from my left.
“Um, you doin’ okay there Walt?” I hear a familiar voice speak up from behind me.
“R-Rainbow Dash?” I quickly turn around, meeting face to face with my cyan pegasus friend, both of us sharing an awkward blush. “Umm… I got the wrong bathroom, didn’t I?” I asked, smiling sheepishly.
“Yup, seems like it” Dash replied as she walked up next to me, washing her hands as well as her face.
“I’m terribly sorry, I must’ve not been paying attention.” I say apologetically while Dash simply waves me off.
“No problem, big guy. How about you tell me what’s goin’ on? You seem to be… Well, I dunno, you look like a dog who just got whacked in the nose with a rolled up newspaper” Dash explains as she leans herself against the sink, glancing over at me.
“It’s… A long story” I say as I rub the back of my head.
“How about we talk about it outside the mares bathroom? The girls and I are hanging out at a table outside the mob of brown-nosers. Why not join us?” Dash offers with a smile.
“That… Would be good” I say with a small smile. After that Dash leads me out of the mares restroom, guiding me down the hall back to the ballroom. The ponies seemed to have been a bit stirred up by some of the commotion that apparently went down. Knowing that my sister was apparently in trouble, the commotion was probably started by her. I give a sigh as I approach a table full of mares, most of them I recognize: Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Applejack, and who I assume to be Rarity considering I recognize her voice from when I spoke to her over the phone. As we approached Pinkie Pie launched herself at me, giving me a firm bear hug that almost squeezed the air out of my lungs.
“Walter! Where have you been? We thought you left early!” Pinkie Pie declares as she looks up at me with puffed up cheeks, looking like some stereotypical girl from an anime pretending like she was upset.
“I… Guess I had too much to drink?” I respond.
“You sound unsure of that answer” Dash says as she takes a seat. I pull up a chair and sit down as well, giving a shrug.
“I dunno, last thing I remember is sitting at a table with my new Guardian, eating and drinking, then all the sudden everything went blank. That’s all I can remember” I say with a shrug.
“Told’ya you should take it easy on the booze~” Applejack teasingly quipped.
“Says the mare who got shitfaced and went viral by grinding your ass on a human man in front of a crowd of drunk college students. That video has almost half a million views on youtube now.” Dash says as she takes a seat at the table along with me, causing Applejack to blush a bit with a sheepish smile.
“Oh yeah… I forgot about that.” I mumble as I rubbed my head. Rarity nearly chokes on her drink, coughing a bit as she covers her mouth, losing herself in a small giggling fit.
“That was you?” Rarity laughs, causing both Applejack and I to grow red in the face. “Oh don’t worry darling, I’m only jesting. It’s nice to finally meet you Walter, I heard great things about you from my sister Sweetie Belle.” Rarity says with a friendly smile.
“Oh?” I tilted my head curiously, I didn’t know Sweetie Belle all that long, so I wonder what kind of impression I left on her during my time there.
“Oh yes, she says you have a nice firm ass.” Rarity remarks, causing Dash and Applejack to nearly spit take while I hide my blushing face between my hands.
Of course...
“Can we stop talking about my ass? I don’t really feel all that comfortable with my ass being objectified like a piece of meat!” I say in a whimper.
“Welcome to the club.” Dash says as she takes a swig of her drink.
Silence falls upon our table aside from the occasional idle small talk that would branch into a discussion of some sort. I kinda tuned it all out after a while, my thoughts reached elsewhere at the moment. All I could think about was Jessica, and why exactly she had risked getting into as much trouble as she did to find me if I just passed out drunk and was taken off to another room. Then again, I was taken to a room with two of the most powerful beings in Equestria, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna…
Wait a minute…
Things are starting to make less and less sense here. If I were simply passed out drunk, wouldn’t I be taken to a less populated corner of the ballroom like I already was in? Maybe the girls would arrange for me to be taken back home or some shit like that? But no, instead I was taken to a room containing the two most important people in this country, and not only that but I woke up to my sister being interrogated by Celestia. Jessica would never use excessive force unless she believed her family was in danger. And the fact that she’s facing legal punishments for apparent violent actions, can only lead me to believe that…
I did not pass out drunk, I was in that room for a reason, something was done to me and Twilight as well as the two diarchs of Equestria are lying to me.
I stand on the balcony outside the ballroom, looking out to the beautiful night sky. Luna’s artistic taste is, admittedly, quite fantastic, for I could gaze at the blues, violets, purples, and the sparkling platinum stars for hours on end without boredom. They were comforting, as if my distraught spirit is being embraced by the comfort of a mother’s arms. A semblance of peace washed over me, and for the first time since all that nonsense began about a half hour ago, I felt like I was in control of my own body and mind once again.
I drink in a breath of cool night air, filling my lungs after having been in that stuffy ballroom for some time. I could feel the tense strings of muscle in my face give way and relax at a comfortably quick pace as I drew in the calm serenity the nightlife had to offer. A smile graces my lips, the sight of lights and cheerful voices from late night party-goers fills my heart with optimistic strength.
“Hello Walter, have you come out here to escape the party?” I hear Fluttershy’s voice break the silence that I had become lost within. I must have been away from the group for quite some time if Fluttershy came to check up on me.
“Yeah, just needed some fresh air… Also the night sky is quite a beauty to behold, guess I kinda got lost with admiring it.” I replied, offering a friendly smile toward the pegasus as she calmly approached my side.
“That’s certainly understandable, Luna always does her best when painting the night. It truly is beautiful.” Fluttershy says warmly while gazing up at the sky along with me.
“Mhmm.” I nodded, falling awkwardly silent, although we both seemed to be enjoying each other’s company in this stilled atmosphere.
We both remain quiet for what felt like a handful of minutes, my mind begins to drift and soon I almost forget she’s even there. It’s not until I feel her hand rest on my shoulder that I turn to meet her face, which currently dawns an expression of concern.
“Walter, is something bothering you?” she asks, keeping her hand rested on my shoulder. “Ever since you returned to the group I’ve noticed you’ve been rather distant. Is something the matter?”
“Hm? Oh, I have?” I responded, perking a brow as my eyes wander off in distant thought. “Ah, well, a few things, but I don’t want to bother you lot with’em.” I say in a dismissive tone of voice, returning my gaze to the night sky.
“Walter, I don’t mean to pry or be rude somehow, but we’re going to be living together for some time. We don’t have to be tied to the hip when it comes to our personal lives but you should know that, if ever the feeling rises, you may come to me or one of the girls to talk. We’ll always listen.” Fluttershy speaks softly, offering a friendly smile. I give pause at her words, rolling my tongue around inside my mouth while I contemplated her token of comradery. I am going to be living with the girls for quite some time, at least until I’m comfortable and stable on my own, so it would be rather stupid to pull the whole ‘silent goth kid with troubles’ act for the time I’ll be staying with them.
“Hrm… Guess you got a point,” I say, giving one more pause while I satiated an itch on my nose with my index finger, giving a few scratches before speaking up once again. “I’ve got a few things on my mind, that is, if you’re willing to lend an ear?”
“Of course!” Fluttershy responds warmly, her ears perking up with interest while she directed her spectrum of attention fully onto me.
“I won’t beat around the bush… I’ve seen and endured all kinds of horrors throughout my youth, more-so than any child should. Sure I may have gotten off easy compared to others, guess that’s why for the most part I keep my mouth shut and just be contempt with what I have left, but… I can’t help but feel these awful memories gnawing at the back of my mind every waking moment. After all that hell, I was quite happy to know that I’d be able to start a new life here in Equestria… But,” I trail off, leaning further onto the balcony railing. “My dreams of a quiet life always had my dad and my sister in them. I couldn’t even fathom a life without my family… They’re all I have. But now… I’m here in a country alien to me in so many ways, my dad is fighting in a war for a people who see him lower than dirt… And my sister is in trouble for some reasons I don’t understand… I feel like everything just wants to keep me from knowing peace.” I explain while Fluttershy listens intently.
Fluttershy remains silent as she tentatively listened closely to my lament, following my every word with deep consideration while she shifted her eyes shift to and fro in deep thought. Concern and empathy dance across her features while she processes everything, most likely contemplating on the right thing to say.
“I’m truly sorry about your father, and as for your sister, I’m confident that things will be sorted out properly, I’ll speak to Twilight about it.” Fluttershy says while she gently places her small hand upon my shoulder once more, offering a reassuring gesture.
“...Right.” I say, furrowing my brow a bit at the mention of Twilight’s name.
“Is something the matter, Walter?” Fluttershy inquired, her expression growing curious.
“...If I’m still being honest here, I’m not so sure about that Twilight mare. Something about her… It’s like… I remember her from somewhere, somewhere dark that I care not to reflect on that often.” I say with a hint of uncertainty.
“How’s that? You had only just met her recently, haven’t you?” Fluttershy asks, tilting her head.
“Yes, that’s the thing; I’ve only just met her but… It’s just, strange, in the back of my mind something feels incredibly off about her… My head just feels all scrambled. I figured it was the wine but… I don’t remember drinking enough to get that discombobulated.” I explained, earning a strange look from Fluttershy. She seemed to have some sense of realization mixed with recognition, after the brief expression of epiphany, a very stern frown came about her visage.
“Is that so?” Fluttershy inquired, clenching the railway of the balcony quite firmly… I could almost hear the metal groan and creak slightly under the strain of her grip… Odd. Suddenly forming a warm smile and overall bubbly expression, Fluttershy returns her gaze to me.
“I’ll speak to Twilight about your sister. In the meantime, please, enjoy the rest of the evening, it’d be a waste to let the festivities die out so quickly!” Fluttershy says in a soft tone of voice as she turns around and begins to make her way through the ballroom and out the twin doors leading to the hallway.
I sense something ominous coming from that mare…
I take in a deep breath, once more soaking in the beauty of the night sky, before turning back to the patio doorway, and returning to the ballroom.
“Hey! There he is!” Dash exclaims, raising her glass of wine in greeting as I make my approach to the table everybody is gathered at. Or is the terminology ‘everypony’? Bah, I’ll just stick to using the same terminology of humans, it’s not like it’s hurting anybody.
“I was beginin’ to wonder where ya wandered off too pardner!” Applejack says with a grin as she pulls out a seat for me to sit between her and Rarity. A blush makes its way to my cheeks as I slowly sink down into the chair she offered to me. I can’t help but remember that night me and her practically dry-humped each other on a stage in front of a drunk crowd. And judging by that look in her eye, I can pretty much assume she remembers too.
“So, Walter darling, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie have told us all about how you four got to know each other, I heard a little tidbit of it when Twilight received that call but she left out all of those… Juicy details~” Rarity begins, rolling her wrist, causing the wine in her glass to swirl around while she looks me dead in the eyes.
“Oh… Uh, right. I’m… Really sorry, I didn’t think it’d get out of hand that quickly… I’m just glad that none of the girls were harmed because of my… Inebriated antics.” I explain with a sheepish smile, a smile creeping across Rarity’s lips.
“Ah~ A true gentleman, isn’t he? He’s the one who gets stranded, stark naked, on the whole other side of town and yet he worries for his friends? You’re too sweet, darling.” Rarity says while she rubs her hand on my shoulder. “Ah, I see my sister has done some marvelous tailorship work for you, I’m glad she didn’t disappoint~” Rarity says as she admires her sibling’s handiwork in designing my suit.
“Oh, uh, r-right! I’m surprised at how high quality the suit turned out to be, if Sweetie Belle is this good then you must be a goddess of fashion! I’ll try to repay you for the suit as soon as I can, I promise.” I reply, earning a surprised expression from the unicorn, her face flushing while she chuckled with glee.
“Oh you’re such a sweet talker, but please don’t worry about paying me back. It was a gift, no strings attached~” Rarity explained.
“But, I have to repay you somehow.” I respond, earning a sly grin from the unicorn.
“Oh honey you already have~” Rarity explained, earning a confused gaze from myself while she sipped from her glass of wine.
“How so?” I ask out of curiosity.
“Well, let’s just say that I hate to see you go… But I love to watch you leave~” Rarity replies, earning a collection of snickers and chuckles from the other girls, who are all just about as red in the cheeks as Rarity is.
“...Oh.” I respond, my head turning red as a tomato while I nervously pour myself a glass of wine, drinking down a few sips to calm myself.
“Oh my god, you’re right Applejack, he’s so fun to tease~!” Rarity laughs while Applejack gives me a gentle nudge on the shoulder.
“We’re just playin’ with ya fella, you’re too adorable when’yer teased.” Applejack explains while I shoot her a look. I let out a sigh and take another sip of wine, chuckling nervously.
“So, we know that you already had a bit of a welcoming party with Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie; but I still feel like we don’t really know that much about you. Care to tell us a little about yourself?” Rarity asks while setting her glass of wine down, settling her attention fully onto me. Upon glancing around the table, I notice that all eyes were on me, and so I take in a bit of a breath and speak up.
“Sure. So um, I come from a military family. I like music, painting, sports, reading and um… Uh… I don’t know what else to talk about really. I never really talked about myself that much…” I say nervously, I’m not gonna lie I felt quite small right now, like I was sitting at a table full of hungry wolves. I’m probably just exaggerating though.
“Not a problem darling. So you say you like the arts; music and painting, yes? Were you an artist yourself?” Rarity asks, smiling warmly.
“Oh, no, I was in a more serious career growing up. Didn’t have time to focus on my hobbies.” I explained.
“Oh? Like what?” Rarity inquired.
“Well,” I pause, taking in a short breath before speaking up, “I always wanted to follow in my parents footsteps. My mom and dad, they uh… They met during the Changeling Invasion. He was a Captain in the Imperial Aerial Forces and my mother a Lieutenant in the Imperial Legion.” I began, a smile coming across my face as I spoke. “My mother got sick around the time she was pregnant with me. She passed away during childbirth, and that’s when I came into the world. Growing up hearing stories about my mom, my father, me and my sister became hellbent on joining the armed forces to be just like them. To be just like our parents. I wanted to be like mom… Strong, brave, selfless. So when the time came that I was old enough, I practically threw myself at the recruitment officers.” I explain, a blanket of silence falling upon the table as I spoke.
“Oh Walter, I’m so sorry to hear about your mother.” Rarity says, placing her hand on my shoulder while Applejack did the same. I glance at both of them, then at Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. They both offer me comforting smiles, and I return one in exchange.
“It’s okay, I’ve made my peace to her. Besides, my mom was so good at her job that even the prideful griffons who raise their beaks at us lowly humans couldn’t help but show her praise. They respected her… I thought that it would’ve been easy to make plenty of good friends in the academy, being the son of such a respected woman… No… I was more like the bastard who killed one of the country’s best assets. It made my path in the military much more difficult than I thought, but I eventually pulled through academy and entered the military police. I served as a cadet for a year or so before I was transferred to the Legion officially as an Imperial Guardsmen. I wore my mother’s uniform during graduation. Of course it had to be readjusted a bit, but it worked out in the end.” I say, earning a few glances of confusion.
“You wore your mother’s suit during graduation?” Rainbow Dash asked, perking a brow.
“I know it seems silly, but my mom was a big girl. She was way bigger than my dad, I was around her height when I graduated… I’ve grown a lot since then. I know it may have seemed silly, but wearing that suit… I felt as if my mom was standing right there next to me… Ya know? Like… I felt like she was proud of me.” I explained, chuckling as my voice cracks a little.
“Ya don’t have to talk about it too much if it hurts ya, hun.” Applejack says, earning a few collective nods from the other girls.
“No, no it’s okay. I’m the emotional one, always too passionate, never the cold and collected type like my father and sister. They can practically become robots from how well they can conceal their emotion, or sometimes even act out an emotion and make you believe it’s genuine. They’re the pros, I was just a fool playing dress up.” I say as I take another sip of wine.
“Why do you say that?” Pinkie Pie asks.
My expression falls a bit flat as my mind reels back, soaking in some memories before I take in a small breath to speak up.
“I thought I was strong like my mom. Hell, I’ve got her height, her strength; I felt like I was just like her… But in the end, I wasn’t.” I say, taking pause as I sway my glass of wine around a bit in idle thought before speaking up again. “I was shipped out to war when I was fifteen years old. Drafted to an outpost deep within the forsaken forest. There were convoys of military supplies being stolen. When some government officials went to go investigate, they were attacked by a group of insurrectionists. The Crown took it as a declaration of war, but they wanted to make sure they didn’t waste more veteran soldiers than they needed, and so… They shipped us out. I was of the 531st Platoon, all of us just… A bunch of human kids strapped with fifty pounds of gear and twenty pounds of weapons, armor, and ammo…” I trailed off, thinking back to those days for a few brief moments before shaking myself out of my little daze. I noticed that they all had rather uncomfortable expressions on their faces, all of them concerned. I cleared my throat, rubbing the back of my neck. Curse my ramblings. “Anyway, I had a pretty shaky military career. It all ended a month before I turned eighteen, and I was dishonorably discharged. After that, I took to just working on the family ranch.” I explained, all of them giving a few nods.
“So, you like farmwork?” Applejack asked, changing the subject. I couldn’t thank her enough, I really need to work on how I ramble so much and make everybody depressed.
“Yes, I quite enjoy it. It’s… Liberating. You’re able to get stuff done, you have a strong sense of accomplishment in your daily life each night when you throw your sore body down on the bed. But you’re happy about it… You were able to provide for people you loved. Plus, I didn’t get all this muscle with genetics alone, oh no the genes were just a boost. If I wasn’t outside working on the ranch my sister would be making me play her… Little games… And I wasn’t quite ready for therapy.” I chuckled, itching my nose.
“Aaah, no wonder I like ya, I know a farm boy when I see one.” Applejack says with a grin. “Me and my family run a farm outside of town, Sweet Apple Acres. You should drop by sometime, hard work is a good form of therapy.” Applejack says with a smile.
“Thank you, that’d be great. But, as of now, it’s about time we all go to a real party. Shall we go somewhere less stuffy and have some fun? We should find Fluttershy and make a break for somewhere more… energetic!” I say with a grin as I stand up.
“I couldn’t agree more!” Jessica’s voice speaks up from behind me. I let out a non-manly yelp, jumping a bit as I turn to see my sister staring up at me with a wide toothy grin like the cheshire cat she is. I stare down at her in utter confusion; last time I saw her, she seemed to be on the bad side of Celestia… What the fuck is going on?
“Jessica. Last time I saw you, it was over half an hour ago, and you were surrounded by armed Royal Guards hauling you off to the precinct. That usually doesn’t end up with you popping up behind me… Oh god you escaped… Jessica… How many did you kill? Those poor bastards had families Jess!” I say in a panic, grabbing Jessica by the shoulders, shaking her lightly as I spoke.
“Oh please Little Bear, you’re talking like I’m some sort of psychopath.” Jessica rolled her eyes, blowing raspberry while I met her with a deadpan expression.
“If only it were simple as you being a psychopath.” I retorted, earning a laugh from Jessica, who gives me a wink before pinching my ass once again. I yipped quietly, socking her on the shoulder while I rubbed the sore spot of my behind where she pinched.
“Sorry girls, let me introduce myself. The name’s Jessica, Jessica Barnes. Or should I say… Private Jessica Barnes of the Royal Guard!” Jessica says with an ear-to-ear grin.
“What?!” I almost shouted, earning a few confused glances from the other gala-goers. The music stops briefly as I glance around, smiling sheepishly. “Sorry, sorry… Just… Carry on! Won’t happen again…” I say, waving dismissively while the crowd seem to pass off my outburst and continue about the ball.
“Jessica… What. Did you. Do?” I asked, staring down at her with concern. Not for her, but for what she might have done to somebody of high authority.
“That’s the thing Little Bear, it wasn’t me who did anything~” Jessica says as she swipes my drink, chugging it down while Fluttershy calmly approaches the table, adjusting her dress a bit before taking a seat, pouring herself a glass of wine while we all just stand there in silence for a few moments.
“...So the whole… Touchy-feely reunion hug and departure was… Just… All for nothing?” I suddenly speak up, earning a fake pout from Jessica.
“What, would you rather I have gone to jail?” Jessica asked.
“No! God no, that would be cruel to the criminals locked up there. Besides, you’d probably run the entire jail on your first day of incarceration…” I mutter as I scratch my head in confusion before glancing over at Fluttershy.
“Um… Fluttershy, did… Um… Did anything happen?” I asked, earning a glance from the pegasus.
“Hm? Oh, yes. I had a talk with Twilight.” Fluttershy replies with a nod, smiling warmly as she takes a sip of wine.
“...A talk?” Rainbow Dash asks, all of the girls, excluding Fluttershy, exchanging curious as well as concerned glances.
“What kind of talk? What did you do?” Rarity asked.
“Well… I did what I’ve always been encouraged to do… I was… Assertive.” Fluttershy responds in a gentle tone of voice.
“I like her. I like her a lot… So, did you tap that ass yet?” Jessica asked, wiggling her eyebrows as she whispered up at me.
“Jessica!” I hissed, scowling at her.
“What? If you don’t tap that, I will!” Jessica grinned.
“No, nobody is tapping anybody! I swear I will--”
“You will what, Little Bear? You gonna fight me?” Jessica asks, interrupting me.
“I will beat your ass like a Zebrican drum! And not in the good way!” I growled, earning a wide-eyed, ear-to-ear grin from my psychotic nymphomaniac sister.
“Hah~ As much as I’d like to rough-house with you brother, tonight is a night of celebration! Besides, I’m only teasing~ I wouldn’t make prey out of a fellow hunter anyways… At least, for now~” Jessica says before walking over and placing her had on the table. “Girls! Gather your shit, we’re goin’ clubbing!” Jessica declares, earning a few hoots and hollers from around the table, most of them having not heard the context of quiet bickering Jessica and I tossed back and forth between each other.
As the girls all got up and filed out of the twin doors leading out of the ballroom, Fluttershy stayed behind, approaching me and gently placing her hand on my arm. I glance down at her, her warm teal eyes met mine and I felt a warmth wash over my heart. It almost felt as if I was filled with helium like a balloon.
“You… You actually… How? I didn’t expect that…” I stumbled over my words as Fluttershy linked her arm with mine, smiling up at me.
“Twilight and I are friends, we’ve been so for a long time. When I had something to say, she listened. And I just so happened to say the right things.” Fluttershy explains.
“...Thank you, so much… She’s the only family I have here in Equestria… As crazy as she is… She means the world to me.” I say softly as Fluttershy begins to walk me out of the room. It felt more like she was escorting me rather than the other way around, not like I minded though.
“Of course, Walter. What’re friends for?” Fluttershy replied, patting me on the arm as she lead me to meet up with the rest of the group, who had stuffed themselves inside the car that the girls rode up in, like a bunch of sardines.
“...I’m happy I met you guys.” I say with a smile, chuckling at the sight of the girls all squished inside the car as Fluttershy and I made our approach.
Earlier
Twilight sighs as she leaves the room of which Jessica Barnes, older sister to Walter Barnes, is being held until she can be properly transported to a more appropriate location. It took some patience to handle Jessica, for a human bound by magic restraints it’s a surprise how… Grabby… She can be. By the time Twilight and the guards had brought Jessica to a secluded room at the far end of the building, far away from all the festivities, Jessica had groped about six mares, and four stallions. Twilight made sure to keep her distance after the first few offenses. Now that Jessica was secured at last, Twilight had some time to think.
Jessica Barnes had gone missing two weeks ago, after a certain isolated incident involving griffin mercenaries, and based on her verbal report, had been stranded on the western frontier where she hiked back to civilization and hitched a ride to Ponyville. Jessica certainly is a force to be reckoned with, considering the trials she endured just to enter the country safely. However, what confuses Twilight is why Jessica would go to such extreme measures, and even resort to such violence.
That’s a lie, Twilight had a hunch as to why Jessica would do such a thing. She just didn’t prepare herself in time to deal with Jessica, had she known that Walter’s sister was here she would have called off the test she performed on Walter. His official documents were well orchestrated, although, many things in the documents, compared to confidential sources in the Griffon Kingdom, didn’t seem to match up like they should. Jessica must have somehow figured out Walter was in the presence of the Elements of Harmony and grew suspicious, considering Jessica was still classified as a missing person, Walter was at their mercy, which is probably what made Jessica act so brash.
Breaking her from her train of thought, Twilight is greeted by the sight of Fluttershy approaching from down the hall. Before Twilight could say much of anything, Fluttershy raises her hand to stop her from speaking.
“Twilight Sparkle. What. Did you do. To Walter?” Fluttershy spoke in a low yet calm tone of voice. Twilight is taken aback in surprise to Fluttershy’s sudden question.
“What… Do you mean?” Twilight inquired.
“I think you know what I mean, Twilight.” Fluttershy responds, crossing her arms.
“Fluttershy, I don’t think now is a good time to talk about-”
“Now is a perfect time to talk about your arrogant decisions.” Fluttershy snapped, grabbing Twilight by the shoulder and pushing her into the room she just stepped out of, the very room Jessica is being held.
“Oho? Who’s this babe?” Jessica speaks up, her brows raising in interest upon seeing a new face.
“A friend of Walter, somebody who actually understands the difference between work and friendship.” Fluttershy remarks, casting a hot stare at Twilight.
“Spicy.” Jessica simply responds, raising a brow at the obvious tension between the pegasus and the unicorn.
“Fluttershy, not in front of-”
“In front of a woman you’ve criminalized for trying to protect her family?” Fluttershy interrupted once again. “What the fuck were you thinking Twilight!?”
“Wait, did something happen to my brother?” Jessica inquired, furrowing her brows. “The only reason things got a bit hectic is because that old fart wouldn’t get out of my way when I was trying to get to Walter.” Jessica went on to explain as Twilight nervously adjusted her dress. “So I guess that’s why he was guarding the door in the first place…” Jessica muttered.
“What did you do, Twilight?” Fluttershy demanded. The unicorn mare fidgeted with her fingers for a few moments, before her composure eventually broke down and she let out a long shaky sigh.
“...I was only trying to find out what he knew… It was nothing harmful, just a peek into his memories to confirm whether or not our sources were solid. But… I never… I didn’t… It was awful… The things I saw… They… I…” Twilight tripped over her words, sniffling as she covered her mouth in disgust by recalling what she saw while digging around in Walter’s memories.
“...What did you see, Twilight?” Fluttershy demanded, only this time her voice was far more calm.
“You saw his punishment, didn’t you?” Jessica remarked, earning a quick glance from Twilight. Jessica sighs, shaking her head, Twilight’s reaction confirmed the human woman’s suspicions all too well.
“What’s she talking about, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked, concern growing in her voice. “What punishment?”
“Sit down ladies, I got a lot to tell you two.” Jessica says, leaning back into her chair as she rests her cuffed wrists on her lap. Twilight and Fluttershy exchange a few glances before taking a seat at the table in front of Jessica.
“Almost three years ago, my brother Walter was dishonorably discharged from the Imperial Guardsmen Corps, for the attempted murder of special forces cadets. A bunch of rich kids whose parents bought them their place in special forces, rather than having earned them. Digression aside, Walter nearly killed these arrogant brats. My dad had to pull all sorts of strings with the higher powers in order to drag Walter out of the death penalty.” Jessica began, both Twilight and Fluttershy sharing a shocked expression.
“Why would Walter do such a thing?” Twilight asked.
“Because, those noble brats ganged up on Walter’s partner, and beat him within an inch of his life. Walter responded by ripping those brats limb from limb, most likely crippling them all for life.” Jessica explained, both mares looking as if they got smacked in the face with the ass-end of a box truck.
“By partner, do you mean… Romantic partner?” Fluttershy asked.
“Eeyup, my brother is pansexual, he doesn’t really care what race, gender, or species you are: griffon, human, pony, minotaur, etc., he’ll lock arms with ya regardless. And one thing you need to know about my brother… Although his temper is well contained, when the cap breaks off, he can become… Explosive. And it was that hate crime done by those brats that set him off the edge and ended his military career.” Jessica explains, as Twilight and Fluttershy both lean back in their chairs, horrified by what they just heard.
“That’s… Horrible… That poor man... “ Fluttershy says softly, covering her mouth as she tried to restrain the grief she felt for Walter. Twilight lowered her head silently as Fluttershy stood up, turning her back to the two while she mulled about all the information she just learned.
“When the war back home started up, our dad saw it as the perfect chance for Walter to live a new life… Because he knew that if Walter ever set foot on the battlefield again… He’d lose everything that made him human. That’s why we are here… That’s why he is here, for a second chance at life. Even if it costs me my life, I will not let anybody disrupt my brother’s peace… Not you, and certainly not the leaders of this nation. My brother is not a machine that you can dismantle as you please. He is a man, and a damn good one at that… Show him the respect he deserves.” Jessica says in a serious tone of voice.
“Twilight. Release her now.” Fluttershy says firmly after a long pause of silence.
“I can’t just do that, Fluttershy!” Twilight replied, glancing over at her.
“You will release her. She’s in your custody, yes? You have authority over what happens to her, yes? What’re you scared of? Scared of making an adult decision? Scared you might get scolded by Celestia?” Fluttershy asked, whipping around to face her friend. “Grow some balls, Twilight. Let the woman go.”
“Oh damn, she is sassy as fuck, I like her!” Jessica says with a grin, wiggling her eyebrows toward the pegasus.
“What happened to you being all shy and soft spoken?” Twilight asked, trying to understand how Fluttershy developed this rather… Assertive personality.
“We all change as life goes on Twilight. Walter and I had plenty of time to talk, and he got me to start thinking about changing my life style a bit. I’m not a doormat Twilight, and I certainly won’t remain soft spoken as long as our new friend’s only family here in this country is locked up because of your actions!” Fluttershy snapped, causing Twilight to recoil a bit at her words.
“...Fine.” Twilight sighed, her horn lighting up as she undid the magical lock on Jessica’s restraints. Jessica set the cuffs on the table, rubbing her wrists a bit as she stood up.
“Aw, I was looking forward to the interrogation, I had high hopes that spanking was involved.” Jessica remarked with a small laugh, earning a flustered stare from Twilight. Jessica slowly made her way around the table, standing face to face with the unicorn now as her grin remained stretched across her lips. “I’d like to apply for the Royal Guard.” Jessica says suddenly, earning a look of surprise and confusion from both Twilight and Fluttershy.
“What? Why?” Twilight inquired.
“Because, unlike my brother, I had a pleasant military career. Do you honestly expect me to be a cashier at some corner store? I’d go berserk in a matter of days if I had to do something boring like that.” Jessica explains to the befuddled unicorn.
“So you want to start working as a Royal Guard?” Twilight asked, tilting her head.
“Yep! I need to get a job to start building my life here, I’d move in with my brother and you girls but I don’t want to be a cockblock.” Jessica remarked, causing Fluttershy to blush more than Twilight did.
“Right, well… I’ll talk to the Captain of the Royal Guard and see if I can… Uh… Work things out.” Twilight says, still quite bewildered by this human woman.
“Good! Now you, Fluttershy was it? Let's catch up with the others, I wanna get fucked up tonight! Possibly even laid!” Jessica says as she wraps her arm around Fluttershy, leading her out of the room. “Time to party!” Jessica declares as she and Fluttershy disappear down the hallway leading to the ballroom, most likely to retrieve the others, leaving the befuddled unicorn mare alone in the makeshift interrogation room, still quite taken back by all that had just unfolded.
THE BASS AND THE TWEETERS MAKE THE SPEAKERS GO TO WAR, HA THE MIGHTY TRUMPET BRINGS THE FREAKS OUT TO THE FLOOR!
Music. Loud fucking music. It felt like my teeth were about to vibrate out of my skull from the power of the bass alone. I don’t mean to ramble and sound like an old man, but holy fuck this is too damn loud. I don’t particularly enjoy the sensation of my heart vibrating inside of my chest, either. I couldn’t even hear anything people were saying around me, I have half the mind to think that they can’t hear each other either and are just reading each others lips.
Jessica had brought the gang here, and as soon as we entered the damn club I got separated somehow. The loud music and heavy vibrations mixed with flashing lights was enough to disorient me, now I find myself at the center of a mosh pit of bouncing scantily dressed patrons, both male and female, grinding and bumping into one another while I scooted through the crowd like a skittish mouse, which is an odd sight in of itself to see considering how I towered above the crowd of mostly average-heighted ponies.
“I swear to fuck, Jessica had this planned!” I growled, not that anybody or I could hear, I was just thinking out loud while I tried to locate my friends. I don’t really like being trapped in a crowd full of half-naked strangers. Plus most of these people are covered in spilt liquor, liquid glitter, and some other questionable fluids that I’d rather not let come in contact with my skin.
All I wanted was to unwind and have a few drinks, but no, Jessica had to take us to a fucking night club. I just hope I can find the others before something happens.
Somebody just touched my ass.
I quickly jerked away, prancing away from the gropy offender, where I suddenly find myself pressed against the bar. Curse this damn suit! I knew it hugged my backside far too tightly! I should’ve went home and changed first, I certainly hope none of the other girls are suffering the same fate as me currently.
“Hey, big guy!” I faintly heard a woman’s voice speak up from behind me. Turning around, I’m met face to face with a light gray thestral mare, who stares up at me with with mild interest while she rests her hands on the bar before her. “Care for a drink?” she shouted over the music, reaching under the bar and lifting up a large bottle of liquor.
“Yes, yes I would!” I shouted back, nodding furiously. If I’m going to unwind a bit, I’m gonna need some help from Mr. Booze, and hopefully I’ll still have my head on straight enough to look for my friends after I relaxed a little.
“I haven’t seen you before, you new around here?” the thestral mare asks, pouring me a glass of what smells like vodka.
“Yeah, I guess I am.” I replied, nodding as I take the glass of vodka and gulp it all down within a few seconds. I let out a pleasant sigh as the alcohol begins to spread through my system, but I was gonna need far more if I were to get to where I planned on going.
“A natural drinker, yes?” The thestral says with a grin, I was just now able to notice her accent, but it was barely distinguishable with all this music blaring.
“Yeah, my sister and I are competitive drinkers!” I replied, earning a smirk from the mare as she poured me another drink. “Say, you don’t sound like you come from these parts either, you new here to Ponyville too?” I asked as I took the newly poured drink into my hand, sipping on it as I offer a friendly smile.
“Yes, sort of, I’ve been living here for a few months now. I’m originally from Tramplevania, you?” she asks as I pull up a stool and take a seat so she wouldn’t have to crane her neck all the time.
“The Griffin Kingdoms, Northern Asgard, small little human settlement about a mile north from the midland mountains.” I replied, earning a perk of a brow from her, a curious one, albeit a bit cautious.
“Ah, a human from the Kingdoms? You seem far friendlier than most of the humans I’ve met who come from there.” she says, her gaze following mine as I sit down, our gazes now almost a bit more level since I’ve taken a seat.
“I’d be lying if I said life was easy for humans in the Kingdoms. Growing up, my dad always taught me that no matter how hard life could be, it always mattered what perspective you took from your hardships that made you a good or bad person. I just decided to cherry-pick a more optimistic perspective, otherwise I’d be bitter like some of the elder folk from my village.” I go on to explain while the thestral listens intently.
“That’s some good advice to have, your father sounds like a wise man.” she says with a smile, “I never got your name, human. Mine is Vick.” the thestral says as she outstretches her hand to me.
“Walter, my name’s Walter. It’s nice to meet ya, Vick.” I say, smiling as we shook hands.
“Care to hear some advice of my own?” Vick says as our hands disembark, and I go back to sipping on my drink. I nod curiously, gesturing for her to speak away as I drank.
“You should find employment as quickly as possible. I heard that most humans get special support from the Equestrian government and all, but even with that it’s still a good idea to find yourself a job. It’ll make your social life a hell of a lot easier.” Vick goes on to explain, earning a curious glance from me.
“I did plan on finding a job later down the road, but why rush it?” I asked, tilting my head.
“Well, I wouldn’t say rush for it, but try to find one quickly. You see, most of the ponies around here seem quite polite, but in reality most of them don’t take to the idea of freeloaders all that kindly. Doesn’t really matter if you’re just moving here because you’re tired of home, or if you moved here because you’re running from something.” Vick goes on to explain while I set my now empty glass down.
“Well, I’m not really surprised. Back home if you don’t find yourself work to do, they usually found work for you to do, and you were legally required to do it whether you liked it or not. But as far as I know, there aren’t any laws like that here in Equestria… So why is finding a job as quick as possible necessary? You make it sound like something bad will happen if not.” I say as Vick stares off into space with a pondering look on her face. She glances around a bit before leaning in, gesturing for me to do the same. Once I lean in, she whispers to me.
“Illuminati.” she says softly. I pause, a blank look crossing my face as I process what she just said. I give her a confused stare, and obviously she has seen the look I was giving her before because she rolled her eyes and pulled me close again. “Look, I know it sounds stupid, and it’s not really official news yet, but there’s some sort of group out there that makes life difficult for anybody who ain’t your run-of-the-mill pony. If you’re a pegasus, a earth pony, or a unicorn, often times you’re gonna be perfectly safe. If you’re anything but those three things, some shit is always bound to happen to you.” she went on to explain, while I just looked at her a bit sideways.
“Well, even if there was this… Illuminati… Don’t you think it’d be a bit far-fetched to come to that conclusion?” I asked, earning a short nod from Vick.
“Exactly, I thought the same way before I started piecing shit together. I don’t even know myself if it’s a hundred percent fact or not, all I know is that bad shit tends to happen to people that the nobles of Equestrian society deem ‘leeches’ or ‘freeloaders’.” she says, pausing for a moment before taking out a glass and pouring herself a drink as well as refilling mine. “I moved away from home for the same old shit, I was tired with how life was going and I wanted change. So, I moved here to Ponyville, moved in with a cousin of mine, and I started enjoying life without any of the strict rules my parents had laid out for me back home.” she pauses, taking a sip from her drink, before returning to her story. “So I spent the first few weeks of my new life enjoying my freedom, going to parties with my cousin, binge-watching shows on Netflix, eating what food I wanted to whenever I wanted to. It was nice, and I figured that so long as I cleaned up after myself and did my fair share of chores around the house that life would be pretty pleasant until I found work… Well, that’s when shit started to go sideways.”
“What do you mean? What happened?” I asked, now taking short sips of my drink, a bit concerned by her ramblings, but also quite interested in what she had to say. It always interested me to hear what people had to say, since most of the time they’re probably ignored or brushed aside. It’s always nice to have somebody that listens to you.
“It started out as small, getting the stink eye from locals. Then it began to escalate to vandalism, rocks being thrown at our windows, tires on our car being slashed; then about a month after the incidents started, some fucker broke into our home. I got roughed up a little bit, but if my cousin wasn’t there then it probably would’ve ended up worse. She works in Luna’s Guard, it was a day time robbery so she was home resting when it happened. Even after that incident occurred, the shitstorm still continued.” Vick says with a sigh, tapping her finger idly on the bar counter.
“That’s terrible! Not even that sort of thing happened back in the Kingdom, the homestead was considered a sacred place and anybody who disrespected that unspoken rule usually got their teeth kicked in. Did it all stop after you got a job?”
“Hah, believe me, that fuckhead didn’t walk away unscathed. My cousin is a bad bitch.” Vick grinned, flashing me the tips of her canines. “But yeah, the drama died down shortly after my cousin found me a job as a bartender here at this club.”
“That sounds more like some sort of cult than any sort of illuminati. The reason behind such heinous acts is highly irrational, not to mention immature. Whoever orchestrated such a benign thing against you is more likely some childish snob with too much money, and too much time on their hands.” I say as I pause to take a swig from my drink.
“Preach it, brother!” Vick laughed, raising her drink high. I raise mine as well, and we clink glasses together. Just around that time, an average looking stallion exited through a backroom behind the bar. Vick seemed to be relieved to see him. “Oh, hey, glad you’re here Rock. Is it my lunch break?” Vick inquired.
“Yep, I’m taking over for ya.” the stallion replied with a mellow tone of voice.
“Sweet, hey big guy, care to join me on the second floor balcony?” Vick says, beckoning me to follow her as she began to step outside from behind the bar.
“Sure.” I nodded, it would probably be best for my senses if I escaped the deafening blast of music. I follow behind Vick closely, making sure to keep my eyes locked on the back of her head, which was quite easy to do considering her hair was dyed a bright pink hue. Once we entered the outdoor balcony on the second story, the blaring music became muffled by the sliding doors behind us.
“So, Walter, what brings you to Equestria? I heard there’s this whole war thing going on up North?” Vick inquires as she leans against the balcony railing, pulling a cigarette from a small smooth metal container she pulled from her pocket.
“My father sent me and my sister here to avoid the war. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want this second chance to start over, but the first time the Empire and I see eye to eye, I’m driven away from combat. I’m kind of disappointed that I won’t be able to rip the Legion a new ass…” I sighed, crossing my arms as I stared out into the night.
“So you actually wanted to go to war?” Vick asked, perking a brow.
“Wasn’t about fighting in a war for the fun of it.” I say, briefly glancing over at her. “It was about fighting to protect my people. Something I’ve never had the honor of doing. But most of all…” I lowered my head, staring down at the streets lit up with neon lights. “I didn’t want my family to suffer just to spare me the misery. I feel like all my life, I’ve been nothing but a burden to them. My mother gave her life to bring me into this world. My sister sacrificed her childhood just to protect and raise me while my father was at work… And now… My father sends my sister and I to another country just to avoid war… I’m tired of being treated like I’m some defenseless coward.” I say, the vodka flowing through my veins loosening my jaw enough to ramble on about my frustration.
“I see.” Vick says as she turns to gaze out at the night along with me. “So it wasn’t really about the glory of war, it was about protecting your family, showing them that you aren’t as fragile as they think you are. I can empathize with that.” Vick sighed, leaning against the railing of the patio.
“So, what about you, Vick? How was life back home before you moved here?” I asked as I glanced over at her. Vick gave a small empty smile, clenching the butt of her cigarette between her lips while she lit the tip.
“Complicated, that’s one way of saying it. Tramplevania is very cloak and dagger, at least among wealthy families and such. Once you manage to become successful, you have to fight and compete viciously in order to sustain your title. My father wanted to use me as a way of expanding his influence with another wealthy family, thus the reason why I’m here now.” she says, pausing to take a deep drag on her cigarette.
“What business did your father run?” I asked out of curiosity, focusing my intention on her now as I shifted my weight to comfortably lean against the railing while also looking at her.
“Hookers and blow.” she replied nonchalantly.
I snorted, my lips curling in a small grin as I stifled a laugh. She glances over at me, perking a brow, grinning a bit herself before returning her gaze forward. After a pause of silence, my face relaxes into a look of realization before I draw up the conclusion that she is in fact, not joking.
“Are you serious?” I asked, seeming a bit unconvinced.
“Yep. My family owns one of the top three biggest brothel chains in Tramplevania. It’s a booming business to have going, especially with all the high tensions and such. He wanted to become cozy with another brothel organization and use me as a peace offering to expand his territory of work.” Vick explained, exhaling a small cloud of smoke while she continued to admire the neon lights littering the streets below.
“Damn. That really blows. Heard that kind of shit happened in the high-classed society back in the Kingdoms, but I never really looked too far into it, thought that people with such wealth would be more… Adapted to modern times.” I say, glancing out at the town.
“Well, my parents may not have been, but I sure as fuck was. Besides, my sister wanted that title more than I did, so I just left it to her and moved out here.” she says, although by the tone of her voice she didn’t sound too happy about her past decisions.
“But… Despite all that, you still miss them, don’t you? Your family?” I asked, earning a quiet nod from Vick. “Yeah… My dad, my big sis… They’re the only family I have. I never really had any other family that I know of, only the three of us… I miss him a lot.” I say, trailing off for a bit, before glancing over at Vick. “Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to go visit once in a while?”
“Maybe after he’s had more time to cool down. My dad is a bigger diva than my mom, he tends to hold onto his frustration longer than most.” Vick says with a small smile. “But yeah… Maybe it would help to go see them sometime.”
“Sending letters back and forth might be a healthy start.” I say as I step away from the railing, tucking my hands into my pockets.
“Heading off?” Vick asks, glancing over at me.
“Yeah, I should probably go find my group. If I leave my friends alone with my sister for too long she’ll probably traumatize them somehow.” I say, earning a chuckle from Vick.
“I should probably get back to work too here soon. If you’re ever in the neighborhood again, feel free to drop by for a visit.” Vick says with a smile, waving as I made my way back to the patio doors. “See you later!”
“See ya!” I waved back, entering the club. Once again, my senses are bombarded by loud music that makes my entire body vibrate.
I begin to move around the outskirts of the dance floor, searching for booths and tables, trying to find out where my psychotic sister and the others are. It’s best that I don’t leave the girls alone with my sister for too long… Who knows what could happen?
Vick watches as Walter exits the second story patio, chewing idly on the butt of her cigarette until the form of the large human man disappears into the amalgamation of flashing neon lights and the gyrating bodies of intoxicated patrons. She manages to catch a glance at his buttocks a few moments before he fully receded from view. Her sources didn’t lie, he sure as hell did look strapping in that suit, although she couldn’t say the same for his face though.
“Nice kid…” Vick mumbles, dragging on her cigarette as she leaned over the railway, her expression fading into that of a bitter scowl. She takes in as much as she could with her initial drag, before letting out an annoyed sigh followed by a sizable cloud of smoke pouring out from between her lips.
Vick’s scowl is not met without reason, for a presence makes itself known with the sound of a chilling tune, a man’s smooth and graveled voice whistling the melody of ‘Do You Believe in Magic?’, although this man’s voice did The Lovin’ Spoonful no justice, it was more of a dark perversion of the melody rather than a respectful facsimile.
“The fuck do you want?” Vick spat vehemently, growling through gritted teeth as the remaining smoke from her recent drag vacates through her nostrils.
“Victoria Maelstrom, your debt has been paid. The seeds have been planted adequately, quite well in fact for an amateur such as yourself. The Illuminati bit was… Questionable, albeit effective. It’s a good thing our subject is rather oblivious.” the man’s voice speaks, each word he spoke sounding like numbing venom to the brain.
“...Right, since it’s paid, then-” Vick is cut off by a wry chuckle from the man, who remains shrouded by the shadow casted by the patio awning.
“Yes, no harm shall come to you or your cousin, or the rest of your family for that matter. Personally, my employer wished to eliminate you all, tie off loose ends… But you know how easily persuaded he is with a good ol rub’n tug.” The man says, his chuckle reverberating deep in his throat as he spoke.
“...If that’s the case, then you can fuck off now. I have to get back to my shift soon…” Vick growls, taking another drag of her cigarette before spitting out another cloud of smoke.
“Aw… And I thought we had fun together. You remember that night, yes?” The man speaks again, only this time he was much closer, leaning down to whisper into Vick’s ear. Before the thestral mare could whip her head around, a large gloved hand reaches around and fastens onto her jaw, forcing her to face her head forward. The man presses his chest against her back, pinning her to the railing as another cackle resonates from the man’s throat. “Your screams were like the melodies to a masterpiece… And it all ended with a cry of pleasure!” the man says, as he then spins her around to face him.
The mystery man is tall, about a few inches shorter than Walter, but definitely well over six feet. He is dressed in a pristine suit, untouched by the glitter and splashing liquor being tossed around inside the club like a whirlwind of bodily fluids and ecstacy. His suit is crisp and black, his undershirt a flat hue of yellow matching his long blonde hair tied back into a ponytail. It wasn’t his pale complexion or the wicked grin spread across his lips that brought chills of dread to the mare, it’s those crimson eyes… Those damn eyes that pried away at her mortal shell like the searing gaze of a rabid creature hunting for a meal. This human man brought so much disdain and dread to Vick… For obvious reasons too. Every second she felt his hot breath lap against her face made her feel sick to her stomach.
“Get… The fuck… Off of me.” Vick growls venomously, hiding her fear with boiling rage.
“Or what?” The man shot back quickly, cackling softly until the sound of a gun clicking off safety brings both of their attention to a figure standing behind them.
“Or I escort you to the hospital… After I give you a few new holes to shit out of.” Ashfall spat his words bitterly, narrowing his eyes at the man while squeezing the grip of the holstered firearm resting on his hip. “Step off the mare.” Ashfall reiterates, only much shorter this time to drive his point home.
Scowling slightly toward the older unicorn stallion, the man steps back slowly from Vick, releasing her from his grasp. He steps his way over toward the exit of the patio, which is right next to where Ashfall stands, casting a scalding glare toward the old unicorn.
“There you go. Now, on your bike, and fuck off..” Ashfall growled, tempted to projectile launch his nicotine gum straight into the man’s face.
“Tsch…” The man clicked his tongue, giving one last scowl before exiting the patio, disappearing into the crowd within the club. Ashfall waits a few long seconds after the man leaves to turn to Vick. He fastens the strap over his firearm’s grip, tucking the hem of his shirt over his concealed weapon entirely before approaching the thestral’s side.
“You should’ve shot him.” Vick says, stifling her urge to succumb to the emotional shock of all that just took place in such a short span of time.
“Hnn… Eh, I would’ve, but then I’d have to deal with paperwork and drilling from the brass.” Ashfall responds idly, tucking his gum into his cheek as he glances over at her. “Who was he?”
“Just… Some guy that’s been harassing me and my family.” Vick replies hesitantly, her ears falling flat as she puts out her old cigarette before pulling out a new one, only to discover that she was out. “Fucking… Fuck.” she sighs, tossing the empty pack off the railing. Ashfall observes quietly, reaching into his shirt pocket and pulling out a packet of nicotine gum. He offers her a strip; it may not be good as a stick of cancer but it helped sooth the addiction. Vick stares at the strip in a brief few seconds of silence before tentatively taking the offer, unwrapping the strip and tossing the gum into her mouth. “Thanks…” she muttered softly staring down at the empty pack of smokes loitering on the ground below outside the club.
“Hnn…” Ashfall nodded, his eyes observing her features before he glances out at the night sky. “I know a guy… His name’s Reynolds, does a lot of community work, loves to help others.” Ashfall begins, pulling out a napkin he swiped from inside, scribbling down a phone number onto it before handing it over. “Big fella, long hair, funky mustache. Can’t miss’em.” Ashfall says as Vick hesitantly takes the napkin, looking over the number before tucking into her cleavage.
“Thanks…” Vick mutters softly, briefly raising her eyes to him before returning them to the ground down below the patio railing.
“I’ll be heading…” Ashfall says, giving a brief wave goodbye before turning and walking out from the patio, returning inside the club. He had a giant teenager to find.
Watching the older unicorn enter the club from the corner of her eye, Vick gives a low sigh, it seems the stars had been looking out for her tonight. Idly chewing on her gum, Vick slowly closes her eyes, the image of that tall young man, Walter, entering her mind. She couldn’t seem to understand why he’s such a target.
“He was just a common soldier, wasn’t he? Not special forces, at least as far as I know… What the hell does that pompous bastard like him want with that kid?” Vick mutters to herself, hanging her head below her shoulders, letting out a deep sigh.
There was nothing more she could do, nothing more that she is required to do. She has no power over what happens from here on out, the only thing she can do is hope and pray to the stars and Celestia that Walter had somebody strong watching out for him.
Ashfall sneezes as he approached the mouth of a hallway he saw his charge walk down, wiping his muzzle with a soft grumble as he peered casually down the hall while keeping the majority of his form concealed behind the corner.
Ashfall had been tailing behind the overgrown human child ever since they left the party. He had a knack for clinging to the hem of his target’s peripheral awareness, not completely out of sight but completely off the radar, allowing him to stay close and observe at a comfortable distance. So far, it seems that most of the mares Walter’d been paired with seem to have taken a liking to him, his ‘roommates’, which just so happen to be the Elements of Harmony.
It was quite ambitious to place a high value target in a household full of some of the most powerful magic users in Equestria. He still couldn’t quite piece it together, mostly as to why he had to protect Walter if he’s living under the same roof as the Elements. Considering their track record for shit starting and shit ending, he wasn’t sure where he fit into the equation. Then again, he is getting paid rather well, so even if the whole situation seems questionable at best, he’s getting well compensated for it. As if money was even a blip on his radar of problems.
Ashfall watches as Walter studies the hall while he descends a small staircase, most likely searching for the others. The kid seems a bit concerned and frustrated, likely due to the fact that this Jessica lady, one Ashfall had a none-too-gentle encounter with, had been left unattended with the six Elements. The fact that this is a noticeable concern for Walter also put Ashfall at an unease.
“God damn it, Jess… I swear to god I’m smacking your shit up if this was all planned…” Walter grumbled, furrowing his brow as he continued to comb through the doors to private booths that lined each side of the hallway.
Ashfall couldn’t help but ponder the fallout to any potential incident that may occur because of the Barnes Siblings’ dysfunctional antics. Drawing from his charge’s well cultured fear and concern, Ashfall could tell that Walter has been well seasoned by his older sister’s mischief, and that he knows all too well what could come from it.
Ash is yanked from his thoughts at the sound of a muffled yell coming from a few rooms up, it sounded female, more specifically it sounded just like that she-wolf Jessica, the one that Ashfall is reluctantly familiar with. Walter snaps to attention, having heard the same, immediately rushing to the room down the far back end of the hallway.
Quickly following in suit, Ashfall tails Walter’s advancement, keeping himself anchored to his charge’s blind spot up until Walter reaches the door to the private booth in question. Ash tucks himself behind a vending machine, pretending to be occupied with his phone as he procured himself another stick of nicotine gum from his pocket, watching from the corner of his eyes as Walter breached through the door and into the private booth.
“Are you sure one of us shouldn’t go and find Walter?” Rarity inquires with slight concern as Jessica finishes unloading an absurd volume of various types of liquors onto the central table in the private booth.
“We can soon enough, but don’t worry about that. For now, we’re gonna get familiar with each other, after all, you girls are gonna be spending a lot of time with my Little Bear.” Jessica replies with a hum, pouring herself a glass of spiced rum before taking a seat on the edge of the booth.
“I suppose that’s fair… What exactly did you wanna know?” Applejack asks while sipping on a beer, avoiding the hard liquor while in the presence of a woman such as Jessica.
“Not exactly what I wanna know, more like what you all need to know.” Jessica says after pulling her lips away from a glass of rum… Which she had just emptied seconds after pouring it to the rim. She sets the now empty glass on the table, letting out a slow sigh as she sunk back into her seat. All the mares present look among themselves, casting curious glances to one another before shifting their attention back to Jessica.
“Well… We’re all listening then.” Rainbow Dash says, giving a gesture for Jessica to ask away as she pours herself a mixed glass of rum and cola.
“Good… Good.” Jessica exhales, taking in a slow breath before speaking once more. “I love my Little Bear. Practically raised him for most of his adolescence. Never really had any dolls or small animals to act out all that pent up paternal affection that little girls experiment with during their younger years, so my baby brother was the only vessel to expel that energy.” Jessica began, speaking as she filled up her glass with some more rum, taking a sip before speaking again. “So you can imagine how fucking livid I was when some fancy fuckin’ princess with a horn longer than horse cocks decides to place my brother in a house with a bunch of mares who have a long history of getting into all kinds of fuckfests… Elements of fuckin’ Harmony.” Jessica says, her tone shifting to a different tune rather quickly, bringing a deafening silence to the room, all that could be heard was the muffled bass of music blaring outside the booth.
“What are you implying?” Rarity asked, seeming a bit taken back, just as the others were.
“Don’t play stupid, I know you’re smarter than your pretty face lets on. You Elements of Harmony are the harbingers of shitstorms and chaotic mayhem. At times it can be silly, based on what info I could collect, but for the most part some serious shit revolves around you six. I can assume you all know where I’m going with this…” Jessica says, taking another swig of her drink, taking it in more slowly this time to savor and appreciate the buzz.
“...Your brother, Walter.” Fluttershy says, earning a firm nod from Jessica.
“Bingo.” Jessica nodded, raising her glass toward the gentle-eyed pegasus, who held a look of respect and alert toward the human woman before her.
“If you are concerned for Walter, you have my word that he is completely safe with us. There’s no way we’re gonna let anything happen to the big guy!” Rainbow Dash declares, placing her fist over her chest with a firm expression on her face.
“That so?” Jessica muttered, perking a brow before leaning in. “Listen, ladies… I ain’t tellin’ you to watch over my brother like his fairy godmothers. He’s not a child, despite how often I may treat him like one… He’s a man, a ditzy one at that but still a man nonetheless. He’s been through the wringer more times than a young man should’ve. And all I’m saying is: keep him out of any chaos that you established bearers of these ‘elements’ are obligated to deter. And we’ll be peachy.” Jessica explains, and yet another wave of silence washes over the group for a few long seconds before Rarity decided to speak up.
“Not to be rude, or disrespect your concerns as Walter’s older sister, but can’t Walter take care of himself? Of course it’s common sense to not involve him in our responsibilities as the Element Bearers, but he is a former officer of the Imperial Legion. As unkindly as I view them, I cannot deny their expertise in situations of conflict. It may be my assumption, but I sense that your concern toward Walter is as though he is helpless. By first glance Walter seems to be far from powerless.” Rarity says, drawing Jessica’s cold blue eyes over toward her.
Rarity cannot deny the buried fear she feels toward this woman. Rarity’s first impression of Jessica is that of a very laid back, lovably devious older sister with a very strange complex for her brother, but deep down, Rarity, as well as every single mare in that booth are painfully aware of just how threatening this human woman’s presence is. It is this presence that enforces the chills that run up along her spine when Jessica locked her cold eyes directly with Rarity’s own aqua hues.
“Good point. In any normal case, a man of Walter’s stature should be able to handle whatever issues may come his way. And in many cases, Walter will be. He’ll be living his life, handling his own problems that he comes into contact with. I can’t shelter him all the time, I know this. But what I’m telling you, Miss Posh, and all your friends is that I love my baby brother. He’s my world. He’s my blood. He’s my family. Family is something I am currently lacking quite a lot of. Keep him out of any crazy shit that ascends the value of a ‘normal life issue’ that gets thrown your direction. This isn’t a request. I’m not asking this of you girls. I am telling you.” Jessica responds, and with her words robs Rarity and the other mares any thoughts or comments of response that could’ve been, but now never will be.
A terrible silence swept across the group, the girls were all weighed down by Jessica’s sit-down with them all. It was like they were experiencing the crippling anxiety of a young colt visiting his marefriend’s parents for the first time and encountering her scary father. In this case it was a five foot five inch human woman who knew how to take a life a thousand different ways without getting caught. Of course there were no exact direct threats that came with her words, but judging by the tone of her last sentence it was pretty much implied. Normally a human wouldn’t be terribly intimidating as she is, since by comparison the girls have faced far worse enemies than any threat a single human had posed before. Yet the thing that made them all uneasy, was the fact that Jessica knew exactly what the Elements of Harmony are, she knows what they’re capable of and what they’ve achieved. Quite frankly, the mares present weren’t exactly fond about the idea of finding out what all Jessica is capable of.
Jessica broke the silence with a loud yell, exclaiming with vigor and celebration after popping the cork off of a wine bottle. This sudden outburst jolts the mares in the room out of their disconcerted haze.
“Now that that’s out of the way, onward to the night!” Jessica declares, pouring wine into everyone’s glasses until they were filled to the brim. The girls all exchanged concerned glances before Fluttershy simply took a swig from her glass, earning a look of surprise from the others as the soft spoken pegasus downed at least half of the wine before setting the glass back down.
Before Jessica could take a swig herself though, the door would suddenly burst open, and storming in was a very angry looking Walter Barnes. As soon as he made his entrance, the air seemed to become far less heavy than it did just moments before, instead it was replaced with a sort of electricity that seemed to be aimed toward the large man’s elder sister.
“JESSICA! WHAT IN THE ACTUAL TILTED FUCK?” Walter exclaimed, grabbing her by the shoulders, spinning her around to face him, spilling some of the wine out in the process.
“Hey! Watch the brew!” Jessica hissed, quickly setting her cup down before more of her drink was spilled.
“Fuck your drink, why the fuck did you leave me to the wolves?! You know that I don’t mix well with such a dense crowd like this! I get claustrophobic!” Walter scolded, shaking Jessica by the shoulder, who simply stared up at her younger sibling with a cocky, albeit amused smirk.
“Because I wanted to get to know your new ‘friends’, what’s the harm in some girl time?” Jessica coos, folding her arms as she leans her shoulder into Walter’s chest.
“Because, any moment spent alone in your presence is a moment spent in danger.” Walter replies flatly, pinching her nose firmly, causing her to let out a squeak before smacking his hand away, scrunching her face up to try and snuff out the tingly sensation assaulting her nostrils. “You girls okay? She didn’t hurt any of you did she? Did you drink anything she served you? Do any of you feel okay? How many fingers am I holding up?” Walter asked, his voice dripping with legitimate concern, waving his hand in front of everybody’s face while examining their eyes for dilation.
“...S-Should we be concerned?” Fluttershy asked, glancing down at the wine she had just powered down over half of, then glancing to the other girls who looked just as concerned as she did.
“...I think now is a good time to return home. We have about thirty or so minutes until the big ‘if’ gets answered.” Walter says, pausing for a moment before he began to hurriedly pull the mares to their feet, rushing them out of the booth while Jessica pouted in the corner, sipping on her wine gingerly.
The mares collectively gathered their things and promptly took their leave, waiting out in the hallway as Walter turned back to Jessica, his angered expression softening as he closed the door to the booth. Jessica gave a sigh, setting her glass down once again as Walter made his approach.
“Sis, what was that all about, really?” Walter asked, this time in a calm and collected tone of voice.
“Like I said, I wanted to talk to them heart to heart, girl time and all that jazz.” Jessica replied, shifting her pale blue eyes up to meet Walter’s amber gaze.
“You think I’m gonna believe that’s all there is to it?” Walter asked, crossing his arms.
“You never believe the simple answers, not completely, do ya?” Jessica sighed, shaking her head. “Some things are best left covered up, y’know?”
“I’m a man now, Jessica. I’m young, I know, but still a man. I can’t experience life if I’m sheltered from it.” Walter says, resting his massive hand on the small woman’s head, offering her a warm smile.
“I know that, but even as we both get older you can’t blame your big sister for looking out for ya, can ya?” Jessica inquired with a small smile herself.
“I can if that big sister is as big a fiend as you are.” Walter replied, earning an amused chuckle from Jessica.
“Right, right. Well I suppose that you’re headin’ off back home, yeah?” Jessica asked, leaning in close to Walter, pressing her chest up against his abdomen. “We should hang out again sometime, though I will probably be buried in paperwork until I can get this Royal Guard gig rolling.” she says, slowly wrapping her arms around the huge trunk that is Walter’s torso, giving him a gentle squeeze.
“Well, I hope that turns out well for ya. I’ll give you my number so we can stay in touch.” Walter says, pulling out his phone, exchanging numbers with Jessica after departing from the embrace. Jessica seemed a tad bit peeved about Walter’s oblivious nature, that despite his claims of being an adult man he still seems to retain some semblance of his childhood naivety. At least that’s what her instincts are telling her.
Jessica watches as Walter leaves, waving him off as he disappears along with his new clique of ‘friends’. All denial aside… Jessica couldn’t help but feel… Jealousy. For the most part Walter is a teddy bear, a big cinnamon roll that up until now she didn’t have to share with anybody else. Now he’s staying in a new house with six females, and they’re experiencing his cinnamon roll-ness for the first time. To be honest with herself, Jessica can’t tell what she’s more pissed about. The fact that Walter was put into a house filled with mares who attract more chaos than she’s comfortable with, or the fact that she may no longer become the most important woman in her little brother’s life anymore.
Watching as Walter escorted the disconcerted group of mares through the club, she lets out a long dragged out sigh. Upon noticing a familiar older unicorn stallion tailing behind Walter, a smirk graces her lips. It brought her comfort knowing that Celestia did not fool around when it came to hiring adequate protection. Although she wasn’t exactly using the fullest extent of her abilities during her scuffle with him, he sure did know how to handle himself. Something also tells her that she wasn’t the only one holding back during that scuffle.
She’s glad to know that her brother is well protected, at least.
Ashfall follows the group surrounding his charge as subtly as possible, being sure to keep them in his line of sight while remaining out of their peripherals. Seems that Walter had the situation handled, not like Ashfall could do much to that psychotic woman anyways, at least within the range of abilities that he is permitted to use. Best he stays out of family matters, especially when it comes to the Barnes.
Ashfall still couldn’t quite believe his luck, Franklin ‘Fury’ Barnes and Sarah Crewes had a family together. Ashfall is quite familiar with his charge’s parents, especially Franklin. Military didn’t run in Franklin’s family, it galloped. Franklin was an ace pilot during the Changeling Wars, one Ashfall had the pleasure of bumping into every now and then. One of the few things that threw Ashfall off about that man is how somebody with such a gentle face can be so… Fierce. He had both the face of a poster-child for some cheesy war movie, and the vicious hunger of a falcon nose-diving towards prey.
The older stallion breaks away from his thoughts as his charge enters a vehicle along with the group of mares, all of them save for Walter piling into the back seat like sardines. Ashfall moves behind a sign posted on a chain link fence, shrouding his appearance while listening in on the group’s conversation.
“I still feel fine, Walter. I can drive, I didn’t even drink alcohol!” Rainbow Dash protests as she tries to find comfort amidst the group of mares tucked into the back seat. “I only had some soda, I swear!”
“Doesn’t matter if you had booze or not, if you can ingest it, it’s not safe around Jessica.” Walter states firmly as he closes the back door.
“If she did drug us, then she’d be sent to jail, so given the fact she’s starting as a royal guard here soon I don’t think she’d want to risk something like that.” Rarity says as she leans out the car window.
“Jessica would be running the joint in a matter of days. She’d get released within a month, then she’d track down the people who put her in there in the first place. Believe me… I’ve tried…” Walter says with a distant look of haunted memories washing across his face.
“Sweet mother of Celestia…” Rainbow Dash muttered, leaning back into her seat.
“I know you guys may think she’s…” Walter paused, trying to think of the right words to say.
“Psychotic?” Rainbow Dash chipped in.
“Deranged?” Rarity quipped.
“Scary as a thestral in heat?” Applejack noted.
Walter stared at them, bemused, glancing over at Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie as they both remained silent, returning a sheepish gaze to the large human man. Walter gave a deep sigh before speaking again.
“Peculiar. I know my sister is… Peculiar. But she’s pretty nice once you get used to her!” he assured them as he climbed into the car.
“About as nice as an angry farm cat with mange.” Applejack quipped, causing Walter to give a flat stare back at her before he started up the car. “Okay… Uh… I think I can do this…” Walter mumbled as he studied the car with curiosity.
“Walter… Have you ever driven a car before?” Fluttershy asked with concern.
“Uhh… I’ve driven a tank?” Walter replied, giving a sheepish smile back at the girls, who didn’t look impressed with that answer whatsoever.
Ashfall rolls his eyes, letting out a low sigh as he steps out from behind the fence, shifting his feet quietly over to the driver’s side of the car. Upon tapping the window, Walter is startled for a brief moment, having been captured by his uncertain curiosity of the vehicle’s controls. Upon recognizing the unicorn, he gives a sheepish smile and rolls down the window.
“Hey there, uh.. Mr. Venture, sir.” Walter says, smiling sheepishly as he shifted his eyes up to meet the gaze of Ashfall, whose gaze looked as if he’d pass out instantly the second his face hit a pillow. “What’s up?”
“Feelin’ a lot like Gene Wilder, tap dancing with Peter Boyle lathered in green face paint.” Ashfall replied, leaning his hand against the roof of the car. “Hnh… I assume you’re in need of a designated driver?”
“Yes please!” Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack all spoke out in unison, leaning forward to catch a glance from Ash as he gave a small smirk of amusement. Walter opens his mouth as if to say something, but is quickly silenced by the stares from three of the five mares. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie just fiddled with their thumbs as Walter returned his gaze up at Ashfall.
“Move over, Boyle, I’ll drive you kids home.” Ashfall says, nodding his head upwards, giving a gesture for Walter to scoot over into the passenger side. Walter glanced back at the girls, then back to Ash for a few scant moments before sighing and unbuckling his seat belt, scooting over to the other seat while Ash slid his way in.
The ride went smoother than most designated driver roles he has filled in before, at least Walter isn’t completely shitfaced snorting cocaine off of the ass of a prostitute like some of his undesirable past clients. Aside from playful banter and friendly discussion, and the occasional fits of laughter.
This gig may be easier than I thought… Ashfall mulled to himself, turning on the radio to listen to some music on the way toward his charge’s home.
Blueblood sat comfortably within a red velvet recliner, resting his chin boredly on his knuckles as he gazed at the large TV screen presented before him. He was vehemently annoyed by ponyville’s hosting of the Gala this year. The town may be progressing into modernization, but it’ll always be the filth ridden backwater village he remembers it as. He didn’t attend, mostly due to other matters filling his plate. Plus, due to his… Unpleasant exchanges with the Element of Generosity a few galas back, he has lost interest in most social gatherings outside Canterlot since then.
He surfs through channels idly until a knock came to his chamber doors. Blueblood lazily offers a gaze toward the twin doors before returning his gaze toward the television.
“Come in.”
Entering the room is a familiar well dressed blonde man with hypnotic crimson eyes and a smile that could rival that of Pennywise. A bit of interest builds up on Blueblood’s face as he sees one of his more favored human interactions strut into his room, offering a pleased stare up at the lean frame of the human man.
“Felix, what a pleasure. How was your observation of the Gala?” Blueblood inquired, muting the TV.
“It was… Far more pleasant than we’d hoped. A few interesting things happened, one of them being him, our little subject of affection~” Felix says, stepping behind Blueblood’s chair and firmly grasping the young stallion’s shoulders, working them like firm dough in need of tenderizing.
“...Little Hercules, interesting… Seems as though Hamilton’s mishap didn’t utterly fuck up our plans.” Blueblood says, closing his eyes, an expression of bliss bleeding onto his features as the tall human worked his magic.
“Indeed, seems as though Raptor caught onto Hamilton’s men and pulled a fast one. Switched their tickets around and lured them to her and away from our target. No matter, I managed to locate him and pull some info on him using one of my… ‘Connections’. He’s with the Elements, it seems as though they caught onto the target’s trail too, yet they don’t seem to have the same information we do.” Felix says as he trails one hand down along Blueblood’s collarbone and onto his chest, dragging his fingertips tenderly along the stallion’s pectorals.
“I see, that’s good. Anything else?” Blueblood says, stifling the pleased noises in his throat with his words.
“I managed to corrupt some of their intel. They tried interrogating him by using the passwords installed into his system, but all they managed to do was just order him to take a nap more than anything else.” Felix explains while Blueblood takes Felix’s wrist gently, guiding his hand lower down his abdomen.
“Good, good… Are the seeds planted?” Blueblood whispered as he closed his eyes, savoring the sensation as Felix began to fondle his nethers.
“Yes… I made sure of it. We should take caution though, the bird of prey is not the only one we have to worry about. It seems Celestia appointed her old devil dog as our target’s guardian. I suggest we ensure our discretion, lest we draw any unwanted attention from their keen observations.” Felix whispers into Blueblood’s ear.
“Ah, I see… We’ll proceed with caution. I’m leaving you in charge, I don’t expect that you’ll fail me as badly as Hamilton’s men failed him?” Blueblood says as he stands up, pulling himself away from Felix’s grasp momentarily.
“Who do you think I am? Some sort of plebeian?” Felix inquired, perking a brow as Blueblood snorted in amusement, dropping his robes, exposing his readied nudeness as he began to strut his way toward his bedroom.
“Of course not… To the bed now, Felix Crane. I do believe you owe me some entertainment…” Blueblood says with a smirk as he disappears into the bedroom portion of his abode.
“Right… I’ll be right there.” Felix says with a nod, watching as the pale unicorn disappeared behind the curtains that take up the space of his employer’s bedroom doorway. Once Blue is out of sight, a brief expression of disgust washes over the human man’s face, a begrudged sigh escaping his lips.
“How long will she have me do this…?” Felix muttered to himself, shaking his head before regaining his composure, and slipping through the silky fabrics that lead into his employers bedroom.
My name is Walter Barnes, a lot of things have happened since I moved here to Equestria. I came to this country with feelings of desolation, the first few folks I met upon my arrival faced a rather abrasive and defensive side of myself that I’m not too proud of. Storm is the first friend I made, she did some digging through my files and as I said before, I got quite defensive with her, however she dug through the bullshit and pulled me out of my shell. I have her and that goofy little marefriend of hers to thank for warming me up, showing me a different side of ponies compared to all the propaganda the Legion shoved down my throat.
My sister and I got separated from one another during our travels, her name is Jessica Barnes; climbed through the ranks of the Legion where she started her career at thirteen, by the time she was twenty she had reached special forces. She retired shortly after I was discharged from the Legion, having long since served her required time in the armed forces. It was our separation that made me feel alone as I did on my first day in Equestria, thankfully I had good friends to comfort me in Jessica’s absence.
I stayed in Canterlot for a while with Storm, after leaving her custody I was sent to Ponyville where I met three of the six mares that I was to live with: Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy. All in that order. Dash was the first one to introduce herself, a normal heighted fairly athletic pegasus mare with a questionably ‘natural’ set of rainbow colored hair. She gives off a very ‘Chad-ette’ vibe, where although she is quite prideful in her physical accomplishments she is quite chill and loyal to her friends. Her and I often work out together, although I must admit she is the more physically gifted between the two of us. Her metabolism, stamina, durability, and athletics are beyond anything that I’m capable of. And to top it all off, this chick only has to work out like one or two times a week to keep her figure. I have to work out five times a week just to maintain my musculature, which I have been lacking on since I arrived.
I’m a big sucker for comfort food.
Dash doesn’t seem to mind though, she teases me about how the chub that I’ve been putting on looks cute on me, which gives me all the more motivation to work out harder. I don’t want to be cute, I want to be handsome.
I am handsome.
At least I hope I am…
Pinkie Pie is the next mare on my list of grandiose first impressions. Pinkamena Diane Pie, as I’ve went on to figure out, is one of the most bizarre and inconceivably hyperactive ponies that I’ve ever come across, and I thought Sweetie Belle and her friends were energetic, Pink’s antics makes those three look like old men falling asleep during a game of cards. As soon as she learned of my arrival, she ran at impossible speeds and tackled me so hard that my fucking shoes flew off. My shoes. Flew off. Like some sort of cartoon. This five foot party enthusiast has made me question whether or not the laws of physics, or reality for the matter, even apply to her. Despite her immense reserve of energy and silly antics, she isn’t as physically fit as Rainbow Dash or Applejack, she holds a more curvy physique. Not chubby like I’ve gotten, but she’s got thickness where it matters most.
As spring approaches, I desperately keep my fast approaching birthday under wraps. I’ve never really wanted any big or fancy birthdays, not since I was very little. I learned to enjoy the simpler things since we lived on a ranch and couldn’t afford extravagant birthday parties. Dad and Jessica always had ways to make them amazing still, even with our limitations at the time. Call me dull but I just don’t like extravagant parties, thankfully work usually keeps Pink busy enough for me to avoid the subject.
It’s gonna take a while before I can fully grasp the reality of this new life I’m leading. It almost seems so surreal, after so many years… After all that I’ve seen and done during my tours in the Legion. Despite how hard things seemed over in the Griffon Kingdom, I always had my family, and even then it was very little. Now, my family feels even smaller with my father not being here. Jessica is here, she’s starting fresh just like I am, her presence comforts me in the absence of our father but I still can’t help but fear for him.
My encounter with Vick at that night club all those days ago really stuck to the back of my mind. I knew the whole Illuminati thing was rather… Odd, but based on my experience with griffons it isn’t too far fetched in my eyes for a society to reject people they deem a pest. Not like I planned on living off welfare in the first place, thus brings me to my recent objective: get a job.
Here’s a problem with getting a job though, the majority of my work experience entails fucking around while growing up on my father’s ranch, and four years of obscured military experience. I say obscured because about three years into my career I received a brain injury that kinda made it hard to remember the past two years. Building a resume was gonna be harder than I anticipated.
The lack of results stacked on top of my growing frustration. Currently, I’m seated at the kitchen table, drinking a blend of assorted vegetables and lime juice, scowling hotly at the blank resume sheet I have laid before me. I am painfully aware of how ponies feel about humans like me, can’t exactly say that I served as a soldier for a bloodthirsty military force on a resume now can I? Unless if I were applying to ISIS or some shit. Quite oblivious to my surroundings, I am suddenly brought out of my brooding by a familiar voice sneaking up behind me. I turn around as I’m met with the sight of Applejack making her way into the kitchen.
“Howdy cowpoke, ‘ya look about as happy as a badger that’s been hogtied.” Applejack remarks, grabbing a towel from a drawer near the kitchen sink, wiping the sweat from her face. Applejack must have just gotten back from a jog. She wears thigh-high denim shorts with running shoes and a black tank top. After wiping her face down she turns to me, leaning against the counter behind her. “What’s up?”
“Finding work, or at least building a decent resume to help me get some work.” I replied, tapping my index finger firmly on my painfully scarce resume.
“Didn’t you have work before you moved to Equestria?” she asked, leaning forward and giving a brief thoughtful glance to the empty sheet before turning to face me.
“Eh… Mostly military. Aside from that I worked on my dad’s ranch, but that was mostly just so we could provide for ourselves rather than profit. Can’t exactly jot down military or else I’ll be thought of as some mental case. And I don’t think goofing off on my dad’s ranch can be considered decent working experience.” I explained as I leaned my face on my hand.
“Ah, ‘ya worked on a ranch?” Applejack inquired, perking a brow. “Well, if it’s experience ‘yer lookin’ for, I do believe I might have a proposition for ‘ya.” she explains as she pulls up a seat across from me.
“Oh? What’s that?” I asked curiously, perking up a bit.
“If ‘ya don’t mind physical labor, I could let you work weekends, Friday through Sunday on my family’s farm. ‘Course if we need ‘ya durin’ the week I could give ‘ya a call.” Applejack proposed as she rests her elbows on the table, folding her hands together and resting her chin on top of them.
“Oh… Well shit, yeah!” I say, perking up brightly, a smile spreading across my face. “That would be a big help!”
“Glad to see some enthusiasm.” Applejack grins, seeming pleased with my display of excitement. “I’m headin’ to my family’s farm tomorrow morning, if ya’d like to come with.”
“Oh, sure thing! I better go do some shopping, I’ll need to get some work clothes before tomorrow.” I say as I stood up, chugging down the rest of my ‘health smoothie’, Applejack’s expression cringing at the sight.
“Isn’t that stuff nasty?” Applejack asked, glancing up at me.
“Shit yeah.” I respond, tossing my cup in the drainer after rinsing it out.
“Doin’ anything before shoppin’?” Applejack asked, watching me as I move around the kitchen.
“Uh, yeah actually. I offered Fluttershy to help with some volunteer work later this evening. She mentioned something about a community center called Riley’s Lounge that needed extra hands for the day.” I explained.
“Riley’s Lounge? That one place ran by the big fella with the funky shirts and loads of chest hair?” Applejack asked, causing me to pause and give her a stare of confusion.
“Say what now?”
“Ah, ‘ya haven’t met Riley yet. You’ll know him when you see him.” Applejack says with a chuckle, moving away from the table. “I’m gonna go get cleaned up. See ‘ya in the mornin’ cowpoke.” Applejack says as she walks off and up the stairs.
I gave a nod to her, grabbing my wallet and phone off the kitchen counter, tucking them in my pocket before heading out the front door.
Ashfall snorts himself awake, the sound of his charge closing the door to his home stirring him from the light nap he had. After seeing that blonde man at the club last night, Ashfall’s spidey-senses went off the charts. He got all sorts of bad vibes from that man, and so he decided it would be best to give it a night and see if any unwelcome parties disturbed the nest while the birds were asleep. To his boredom, not much happened last night, aside from Walter stepping out onto the front porch to smoke every now and then.
“Captain Ashfall Venture, Thursday February fourth. It’s two in the afternoon and Baby Huey just left the barn. Gonna follow on foot, doesn’t seem to be heading too far. Person of suspicion didn’t make a show last night, nor did anything out of the ordinary occur so I guess things are calm for now. Gonna keep an eye out for the shithead, might cause trouble in the future.” Ashfall speaks into a recorder, clicking it off and tucking it into his pants before climbing out of the car.
Before going anywhere, he checks his concealed holster hidden beneath his shirt. His sidearm is tucked neatly within the holster on his hip, along with a few extra mags resting Inside the inner pockets of his jacket. Once he had his facilities about him, Ashfall makes his way onward, following just outside the peripheral of his charge, whom of which was still slowly driving him stir-crazy with questions that either had none or too vague of answers.
The Diarchs have their eyes glued to this kid like shit on velcro. They put him in a house filled with some of the most powerful ponies Equestria has to offer, they try to keep information disclosed from even his guardian, Ashfall, even though they apparently don’t know that much either.
Ashfall has a few hunches, yes, but he’s still far from knowing everything about the situation surrounding this kid. This didn’t sit easy with the seasoned veteran, not one bit. Ever since he first met Franklin, all those years back when he was some pretty boy with anger problems. Ashfall knew one thing when he met the Fury of the RAF, that nothing good ever came from him. He can be the nicest man on the planet, but trouble always seemed to find its way into making things difficult for Franklin. It’s what took his arm. It’s what stripped him of all that he’s fought to earn.
As far as Ashfall knew, it could’ve been what took Fury’s wife. But that ain’t his business, what is though is that whatever trouble that seems to be brewing, Walter Barnes is the center of it all. Celestia knows that, Luna knows that, hell even Twilight Sparkle knows it.
Do the other elements know? Is Walter hiding anything? That heathen of a sister he has must know something. She’s probably my only lead without getting any unwanted attention from the Crown… Shitfire. Ashfall mulled to himself, none too pleased by the thought of having any social interaction with that woman. Given his circumstances however, he is met with no other choice.
He would do this later, for now, he must shadow his charge… One which sometimes he feels as though he is protecting the world from him, rather than him from the world.
“Walter!” Fluttershy calls out, a warm smile touching her lips as I approach the community center. She was out front talking with some other volunteers when I arrived, most of the volunteers being older folks.
“Hey Fluttershy, sorry if I’m late, I kinda got lost on my way here.” I say with a small smile of my own, a warm feeling rousing in my stomach as Fluttershy steps over to me.
“Oh it’s alright, Mr. Reynolds is bringing the truck around now. Me and the others were just talking until he got back.” Fluttershy says, gently taking my arm and leading me over to the group of volunteers, who seemed to greet me rather normally aside from the average gawking or hushed whispers I’ve been getting.
I stood there by Fluttershy, not talking much, keeping to myself while she conversed with the other volunteers. Mostly older folks, ponies who’ve lived in the community longer than most of the influx of youth that followed in the wake of modernization. I liked older folks, they always hold so many good stories, just like my dad and grandpa. I always keep it best to heart that I listen rather than talk, nothing ever good usually comes out of my awkward mouth anyways. My nervous ramblings at the Gala are evidence enough of that.
Soon enough the sound of a diesel engine falls on my ears, I turn to see a large box truck pulling up into the parking lot. A rental from the looks of all the advertising splattered against the paneling. The truck turns and backs in toward the entrance, taking it slow until the engine cuts off. Stepping out the driver’s side of the truck, well, probably one of the stranger men I’ve seen in my days.
He’s a tall dude, I’d say his chin would reach the tip of my nose, probably eighty or so pounds heavier, maybe more. His hair is a shaggy mess, reaching far past the middle of his back. His facial features are ridiculously masculine, his jawline looks harder than steel, and sharp enough to cut through granite like construction paper. A thick bristly goatee dawns his face, his mustache just as thick and combed to be curled at each of the tips.
Now I know what Applejack meant by the funky shirts, this guy wore a bright red Hawaiian shirt with white flower patterns spread across it. Under that he had a white tank top, which failed to contain the rain forest that is his chest hair and monstrous pectorals that compliment the rest of his hulking frame. Knee-high tan khaki cargo shorts, sandals, and lastly a cowboy hat sitting firmly on top of his huge cranium.
This man is by all means bigger than I am. Sure, I’ve packed on pounds since I got here to Equestria, but this man has far more thickness to his frame. The best way to describe how this guy looks, is that if being a dad was a video game, he’d have a level one-hundred dad-bod that expresses just how strong and manly he is while also showing that his diet and workout routine isn’t exactly as frequent as it should. He’s like Andre the Giant, he didn’t really need to work out, he’s so fuckin’ huge that he’s just naturally stupidly strong and bulky.
“Howdy!” the man I assume to be Mr. Reynolds calls out, offering a big smile underneath that groomed squirrel tail he calls a mustache. Reynolds approaches us and gives a wave, greeting the other volunteers while I kinda just avoided socializing off in the far corner. I just came here to help out with Fluttershy. I didn’t feel like getting too friendly with anybody else.
“I’m afraid we haven’t met before, the name’s Riley Reynolds. Call me by my first name or last, whichever fits your fancy.” Reynolds greets with a southern drawl that could rival Applejack’s, introducing himself as he extends his large hand to my own equally meteoric paw.
“...Call me Walter, it’s nice to meet you.” I reply in a somewhat dry tone, not putting a lot of emotion into my voice as I shook his hand. I didn’t really sound like a dick or anything, I just sounded tired, mellow, not a whole lot of oomph put into my words as this man does.
As Reynolds shakes my hand, he gives pause, his bright expression faltering for just a scant moment as soon as his hand touched mine. His firm grip softens, shaking my hand idly as he looks down at me, as if trying to look into my eyes. I didn’t really give him the chance to for long, glancing away to avoid eye contact.
“Walter… Ah, Fluttershy has told me a bit about you.” Reynolds says, causing Fluttershy to smile a bit sheepishly my way as I give her a brief glance. I don’t mind too much really. “Sie haben unter der roten Flagge gedient?” Reynolds asks, speaking in fluent german, one of the few common languages spoken throughout human settlements up north.
“Ich habe es getan, bevor sie sich gegen die Krone gewendet haben. Wir müssen kein Deutsch, ich ziehe Englisch vor.” I responded, giving him a rather surprised stare. Given his accent, I figured he came from the areas back west near Appleloosa.
“Ah, my apologies then. We should hang out later on, let’s get this truck unloaded first.” Reynolds says, smiling as he went to unlock the back door of the box truck. I pay glance to Fluttershy once more, who gave me a rather surprised look herself.
“I didn’t know you were bilingual?” Fluttershy says as we walk toward the truck.
“Up north in the Kingdoms, humans speak a total of four different languages. My dad says it’s like that because griffons are far too damn nosy and paranoid to keep their beaks out of other people’s business. Small victories and all that, y’know?” I explained as Fluttershy gave a chuckle and a smile.
The next hour and a half is spent unloading boxes and crates filled with supplies and equipment. For a community center, I expected low-grade ‘back-of-the-fridge’ supplies that most ‘charitable donors’ provide. All of this stuff was pristine, brand new. Food, medicine, clothes, various other living necessities. As we unload the supplies into the center, I learn more and more about this place.
This community center isn’t like the one used to host the gala. That one seems to be more ‘reserved’ for a certain kind of folk. This place is a more modern building compared to the remodeled mansion the other one was.It’s very clean, sterile looking, gives off a very safe atmosphere. There’s an infirmary, living quarters, entertainment rooms, kitchens, showers, gyms, hell even a large field out back for hosting home-brew sports games for anybody who felt like it. Needless to say it’s not what I expected from a community center. People live here, not just ponies, but humans too. Many different people from many different backgrounds.
I kept quiet as we finished unpacking the rest of the supplies. It was the food that we finished last, packing in non perishables, snacks, ingredients for future suppers,and more. As I unpacked, I noticed a small little thestral filly staring at me from behind the doorway that leads into the kitchen. I paid no mind to her at first, but eventually I figured ignoring her at this point would be rather rude. An idea came to mind. I grabbed a package of pop tarts from one of the many boxes of snacks I loaded up into the pantry, kneeling down and offering a smile as I held it out.
“Hungry, little one?” I asked, speaking in a soft spoken tone. She doesn’t speak in response, she just slowly nods her head. “Would you like some pop tarts?” I added on, holding out the fruity pastry for several moments until the thestral girl would slowly step her way into the kitchen, cautiously approaching me.
Very carefully, she plucks the pop tarts from my grasp. I give no resistance and let the packaged treat slide out of my hand. She tears at the wrapper for a few moments before breaking of small pieces of the pastry, tossing it in her fanged mouth while a gradual smile grew on her face.
Her soft and tender voice suddenly just becomes a distant echo to my ears. As I stare down at her, my surroundings feel as though they are struggling to change while her words distort and shift in various pitches and tones. My memory casts back to a memory I am all too familiar with. A memory of one of my first few deployments far north of the Forsaken Forest.
Just a little girl, no older than eight. Dressed in tattered rags, hiding behind her older siblings who looked just as starved and bruised as she was. She was scared, they all were scared. I was strong, I could protect them, I wanted to protect them. They were not our targets, they were not there by choice. I took some chocolate and candy from my pack and gave it to them. I told them that it was okay. I told them I would protect them.
I held her bloodied corpse in my arms. I tried so hard to bring her back. I used all my medical supplies trying to bring them all back. It was… It was too late. I failed them. I failed them.
“Tabitha, there you are. Come, your mother is looking for you. It’s time for your studies back at your room.” Reynolds called out, as the small thestral filly glanced back at him with a smile and a nod. The filly smiled back up at me, waving goodbye before walking away, stepping out of the kitchen while Reynolds made his way over to me, offering a hand since I was still kneeling on the ground.
I stared up at him silently for a few moments, trying my best to stow my feelings before grasping his hand. Again, he visibly winces, as if he stepped on a small shard of glass he wasn’t aware of. Almost like he could physically feel what I felt emotionally. He pulls me up without much strain, placing his hand on my shoulder once I was back on my feet.
“We didn’t get to talk much earlier. Would you like to talk while I set up tonight’s cookout?” Reynolds offered, his eyes looking at me with concern and warmth.
“...Yeah, sure.”
“Howdy, long time no call. How’s it been good sir?” Reynolds speaks up, answering his cell phone after it rang for a few moments in his pocket.
“Hey, Riley, it’s me. I’ve been good. You?” Ashfall replies, scratching his chin, watching Walter converse with Fluttershy across the street in front of Riley’s Lounge while he spoke on his phone.
“I’ve been good. Been catching every fastball you send my way. Been keeping me plenty busy for quite some time.” Reynolds chuckles, pulling up to a stop light while leaning against the steering wheel a bit.
“A kid named Walter Barnes is gonna be stopping by your community center. Mind doing me a favor and watching him for a while? I have some business I need to attend to and I can’t do it while watching him. I know he’s gonna be plenty safe with you.” Ashfall says, facing away from the center, staring at Walter out of the corner of his eye.
“Walter, Walter, Walter… Hmm. Ah! I remember that name, it’s the young man little Fluttershy is crushing on! No problem, I don’t mind watching out for him while you’re gone. I’ll try to keep him occupied for a bit. Mind if I ask what the occasion for?” Reynolds asked as he pulled forward in the truck once the light turned green.
Three consecutive right-handed strikes to the ribs, a left-handed uppercut, and a roundhouse kick was all it took for Jessica to knock the three-hundred pound minotaur on his ass, of course with a few liver shots and shifts of the feet to avoid the bull’s slow heavy swinging. When Jessica’s dad lost his arm, her younger brother became her new sparring partner. Walter is a huge man, but unlike this minotaur Walter has stamina, agility, reflexes, and a surprising amount of speed. He has a way of guiding his opponents into his attacks, but all this bull has is just brute strength and not a whole lot of discipline. Jessica regularly whooped Walter’s ass on a daily basis, even when he grew to be over a foot and a half taller than her, so obviously she made quick work of the heavy-set minotaur that accused her of cheating at a game of cards… She did but he couldn’t prove that.
A familiar grizzled stallion enters the bar Jessica found herself spending her nights in over the past few weeks. The aged unicorn steps over the unconscious bull and makes his way over to the bar, spitting his chewed up wad of nicotine gum into a nearby spittoon before waving down the bartender.
“Sprite. None of that cranberry shit…” Ashfall says, slapping a few bits on the counter while Jessica treks over, hopping up onto a stool next to the older stallion, staring at him with a smug grin and eyes filled with curiosity.
“Howdy stranger~” Jessica greeted, the smell of hard whiskey on her breath, which brought back memories of his younger years chasing strange tail while hopping from dive bar to dive bar. Not too keen on nostalgia, Ashfall turns his thoughts to the human woman next to him, regarding her with a studying glance before turning his eyes to the bartender as they slid him his ordered drink.
“Hnn… Jessica, right?” Ashfall asked, not even looking at her as he takes a sip from his drink, keeping his hand over his cup after setting it back down, remembering the panic Walter had when the elements were left alone in a room with this woman.
“Depends on whether or not you have a warrant.” Jessica replied, causing Ashfall to pause for a moment, before shaking his head and sighing.
“Ain’t a cop… More of a freelancer I guess.” Ashfall says with a shrug, taking another sip from his drink.
“Well then, yes sir that’s me!” Jessica replied, leaning against the bar, purposefully letting her cleavage show as she stared at Ashfall with predatory eyes. Obviously the liquor coursing through her system was making her… Energetic.
“Hnn… Still tryin’ to wrap my head around Crewes and Fury having kids.” Ashfall mutters, causing Jessica to pause a moment, before tilting her head, her eyes staring at him unblinking.
“What’s there to wrap your head around?” she inquires, staring at Ashfall as if she were trying to peel back his skin with just her stare.
“The fact that your parents hated each other.” Ashfall remarked, snuffing out the unease in his gut from her stare. She’s definitely Walter’s sister, each of the siblings have a very defensive or protective reaction to somebody bringing up their parents. Probably a force of habit given that they most likely had to protect their family’s honor from griffons who don’t know when to shut the fuck up.
“Oh?” Jessica perked a brow, “What about it?” she asked as the bartender slid her a shot of whiskey after sliding a few bits on the counter, already knowing what she wanted without her having to ask for it.
“Sergeant Crewes and Captain Barnes bumped heads quite a lot. I know because they’d regularly fight at the pubs in Stalliongrad when the Legion was deployed during the war. I happened to catch glimpses of their disputes… Figured they hated each other’s guts.” Ashfall comments as he watches Jessica down the shot as if she were drinking a cold glass of water on a hot summer day.
“Naw dude, that shit was foreplay.” Jessica replied, causing Ashfall to take pause, staring at the human woman sideways.
“Come again?” Ashfall inquired.
“When you’ve won as many fights as my mother has, both physical and strategical, it kinda gets boring to take control of every man you drag to bed. You kinda just wanna get dominated, ya’know? You want to experience true assertion of dominance, but my mama wasn’t about to just submit to just any man. Naw, she wanted to make my dad work for her pussy. And work hard he did.” Jessica says as Ashfall just stares at her before turning his gaze to his drink.
“Hnn… A true love story.” Ashfall says with a dry chuckle, tapping on the rim of his glass while Jessica examined him up and down.
“So, what do you want? You’ve been avoiding me ever since our first date and now out of nowhere you come to me? Making me feel confused with all these mixed signals babe.” Jessica says, resting her chin on her hand.
“If that’s what you call a first date then you got problems, then again that kinda goes unsaid.” Ashfall says as Jessica grins, giggling softly. “It’s your brother. I have questions.” Ashfall says, causing Jessica’s smile to fade into a neutral expression, her face relaxing entirely as her eyes didn’t leave him once again.
“What about him?” Jessica asked in a calm tone of voice.
“Who the fuck is he, exactly?” Ashfall asked, staring back at her.
“Aren’t you his ‘guardian’? Don’t you already have his file?” Jessica asked, perking a brow.
“A lot of redacted information had been filled in with unassuming white lies. That’s the impression I get at least.” Ashfall says, finishing his drink before tossing in another stick of nicotine gum. “The Crown wants me to be this kid’s personal guardian, and from my long history of babysitting, if my subject of affection has an obscure background it usually means a shit storm follows with’em.” Ashfall explains as Jessica taps on the bar idly.
“That so?” Jessica muttered.
“Hnn. Walter suffered a bullet wound to the head and survived, the files say it was a three-eighty ACP slug they dug out of his skull… But the medical reports reveal otherwise.” Ashfall began, but was suddenly stopped when Jessica stood, leaning in real close to his ear.
“Not here. Follow me.” Jessica whispered, her hand grazing against the back of his neck, drawing his attention briefly to the touch as her hand slipped in and out of his jacket. Ashfall didn’t take notice, he just got up and followed her quietly as she led him to the employee’s lounge in the back of the bar, locking the door once inside.
Jessica turns to Ashfall, and before he could say much she kicks him in the center of his chest, taking him completely off guard. Before he falls back onto the couch, and before he could retaliate she holds up the magazine from his sidearm, dangling it in front of him before dropping it on his crotch, causing him to grunt as he glared at her.
“I don’t quite like talking about my baby brother getting shot in the back of the fucking head by some cowardly cunt. And I don’t take kindly to you digging up past shit. Ever since my brother and I got to this god damned country everybody keeps treating us like the red menace!” Jessica hissed as Ashfall just stared up at her, furrowing his brow before tucking his magazine into his pocket.
“Tough shit kiddo. Your brother is under my protection. He’s my jurisdiction now. I have much a right to him as a parent would, at least until the HCA deems him fit to function alone in society.” Ashfall replies, pausing for a moment as he stared at her. “...Funny thing is, you aren’t in the HCA program… You just showed up. And since then you’ve pretty much went under the table, and people forgot about you. Why is that, I wonder?” Ashfall says as Jessica stares at him quietly.
“What are you implying?” Jessica inquires as she cocks her head to the side, giving even more of a reason for Ashfall to be creeped out by this psycho.
“It doesn’t fucking add up.” Ashfall spat, “Your brother gets all this special attention, the Crown walks in his shadow, he lives with some of the most powerful ponies in this country aside from the diarchs themselves, and some reason I get the distinct impression that I’m not protecting him from anybody!” Ashfall says as he glares down at the human woman. “Who is Walter Barnes, and why does he seem to have all this attention from all these powerful parties?”
Jessica gave pause for several long moments, anger and frustration twisting her face as she stares up at the grizzled stallion. She looked away, brushing her nose with her thumb for a few seconds before taking in a deep breath and looking back up to stare Ashfall face to face.
“One year. It took one fucking year for the Legion to change my brother into a stranger. Halfway into his first year of service he got deployed to the Forsaken Forest. Human insurrectionists took over a military outpost there and captured hostages belonging to wealthy families that funded the Legion. My brother was a part of the fodder sent to weaken enemy defenses. Twenty-five fourteen year old boys, some armed with weapons bigger than their own bodies, sent to charge into their own death. Walter doesn’t talk about what happened, not even to our father. I don’t know what happened, all I know is that after that he was a different boy to the sweetheart I called my brother. I knew the Legion would change him, but they didn’t just do that, they fucking broke him. Drugs, violent outbursts, he started growing like a fucking weed… Once he started climbing ranks that’s when some coward decided to take a gun to my baby brother’s head… Walter was too strong for that though.” Jessica says, pausing, sniffling a bit as she once again brushed her nose with her thumb. “It’s funny… The coward that tried to kill Walter wound up scrambling enough eggs to change Walter back into the boy I once knew… He was still different, but when he woke up from the coma he had light in his eyes again.” Jessica trails off, turning her gaze away from Ashfall.
“...Shitfire.” Ashfall sighs, placing his hands on his hips and staring at the floor for a moment. “There’s still a lot of things that don’t add up.” Ashfall says, Jessica just gives a dry laugh and glances his direction.
“Sometimes the past hurts too much to remember. Some memories are worth having, others… Not so much. My dad has connections, resources… It may be obscure but Walter’s files, his documents, they are all official. Me, my dad… We want to give Walter a different life than what we had. He deserves that much, to have friends. To find love. To move on. Me, my father, we’ll do anything to assure that nothing stands in the way between Walter and a second chance. Don’t be an obstacle, Captain Venture.” Jessica says firmly as she walked toward the exit of the room.
“Hnn… Heh. Cute, that supposed to be a threat?” Ashfall scoffs, staring back up at Jessica, who simply just casts a hot scowl his direction. “This kid is my jurisdiction. I am his shadow. I protect him and others around him. It’s my job. I don’t like it when information is kept from me when I work a job. Whether or not the past hurts to reflect on doesn’t matter here. What matters is my efficiency with doing what I do best. And if anybody is being an obstacle here, it’s you, Ms. Barnes.” Ashfall says, spitting his gum into a nearby trash can. “Besides… You can’t possibly deny my curiosity when kid survives a fuckin’ .357 magnum point blank to the back of the skull. Wasn’t too hard to find out the truth after plugging in the measurements of the crushed slug they pulled from his head.”
“...I don’t know.” Jessica says, her expression blank and featureless as a stoic mannequin. “You think I know something, but I just fucking don't. I’m about as clueless as you are. My mother dies during premature childbirth, the brother I was told wouldn’t live past a week comes home a fat healthy baby. He shoots up like a fucking weed and packs on muscle like a human fucking tank. I don’t know, I always believed it was a miracle.” Jessica sighs, crossing her arms. “If you’re looking for answers then you’re probably gonna have to find them some other way. I’d start following the name Phantom.” Jessica explains, drawing a reaction of recognition to flicker across Ashfall’s features.
“Phantom?” Ashfall asks, perking a brow. “And how do you know that name?” Ashfall presses on while Jessica turns and unlocks the employee lounge’s door.
“My dad used to work for’em.”
“Walter, would you like your steak medium-rare or well done?” Reynolds asks as he pokes into a thick and juicy looking sirloin, the well seasoned meat causing a mouthwatering aroma to fill the air.
“Uh, medium-rare please.” I replied quietly, watching as Reynolds worked his massive array of multiple separate grills and cooking stations set up like one of those massive drum kits that drummers use when they’re playing a solo concert, like the Mark Temperato of outdoor cooking appliances. He has all the stations segregated perfectly for both the carnivorous and herbivorous members of the audience watching the large man at work.
“So Walter, what are some hobbies of yours? Sports, art, video games?” Reynolds asked, his ears aimed my direction while his eyes paid attention to the roasting foods.
“Music, wrestling, and I guess video games.” I replied with a shrug. I had only started playing video games recently thanks to Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. I’d really gotten into games like Spyro, or Sly Cooper, more of the older stuff.
“Ah, music eh? I’m a bit of a country man myself, if it wasn’t that obvious, but I’m quite familiar with rock and metal.” Reynolds says, rambling on about various artists, some I recognized, others I heard of but didn’t listen to. I just kinda zoned out, I was still thinking back about that thestral girl. Why did she remind me of my first deployment? I’ve been interacting with others, I’ve seen plenty of other children too like those two rugrats that live at Pinkie’s work. So why the hell did it come up now?
“Is there a point to all of this?” I’d suddenly just blurt out, I’d tuned Reynolds out by now, and just spoke bluntly about what I was feeling. “I’m not planning on sticking around that much. I came by to help a friend… I don’t want to be somebody’s pity case.” I say calmly as I just stare off at the ground.
“...Welp, I’ve never been a really good icebreaker. Straight to the point then, I guess.” Reynolds says, pausing as he turns to me and offers a smile. “The Forest Campaign was a rather cruel and ruthless play in the theater of war. It was mostly just the Legion sharpening their fangs, yet their efforts proved far too rough based on all the cracks in their teeth.” Reynolds says, causing me to slowly glance his way, studying his expression closely. He’s calm, his face relaxed aside from the gentle smile resting on his lips, or at least what little I could see of them underneath that freakish mustache.
“Whatever shit that tabloids puke all over their blogs and independent media websites ain’t gonna exactly help you grasp the understanding of what happened there.” I say lowly as I tuck my hands in my pockets.
“Of course not. One of my kids was a medic in one of the five regiments of the first deployed, like you. The first deployed suffered the most, the second and third waves just had to clean up the mess.” Reynolds says as I shoot him another stare of surprise.
“...What was their name?” I asked, staring at the large man with curiosity now.
“Abigail Lincoln. After the Forest Campaign ended she was discharged and tossed in the cellar of some run down sanatorium. When some of my friends up North came across her, they sent her to me… I signed the papers, adopted her as my own and took her in, here.” Reynolds says as he flips my steak over a few times while prodding it with a knife.
“...Is she doing okay?” I asked. I remembered Abigail, her group was pinned down by enemy fire, we were called in to flank the enemy and pull their attention away from her group long enough for them to extract wounded. The older cadets called her Gutsy, since she’d often time be pushing people’s guts back into their bodies.
“...Abigail killed herself about seven months ago today. Found her hanging in her bedroom one morning when I came to bring her breakfast. Before she died she’d often spend hours talking about all that's happened to her. I doubt she had anybody to truly listen to her during the time she spent in the sanatorium.” Reynolds says, causing my heart to fall into the pit of my stomach.
“She's dead…? I’m… Sorry.” I say, trailing off as I lowered my head. She was more mentally sound than the rest of the kids in my squad, me included. She put so many people back together and kept many of us alive during that time. I always felt like she was stronger than me… I guess… I guess I was wrong.
“...She didn’t die in some cold loveless asylum. She died in a home that loved her. The damage done to her soul was far too great, she’d made her decision long before she met me. Sometimes I ask myself if I did something wrong. If I had done things differently, maybe she’d still be here, laughing with that beautiful smile of hers… The only thing I can take comfort in is that she had a father who loved her dearly. In the end, she had a family… She had friends.” he says as he tosses my sirloin onto a plate along with some bacon-wrapped shrimp and roasted veggies.
I just stand there, holding the plate of food in silence. I lost so many friends in that massacre. My comrades lost legs, arms, eyes, teeth, organs; yet I was the only one who walked away unscathed. Didn’t matter how many times I was shot or blown up, I seemed to be able to pull myself back together. Everybody else just fell apart around me, and I always felt like I was resented for that… And sometimes, I resent myself for it too.
“It’s not your fault.” Reynolds spoke up, breaking me out of my trance. “What happened in that conflict wasn’t your fault. Abigail’s death wasn’t my fault. You did the best you could do. You fought hard, from Abigail’s stories of all those she served with I know for a fact you fought hard. You’re still here. And those who didn’t make it, they aren’t your fault.” Reynolds says as he places his hand firmly on my shoulder.
“But…”
“It’s not. Your. Fault.” Reynolds reiterates, squeezing my shoulder more firmly. “You did your best. It’s not your fault.”
I just stand there in silence for a few long moments, staring at my food in silence before looking back up at him, silently nodding.
“My doors are open at all times. Any time. No matter what. I’ll help you however I can. You’re not a pity case, you never will be. You’re a man climbing a mountain. I’m just the guy who sells the climbing gear.” he says with warm eyes, the same eyes dad used to give me during his pep talks.
“...Okay. Thanks.” I say quietly, looking back down at my plate as I stepped away, stowing what I felt deep in my chest as I walked away.
Reynolds hummed softly as he continued flipping steaks, burgers, and hotdogs. Working his grills like the console of a ship, sailing through rough waters. He takes pause, noticing a pair of eyes resting onto him. He wears a smile, although it falters slightly as he turns to see a young thestral woman standing next to him, holding a plate, staring at him with uncertainty.
“I don’t believe we’ve met miss, my name is Riley Reynolds.” Reynolds greeted as he turned to her. “What would you like?”
“...The name’s Vick, and… I’d like some steak please… And maybe later… I’d like to… Talk to you about stuff too.”
“Of course, dear.” Reynolds says, piling on some steak for the timid thestral mare. He knew her aura, he didn’t have to touch her like he did with Walter, he could hide his emotions far better than she could… The signs were quite simple to read, a story he is sadly all too familiar with.
Reynolds had a feeling her story was going to be a lot more complicated than most cases, though.
Vick woke up in a cold sweat, as she usually did when she pulled all-nighters at the club. It was her night off, she had been taking many nights off work since that man appeared at her workplace. If it wasn’t for that old unicorn packing heat things probably would’ve ended up worse for her that night. After using her blanket to wipe the sweat from her brow, Vick would then toss her sheets aside and pull herself out of bed, stretching her arms and her wings before heading out of her room to start her day.
After brushing her teeth and showering, she throws together some breakfast for both her and her cousin, who usually comes home during the day since they work night shifts. She sets her cousin’s helping of breakfast in the microwave before sitting down at the living room couch, eating while she figured out the schedule for today.
As she ate, she remembered the card that old unicorn gave her. She digs around in her purse for a few minutes before finally managing to find the card. She studies the card closely, clasping her fingertips to the edge of the laminated paper while she read the contents.
“Riley’s Lounge, located on Cherry St., South of the Hayland Mall.” She muttered softly, reading the address aloud to herself, taking pause to take a bite out of her toast. She never really thought to look into community centers until that old unicorn guy suggested this one to her. She never truly believed in the whole ‘charitable hospitality’ shtick that most alleged do-gooders like to pat themselves on the back for. If a serious individual such as the grizzled stallion that saved her hide that night suggested the place to her, then it must be at least somewhat legit.
Vick wolfs down the rest of her lunch while watching TV idly, washing her breakfast down with some milk before taking off out of the house. Before leaving her doorstep, she makes sure to look around cautiously, she lets out a startled yip when she spots her cousin sitting on the front porch smoking a cigarette.
“Mornin’ Vi.” Elly says, giving a tired wave as she drags on her cancer stick.
“Ah, hey El. Didn’t see ya there.” Vick greeted, smiling awkwardly as Elly snorted.
“Where you heading off to this early?” Elly asks, pinching her cigarette between her fingers while she exhaled fluid streams of smoke from her nostrils.
“...A friend told me about someplace, a hang out spot and I wanted to look into it.” Vick explains. Elly stares at her for a few moments, sucking her teeth before shrugging.
“Alright, I’ll be asleep, but if you need anything just shoot me a call and I’ll keep my phone’s volume up.” Elly says with a shrug.
“Cool. Your breakfast is in the microwave, I’ll be back later.” Vick says, giving Elly a wave as she in turn gave a wave back, watching as Vick walked off down the sidewalk closer toward the center of town.
It took her about twenty or so minutes to walk to the mall from where she lived, during that time she’d spot a familiar looking giant human. Walter is walking the same direction as her a little further ahead on the sidewalk across the road from the one Vick is on. Last time she saw him, he was sweating bullets in a crowd of intoxicated gyrating ponies, didn’t seem to be having as much fun as everybody else.
Normally, Vick doesn’t pay a second thought toward people she meets at work, often times they’re usually sleazy drunks or mares who like to complain about their coltfriends and how much of a bitch their mother is. But this human was different, in many ways. For instance, this ex-legionnaire seems to have garnered the interest of him. Vick didn’t know much about that sadistic blonde man, aside from the fact that he’s the Boogeyman working under the thumb of the nobility. Intimidation, assault, kidnapping, rape… Nothing is beyond this monster’s manner of working, this is something Vick was unfortunate enough to learn on a first hand experience.
About two weeks before she met Walter at the club, Vick left work early since the club needed to be closed down for maintenance. When she got home she was attacked by a man in a white mask. Her cousin had been beaten unconscious and tied up in her bedroom closet. The Boogeyman took his time with Vick… He cut away her clothes, choked her, abused her, used her like his own personal plaything. The more she cried or screamed, the harder he would go at it. It seems that the ‘favorite’ of all her siblings, her younger brother, had incurred a vast collection of debt, and took out a loan under her name. The Boogeyman had come to collect from her, but was left disappointed when he didn’t get the results he desired… So he took it out on Vick.
Before her first meeting with Walter at that club, the Boogeyman had approached her once again.In return for not harming her family any further than he has already, the Boogeyman wanted her to interact with a certain young herculean human man. He wanted her to instill some sort of urgency to find employment, most likely because whoever he’s working for has a raging boner for this overgrown kid for some reason. He’s a big dude, that’s no doubt. As far as she knew he was only ever just a common soldier. Sure military training is far more brutal in the Kingdoms, but as to why a noble of any sort would use the Boogeyman for such cloak-and-dagger methods is what confused her.
“Is there more to him than meets the eye?” Vick mumbles to herself, staring him down as he walks, keeping sure that she stays out of his peripherals. Walter doesn’t seem like a bad person by any means, she doubts he would be the kind of guy who would throw all his morals out for money, a far cry from the kind of man that Boogeyman is.
Vick couldn’t help but notice that she wasn’t the only one eyeing Walter from afar. She decides to stop at a newspaper dispenser near a bus station, kneeling down and pretending to be digging around for a newspaper as the other onlooker walks by. It’s him, the old unicorn from the club. She never caught his name, all she knows is that he means some serious business to always be packing heat, let alone brandishing his piece to a creep like the Boogeyman. The old unicorn’s interest in Walter piqued Vick’s curiosity even further now. With all these intimidating parties focusing their interest on one overgrown child soldier, it proved to be more conspicuous than either party probably intended. At least for those involved.
She continued on her way after giving some space between her and the unicorn, just to be cautious she followed her original route from a parallel road separated by buildings just so she’d be able to continue on toward her destination without alerting the old stallion. Not like she had a reason to be wary of alerting him, just didn’t want him to get the wrong idea. Then again following his subject of interest and shrouding her presence probably didn’t say anything good about her image either but that’s not a matter she planned on dwelling on any longer than she should.
A bit of surprise touched her thoughts as she saw Walter approach the community center she just so happened to be going to as well. Seems like a coincidence, since fifteen minutes after he arrived he began helping a few other volunteers with unloading a truck full of supplies. One of these volunteers just so happened to be the Element of Kindness, Fluttershy. She’d expect a pony like Fluttershy to volunteer, what has Vick curious though is the reason Walter is there, and why Fluttershy seems to know him rather well.
Once everybody seems to head inside, along with that huge hairy guy with the funky mustache and ugly Hawaiian shirt, Vick hesitantly made her approach to the community center, peering around. Something she took quick notice of, was that there were very few ponies of common race occupying the center. Mostly thestrals and a small handful of various non-pony races. The kind of folk society often don’t take kindly towards seemed to be the main populace of the center, which seemed more like somebody renovated an office building and transformed it into generously sized home. She pondered upon the thought of comparing this place to a mansion, but it was nowhere near as high-end or fancy, neither was it shoddy or decrepit. The interior of the building gave off a rather warm atmosphere, unlike most public places she attends to, she felt like she belonged here, which would explain the rather interesting crowd of folk that inhabit the place.
Seems like she would have to wait until they were done working for her to meet this Reynolds fellow, and so she took her time to explore the place a little. Seems the place was rather large, larger than she thought. He didn’t rent out a part of an office building, no, he bought the whole damn place and made it into a sanctuary. First floor had two kitchens, four bathrooms, an entertainment room, a daycare center, an exercise room and an indoor pool. Second and third floor are somewhat the same, minus the pool and exercise room, but the further up she went the more she saw living quarters.
The roof had a large garden with a few chickens and pigs. A group of thestral mares were learning how to farm and tend to livestock with an elderly thestral stallion teaching them the dos and don’ts. Vick observed the group with mild curiosity before turning her attention toward a peculiar smell coming from the small courtyard located near the rear of the building. It wasn’t an unpleasant odor, but rather a delicious smell of meats and veggies roasting over a grill.
Taking a curious glance over the fenced edge of the building, she sees a growing gathering of folks, including Walter and that Fluttershy. Walter seemed… Off, very off. His face was quite hard to read, but the look on his face made it seemed like he was bottling something in. At first glance the average person wouldn’t be able to distinguish his expression as nothing less than being stoic and reserved, but towards people with hard history it was easier to recognize one of their own. Vick didn’t seem to be the only one who noticed this, despite his best efforts, many of folk took notice to the tension in the air surrounding the human man. Fluttershy and Reynolds being two examples. After observing the spectacle for a few scant moments, Vick draws in a breath and passes an exhale through her nostrils, collecting herself before descending down the stairs.
Vick had another giant human man to worry about, one with freaky facial hair and a bad taste in Hawaiian shirts.
“Walter, is everything alright?” Fluttershy asks, drawing my eyes up from my meal, of which I’ve been poking at idly with a fork for the past ten minutes, meeting her concerned gaze with my aimless grimace, which died off rather quickly once her and I locked eyes. “You seem a bit… Off.”
“I’m… It’s not that big of a deal.” I sighed, deciding I should eat so the meal was not wasted. I’d began to idly toss bits of food into my mouth while occasionally glancing over at Fluttershy, who always met me with a concerned stare that seemed to bore into me like a drill. I’m about halfway through my meal when the intensity from her stare had grew to become more unbearable than I thought, so I whip my eyes to her, offering my full attention once again.
“I’m worried, Walter. You look… Spooked. What’s wrong?” Fluttershy asked, her voice soft and tender to the ears. Each word she spoke felt like hot flames to a glacier. She didn’t have to melt the whole thing, just melt a path big enough for her to pass through. I gave pause for a few moments before shaking my head.
“Memories. Bad ones. Don’t want to talk about it.” I defended, being honest but still holding my ground stubbornly, or at least that’s what I thought. What I seemed to have forgotten is that Fluttershy is the Element of Kindness. On the surface she seems like your average mare, but she holds power just like the rest of the girls we both live with. I’ve been hanging out with them for a while so I tend to forget who they are, especially now since whatever mystical power she has seems to be gnawing away at my mental fortitude.
“I can’t force you to talk Walter. But holding in something that hurts isn’t beneficial for your health. Might as well be reopening a wound every time it begins to heal.” Fluttershy says, gently resting her hand on my knee. I stare at her hand quietly, my emotions gnawing at my walls more effectively than I’d prefer them to.
I cast Fluttershy one last detached stare before standing up, her concerned teal eyes following my movement. “I should probably get going. I have to pick up some gear for tomorrow.” I explain as I wolf down the rest of my meal before scraping what remained into a nearby trash bin along with the disposable paper plate and eating utensils.
“What’s happening tomorrow?” Fluttershy asked, standing up as well, following me as I began to walk my way out, the small pegasus mare stepping quickly in pace beside me to keep up. I pay her a brief glance as she follows me, returning my eyes forward as I reach the front entrance of the building after walking around the small grassy alleyway between this building and the one next to it.
“Work. Applejack offered me part time at her family’s farm. Figured I’d start working, so I’m not just leeching off anybody.” I say, giving pause once we reach the building’s front entrance. “I gotta go buy some clothes for the job, or at least a few sets I can use so my regular clothes don’t get raggedy.”
“Ah, I see... “ Fluttershy says, almost failing to hide the disappointment in her voice, chewing on her thumb absentmindedly while shifting her gaze off to the side in thought. She gives pause for a moment, before staring up at me with conflicted eyes.
“What’s up?” I asked, noticing the shift in her tone and body language.
“It… I um… I…” She struggled with her words for a moment, her face turning red little by little until she glances up, swallowing nervously as her eyes met mine. “W-What’s your phone number? I-In case you need something, you could c-call me?” she offers with a timid smile, suppressing her urge to hide behind her mane.
This was rather odd, considering how Fluttershy has always been very calm and collected, at least most of the time she has been since I met her. I know she has come quite far from her past of social anxiety issues and introvercial habits. Then it hit me, like a truck crashing through the wall that is my oblivious brain, the realization that Fluttershy is asking for my phone number, which has some pretty interesting implications given the fact that she’s acting all fidgety about it. My cheeks heat up a bit, my simpleton mind only left with aimless assumptions that made communicating for the next few seconds rather difficult. Giving myself a mental slap on the face, I clear my throat and fix my eyes to Fluttershy, who seems just as kindled by her question as I am. I open my mouth as if to speak, but no words seem to escape me. I fish around in my pocket, pulling out my phone. Once pulling up my number, I shift my eyes to the mare, staring at her expectantly..
“...Oh!” Fluttershy gasps softly, offering yet another sheepish grin as she fumbled around her purse for a few seconds before her hand emerges successfully with her phone in tow. I ramble off my numbers to her in a gentle tone, her lips curving upwards once she had my digits saved into her contacts.
“Flutters?” I spoke up, breaking the pause of silence between us. Fluttershy breaks her eyes away from her phone, glancing up at me, her cheeks still a bit heated. “Thank you…” I say, offering a mirthful smile to the pegasus, who in turn beamed up at me with hopeful eyes.
“O-Of course, Walter.” Fluttershy nodded coyly, her eyes suddenly becoming very interested in the ground. Without realizing it, I brought my hand up and rested it on her head, gently patting her head for a few moments. I retract my hand once I noticed how Fluttershy’s eyes were practically glowing at me, watching me intently through the entirety of my subconscious head patting. Feeling embarrassed I pull my hand away slowly, tucking it into my pocket while Fluttershy twirled some of her mane around in her finger.
“C-Can I call you tomorrow?” Fluttershy would ask, breaking the awkward silence that would seem to consume the air around us more often than either of us probably liked.
“Oh, uh… Sure. Shoot me a text real quick though so I have your number saved.” I mentioned, Fluttershy tapped on her phone for a few moments before mine gave off a vibrating hum. Glancing at it, Fluttershy had sent me a smiley emoji. Grinning slightly, I saved her number to my contacts before glancing back up at her. “Are you gonna head home?”
“Oh, well I figured I’d stay behind and help out a little while longer. If you need me for anything, anything at all, don’t hesitate to let me know. When you’re ready, you know how to get a hold of me.” Fluttershy says, giving my hand a small squeeze with her gentle grasp.
With that, Fluttershy returned to the crowd while I watched her in silence. I’ll never be ready to tell her. I haven’t even told my own family yet. I’ve never talked about what happened during the Forest Operation, and I probably won’t for a while. I cast the thought of my unwelcome memories aside as I make my way out into the streets, heading further into town. I needed to grab some better gear for Applejack’s farm tomorrow, plus some casual shopping should help me get my mind off things.
“Vick, was it?” Reynolds spoke up, approaching the thestral while she timidly picked at her food on the far edge of the cookout, observing people quietly while she waited for Reynolds to fulfill his duties at the grill. Once he was done and had approached her, she sits up a little, shifting her slitted eyes his direction, her general body language speaking diffident volumes. “Would you like to go somewhere more private?” he asks, sensing the tone of her overall atmosphere.
“Hm… Sure.” she shrugged, standing up, bringing her plate with her as Reynolds lead her inside.
The human brought her to a office with large windows and plenty of light bleeding in, it was a six by six meter room with various lax appliances, rather than an office it looked more like a private entertainment room of some sort.
He sits on a bean bag chair, pulling one up in front of him, gesturing for her to take a seat as well. She pays him a deadpan gaze before taking a seat in front of him, adjusting herself to where she was comfortable on the bean bag.
“Before we explore our intentions through hit or miss inquisitions, would you by chance like to ask a few questions?” Reynolds started, leaning back in his seat, offering a friendly smile to the seemingly apprehensive thestral.
“...Who are you? I mean, I know your name and all… But how come this is the first time I heard about you and this place of yours? It’s like it just appeared out of nowhere, and with as many misfits as I’ve seen here I’m surprised I hadn’t heard of it the second I moved to Ponyville.” Vick explains as she crosses her arms, staring at the large human man studiously, subconsciously staring at his freakishly thick facial hair.
“Hmm… How to put this simply,” Reynolds paused, tapping his chin. “Call it a precaution, or rather, ensuring the safety of those I take in.” Reynolds explains, scratching under his chin now. “Only those who personally know me and have my willful consent to share my information can send others my way.” he says, seeming to still be searching for simple ways to explain himself.
“...What do you mean? Only people who know you personally can bring people here?” Vick inquired, raising a suspicious brow Reynolds’ way.
“I know it sounds silly, but it’s the truth. Sometimes my patients have undesirable individuals who don’t respect their wishes to be left alone. Often times most legal or reasonable means of keeping a harassing person of suspicion at bay aren’t as… Fruitful as we hope them to be. And so, the best nonviolent way for me to assure the safety of my clients is to… Work a bit of illusion into my defenses.” Reynolds explains, earning a growing look of confusion and curiosity from Vick.
“Illusion? You mean magic?” Vick stared at Reynolds skeptically, tapping her bicep with her right hand forefinger.
“Well if it helps you understand the concept better, then yes. It’s magic.” Reynolds nodded, offering a small grin.
“...Wait, are you serious? Magic? But how?” Vick sat up in her seat, her eyes locked onto Reynolds studiously as she earnestly tried to read both his visage and body language for any sign of deceit.
“My little pony, you don’t think ponies are the only ones out there capable of taming magic and the mana that fuels it, do you?” Reynolds smiles warmly, earning a very disconcerted gaze from Vick. “Do not worry, this is not a guarded secret. The princesses are aware of my presence and capabilities, as well as all of those the diarchs deem deserving of such information.” Reynolds says, lifting up his formerly closed palm, revealing an ice cold can of cola. “Thirsty?” he asked, offering her the beverage he seemed to have materialized out of thin air.
“I’m… I’m good. Once again… Who are you? You kinda told me what you can do and stuff that I don’t… I don’t know how to wrap my head around well enough, but that still doesn’t tell me who you are… Or rather, what you are.” Vick responded, holding her hand up dismissively toward the refreshment.
Reynolds gave a shrug, opening the can up, popping a straw, that also seemed to have materialized from thin air, into the opened can, sipping it’s chilled contents leisurely while listening to the thestral speak.
“Well if I told you what I thought I was then I’d kind of sound pretentious.” he says with a shrug, “I am capable of some stuff most humans aren’t. The reason why I’m not confined to a permanent residency somewhere on government owned property away from any major populace is because Lulu and Tia trust me, me and them go waaay back.” Reynolds sighs nostalgically while scratching at his beard.
“...Right, uh… Still kinda vague there.” Vick mumbled.
“...Hmm,” Reynolds hummed for a few moments, thoughtfully considering his words before speaking up again. “I am human, yet at the same time I am not. I hold power and abilities scant few others are gifted with, yet I am also an average man. I am very old, yet I am also very young. I am many things, yet I am nothing.” he rambles on, pausing for a moment before clearing his throat. “Best thing I can tell ya is that I’m just Riley Reynolds. I am my own entity. It’s better that you see it like that. As cryptic as it may seem, that’s the best way I can word it.” he explains while vick just stares at him blankly.
“...You’re fucking with me, aren’t you?” Vick muttered.
“Yes. Yes I am.” Reynolds replied with a cheeky grin. “Not joking about Tia or Lulu though, I’ve known them since I was a boy. I had them place passive illusion spells on me and my property. For the protection of my patients of course.” he chuckles softly while Vick continues to stare at him intensely.
“Right… Well, why are you doing this? Helping people like this I mean? It seems like you do so much without much to gain from it… It’s admirable, but, it has to take some sort of toll. Why go through with it?” Vick inquired.
“Because nobody helped me. At least, not until I met Tia and Lulu.” Reynolds says, taking pause to take another sip of his refreshment, which he must have been hiding behind the beanbag chair he sat on, along with the straw. “I was alone. Everybody looked the other way. I suffered in silence for most of my prepubescent years.” he trailed off, tapping his finger on the aluminium ridge on the top of the can.
“...What happened? I-If you don’t mind my asking…” Vick inquired, relenting to her curiosity, despite the pit forming at the bottom of her stomach.
“I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours afterwards.” Riley offered with a smile.
“S-Sure, it’s a deal.”
“...My family was killed in an incident. Money, power, prejudice, not sure why but somebody decided that my mom, dad, and siblings didn’t deserve to live anymore. It was a group of’em, can’t remember much since I was really little back then, I managed to survive because I was locked in the attic, hiding under boxes and other shit to come off as invisible as possible. By the time the police arrived my mother and sisters had been handled like Clockwork Orange with a touch of Ted Bundy. My dad killed a few, but he bled out long before help arrived.” Reynolds paused, speaking with a chilling calm, pausing to take a sip of his drink.
“...By the makers.” Vick uttered just barely above a whisper, staring at Reynolds with concern and empathy in her eyes.
“Bounced around a lot between foster care facilities. Most of the homes I was put into, things were done to me. Soon enough it was Clockwork Orange all over again, only this time I was on the receiving end of it. I ran away from my last foster home at age ten. Some of Lulu’s off-duty guards found me, brought me in… I don’t know what would allow such providence, but at the time they took me in Lulu ran into me. After that… Things got better. I learned how to carry my luggage rather than let it weigh me down… Although it never truly leaves. My scars make sure of that for me.” he says, staring blankly at nothing in particular while he spoke.
“...I came home early from work one morning to found my house got busted into. I was about to run and call for help, my phone was dead and there was no one around though.” she paused, her voice wavering, having decided to speak up just a few moments after silence consumed the room after Reynolds’ revelations. The human wrapped Vick’s smaller more petite hands with his own large meaty paw, offering a comforting smile to her. He knew knew what she was going to tell him, but she needed to say it anyways, she needed to shrug some of the weight this secret of hers carried, and Reynolds is more than willing to help carry it.
“I.. I heard some noises. I heard my cousin, I thought Elly was in trouble so I… I ran in and…” she trailed off, lowering her eyes. “Either he was just finishing up or just getting started, I couldn’t tell. Elly was scuffed up bad, her clothes torn up and bent over the kitchen table. He saw me and…” she trailed off again, squeezing Riley’s hand firmly as tears began to well up in her eyes. “I tried to fight him… I really did. I fought long and hard. I screamed for help, for somebody to come help us, but nobody came… Not even the fucking neighbors. You’d think that somebody would’ve come to help us, but no…” tears begin to roll down her reddened cheeks, soft hiccups and sobs emanating from her throat. “He raped me. Took his time making sure I felt like I was being ripped apart by a knife from the inside. Broke my nose, ripped my hair, beat me senseless while he was already tearing my insides to pieces.” she sobbed quietly, she didn’t know when it happened, but she suddenly found herself in Reynolds’ arms, being held firmly within his large firm arms, comforting her with a warm embrace. “I thought I was going to die… I was begging him not to kill me. I thought the pain was going to last forever but… He just stopped out of nowhere suddenly, like a cat that spotted something more interesting than its already ruined victim. He just… Cleaned himself up and left us there. Guards show up a few minutes later… Fucking Boogeyman.” Vick choked on her words, sniffling and shaking.
“...Boogeyman?” Reynolds speaks up quietly, listening to her closely, holding a strong yet gentle expression on his face as he brushed some stray strands of hair from her face.
“...A tall lean human man, blonde hair, red eyes, has a smile that could peel the paint off a car.Just… He doesn’t seem to be interested in leaving me or my family alone… I did what he asked, but he just… I just…” she trails off, her words lost between her choked sobs.
Recognition washes across Reynolds’ face. His once gentle and welcoming visage shifts into a sour and vigilant scowl. Staring off at nowhere in particular while he combs his thoughts, he keeps the sobbing thestral embraced in his arms as he cradles her with a strong sense of paternal care.
‘Felix Krane… Back from the dead. This is… Unfortunate. I should report this to Mom and Auntie as soon as possible. If this means what I think it means, then Ponyville is in for one hell of a storm… And Felix Krane is the thunder.’ Reynolds thought to himself as he comforted Vick for several long minutes, letting her exude herself as much as she liked. He had work to do, but like he promised himself a long time ago… His patients came first above all else… Even himself.
Every day is a new day, every dawn holds untold changes, twists and turns. Today could be the day in which you remake yourself, changing who you are right down to your core, or the day in which you realize that you have been changed.
A lot of things have changed me in the short amount of time I’ve been in this world. I fought in war, waged it against the enemies of my leaders. I was nothing but a dog to them, cannon fodder for their ambitions. When I finally had a chance to fight against those people, in a battle I actually wanted to be a part of, I was sent away. Father sent both Jessica and I to Equestria, while he fights our battles for us… For six long years all I felt was anger, hatred, fear… Now It’s all been mixed up with love, compassion, and kindness. It was just so damn frustrating...
Am I that pathetic? Am I really just some broken thing that needs to be tucked away and kept from use just to ensure I don’t break any further? No… Dad loves me. He doesn't intend to make me feel like this. I’m the only one making myself feel this way, think these thoughts, I’m responsible and yet I can’t seem to stop myself.
Maybe I am pathetic. Maybe I’m just some broken thing. That man at the community center, the girls, do they all just feel pity towards me? Is that the foundation of our relationship? I don’t know… I just… Don’t know.
I had that dream again, that’s what’s making me feel so gross. It’s because of yesterday, when I met that thestral filly. I remembered it. I saw it. That night all those years ago, the Forsaken Forest Campaign. I saw my comrades die. I saw children die. Scared boys and girls who didn’t realize they wouldn’t be going home in one piece, and denied their fate all the way up to the end.
That ugly dream, it’s the reason why I feel this way. The reason why I’m tearing myself to shreds. Maybe I just need to try and forget about it, to move on with the day. I have work to do today, I don’t have time to be wallowing around in self pity. It’s just a dream, a nightmare, that’s all.
I roll out of bed, throwing myself to my feet in one fluid motion. I knew that if I lay in bed any longer I wouldn’t be able to leave it, and I just can’t have that. Yesterday, Applejack offered me some work on her farm to help build up my resume, something I’m in dire need of. I need work right now. I just need something to help me get my mind off this track of misery and self-loathing.
I gathered up the work clothes I bought yesterday after leaving the community center, folding them up nicely and tucking them under my arm as I left my room. Entering the hallway of the second floor, I’m greeted by a warm golden light that pours in through the windows that lie on the wall parallel to the right side of the hallway where the doors to the bedrooms are.
The warm light accents the smooth surface of the clean white walls decorated by a mural of a warm landscape containing trees, flowers, a meadow, and a few fuzzy woodland creatures scattered here and there. I smile softly to myself at the undoubtable fact that those are decorative features contributed by Fluttershy. Following along the mural on the wall, I make my way to the door at the end of the hall where the largest bathroom in the home resides. I woke up relatively early, so the bathroom should be free.
Or so I believed.
Applejack always struck me as an early bird, she rarely slept in longer than six or seven hours. I figured she’d be up and about by now, waiting on me. But instead, I enter the bathroom to find her bent over with her ass facing me, pulling on a pair of panties. My voice gets caught in my throat, and I bellow a silent scream as the earth mare straightens up and turns her head to lock eyes with me. A look of guilt and horror washes over my face, and I quickly apologize before closing the door. As I turn around and begin my awkward march back towards my bedroom, I feel a powerful grip latch onto my wrist, halting me from further retreat.
“Where d’ya think you’re goin’, big guy?” Applejack speaks in a voice I couldn’t really decipher. She sounded… Chipper? With something else underlying her tone that I couldn’t put my finger on. Either way it sent a chill up my spine. Before I knew it she had dragged me into the bathroom with her.
“A-Applejack I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to… I didn’t know you were in here.” I pleaded with her, thinking she was about to chew me out. But instead she just shoves me against the sink, my back facing the mirror above it while she stared up at me, clad only in a maroon tank top and panties.
“Hush.” she whispers, placing her index finger on my lips. My voice dies in my throat, and I just stare down at her with growing disconcert as her emerald eyes scanned my face with obscured intent. “You’re up nice and early.” she says after a slow exhale, slowly trailing her fingers down my chin and to my chest, resting it over my heart, which was currently beginning to bang against my ribs like the engine of a tortured machine.
“W-Well, you offered me some work out on your farm. I wanted to get up a bit earlier than usual to… Y’know… Start the day… Get ready… I thought you’d have been up for hours by now and waiting on me.” I explained myself, glancing to the side, growing far too nervous for eye contact. Despite my effort however, she reaches up and turns my head to face her again, reinstating eye contact.
“Mm. I slept in a tad longer than usual…” she says, sliding her hand back down to my chest. The tension in the air climbed astronomically fast, so much so that my body felt heavy, I could barely move. Not like Applejack would let me go anywhere at this point anyway.
“I-I figured that by now…” I swallowed nervously, watching as her eyes left my gaze and began examining my body, her hands travelling along my torso and shoulders, gently squeezing on my biceps and forearms as if she were studying me.
“I grew up working on my family’s farm. I’ve seen farmhands come and go, many of them being of all shapes, sizes, and ages.” she starts, her fingertips tracing along the dense muscle along my forearm, the occasional scar littered here and there, all while her eyes dance along my figure. “You’re a unique find, Walter. Young, big, strong… It’s like you were built to be a machine.” she coos, her fingers tracing up to my shoulders.
“Um… I guess I just have good genetics?” I say with an awkward smile, cold sweat beading up on my forehead. “I mean, I ain’t the only big guy on the block. There’s that Reynolds dude that Fluttershy volunteers for.” I say, trying to deflect the flow this conversation is heading, but Applejack pressed forward.
“I ain’t talkin’ ‘bout Reynolds. I’m talkin’ ‘bout you.” Applejack states firmly, the gleam in her eyes intensifying our impromptu staring contest. “Why the sudden shyness, Walt? You seemed quite fond of my ass that night in Canterlot when I was grindin’ it on your jeans in front of all those ponies.”
“W-Well, it’s a bit different now. We’re roommates now, y’know? P-Plus I was kinda tipsy back then…” I reply, earning a grin from the amber mare, her strong emerald eyes sharpening like fangs in the jaws of a predator.
“Oh? I think us being roommates would make fucking a whole lot more convenient.” Applejack states bluntly, causing my voice to choke up in my throat, my eyes widening like headlights on a truck. Applejack’s façade falters as she breaks into laughter at my reaction, resting her head on my chest while she snorts and wheezes.
“Uh… I’m… I’m confused.” I choke out as the amber mare wheezes, struggling to recompose herself from her laughing fit. After a minute or two passes, she manages to pull herself together and looks up at me with an amused grin.
“You’re so fun to tease, Walt. I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself when I saw the look on your face when I first opened the door and saw my ass.” she giggles, wiping a tear from her eye as she steps back. I blinked owlishly, staring at her a bit confusingly, my brain slowly processing the situation.
“So… You were just uh… Messing with me?” I asked in a sheepish voice, earning another fit of giggles from Applejack as she took in a deep breath to replace all the air she chuckled out.
“Maybe.” she grins playfully, winking my way as she grabs the set of clothes setting on the countertop beside the sink, pulling them on while I just watch in a state of bemusement. “Your reactions are priceless, I couldn’t help myself.”
“Oh…” my voice rolls out low and quiet, still entangled by the mild confusion and flustered shivers. Once Applejack tugged her jeans and over-shirt on, she took a seat on the toilet to pull on her socks and shoes.
“You don’t have to be so scared Walt. It was an accident.” Applejack assures me, taking a pause from pulling on her boots to pat me on my thigh before going back to her business. “It was embarrassing sure, teasing you was my way of getting payback.” she grins while I shift my gaze elsewhere to hide my flustered visage.
“You and Jessica seem to have that in common.” I say, earning a curious stare from the mare, who pulls on her last boot before standing and leaning against the wall across from me.
“Oh? How so?” she inquires, perking a brow.
“Well, Jessica likes to pick on me a lot in similar ways. Y’know, usual sibling stuff.” I reply, earning an awkward gaze from the amber mare who tilts her head, her eyes staring off in thought before focusing back on me.
“Y’mean she teases you with her body?” she asks with a puzzled stare.
“That, and sometimes she grabs my butt, pinches me, socks me in the groin. She’s been doin’ that for years though, so it’s nothing new.” I reply, watching as Applejack’s expression falters to one of disconcerted worry.
“Umm… Walt, I don’t know much about how your family functions, but my siblings and I ain’t never joshed around by grabbing each other by the butt nor putting each others hands anywhere near our genitals.” Applejack remarks, crossing her arms.
“Oh… Huh, so uh… You guys don’t do that?” I ask, an awkward smile stretching across my face.
“Have you ever done it back?” Applejack inquired, raising a brow.
“No.” I say with a shake of my head.
“Hm. Yeah I think you need to talk to your sister about personal space.” she says, patting me on the cheek before heading over to the bathroom door. “I’ll see you downstairs Walt.” Applejack calls back, giving a wave as she steps out, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
My face flushes as I process all that has taken place. Was she angry? Was she just getting me back? What does she find interesting about me, a guy she met while drunk at 2am in a bar. There’s no way she has genuinely had enough interest in me to escalate things so far, least I don’t think so, it feels like we’d be leaping over so many steps. I slap my face a few times, groaning and shaking my head, trying to break myself out of the fluster Applejack riled me into.
“Girls are fuckin’ weird…” I mumbled to myself, thinking of how I’d rather have just had AJ punch me than make my heart jump up in my throat. Shaking the lingering abashment from my thoughts, I make sure the door is locked before stripping down and hopping in the shower. I don’t take very long, scrubbing myself down fast and thoroughly, rinsing off and hopping back out to dry off and get dressed.
My work clothes consisted of a beige flannel over-shirt with a simple blue gradient t-shirt underneath. Beneath the waist is a comfortable and flexible pair of cargo pants that hug me more tightly than my usual baggy apparel. These clothes are supposed to be flexible, comfortable, and breathable, allowing me to keep cool for when I work up a sweat. Lastly, I tugged on some durable work boots, then made my way out of the bathroom.
As I opened the door, I’m met with Fluttershy standing in wait outside the bathroom holding some clothes, most likely aiming to head to the shower herself. Upon seeing me, a warm smile graced her lips, and I couldn’t help but return the gesture.
“Good morning, Walter.” Fluttershy greets me as she holds her change of clothes up against her endowed chest, her gentle teal blue eyes piercing me despite how tender her gaze is. I feel my throat swell up a bit, making it hard for me to speak at first, but I manage to collect myself quickly before she’d notice.
“Goodmorning, Fluttershy. Did you sleep well?” my voice rolls out relatively calm, being tired still kind of helped that bit.
“Mmm. Yes.” she nodded, sluggishly rubbing one of her eyes while still gazing up at me all cutely, sometimes I wonder if she realizes how adorable she is.
“Good good. I’ll whip up some breakfast downstairs, should probably be done by the time you come downstairs if you’re interested.” I say as her smile brightens.
“Oh, sure! Thank you, Walter.” she sighs gratefully, shuffling past me toward the bathroom, gently brushing against me as she passed by, which I couldn’t tell if it was intentional or not, but it sure made my face flush a bit.
“See you then.” I say, nodding back at her while heading my way down the hall, making my way downstairs and into the kitchen where I see Applejack enjoying a cup of hot coffee, and Rainbow Dash powering down what looks like a nutrient smoothie of some sort, probably a mixture of assorted vegetables and other healthy stuff. As I enter the kitchen, Applejack shoots me a knowing grin and winks my direction, heating my face up a bit, earning a confused glance between Applejack and I from Rainbow Dash.
“What’s up Walt?” Dash speaks up after wiping her lip clean of excess smoothie.
“Ah, y’know, just gettin’ ready for the day. Gonna go work on Applejack’s farm for the weekend.” I replied, earning another curious glance between me and the amber furred mare.
“Oh? That so? Doin’ what?” Dash speaks inquisitively, her brows curving with curiosity as her eyes danced over to me from giving AJ a look I couldn’t quite read fully.
“Oh, well uh, general labor and other chores I assume. I don’t really care, I’ll take whatever work I can get.” I replied with a shrug as I began fiddling around through the kitchen, setting up skillets and such in preparation for breakfast. Most of what was in the house were vegetables, fruits, grains, and meat substitutes. Though substitutes weren’t as good as real meat and such, they’re still far better than the rations me and my comrades ate back in the legion.
“That so? Gonna get all sweaty? Take your shirt off? Geez you’d be eye candy for Apple Bloom, that poor filly’s hittin’ puberty hard.” Rainbow Dash remarks, earning a stare from Applejack.
“I’m flattered.” I huffed, giving a small shake of my head, “But I don’t think I can in good conscious feel proud of that.” I say, earning an assortment of chuckles from both AJ and Dash while I began whipping out ingredients for some good ol’ oatmeal pancakes. Following my dad’s recipe, I threw in some oatmeal, store bought buttermilk pancake mix, brown sugar, whipped egg whites, beaten egg yolks, melted butter, and lastly two finely diced apples that had sizzled in a skillet with some butter and cinnamon before being thrown in with the mix.
By the time I had started frying up stacks of oatmeal cakes, Fluttershy and the other girls began their descent downstairs towards the kitchen to investigate the heavenly smell that is my culinary creation. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy immediately jogged up to each side of me, both of them admiring the breakfast I had prepared for the house while the songful sigh of Rarity graced my ears as she made her entrance into the kitchen as well.
“Oooh my! Something just smells heavenly! Walter dear, I didn’t know you had such excellent culinary instincts!” Rarity says, taking a seat at the kitchen table along with Dash and Applejack who had seated themselves during my process of whipping up the batter.
“Thank my dad. It’s his recipe.” I remark as I begin flipping oatcakes off the skillet and onto a porcelain tray. The cakes disappear just about as quickly as I can distribute them, pretty soon the whole house is in the kitchen, save for Twilight, which has me a bit curious. Last time I saw Twilight, I had passed out drunk and woke up in that room with the princesses. My memory is still quite fuzzy about that incident. “Say, where’s Twilight?”
As soon as I ask that question, the girls cast a few glances between one another. I notice a faint tension from Fluttershy, but she keeps a calm demeanor about her. Before I could speak up again, Rarity piped up.
“I believe she’s out with Spike, dear.”
“Spike? Who’s Spike?” I inquired.
“Oh, that’s right, you haven’t met him yet. Spike is Twilight’s oldest friend, a young dragon.” Rarity explained, earning an intrigued stare from me.
“A… Dragon? Aren’t they like, absolutely giant and live in mountainous regions?” I’d ask with curiosity. The others quickly go about their breakfast while Rarity and I trade conversation.
“Oh well, yes, normally. Spike is a younger dragon, well into his teens. He’s grown quite a bit, but is no larger than an average pony I’d say.” Rarity explains as she pauses in conversation to cut into her oatcakes.
“Ah, well alright.” I say, still contemplating to myself with a distant expression across my features. I could feel a few glances from the girls rest on me while I trailed out. After breaking free of my thoughts, I set a plate stacked with a few oatcakes wrapped in plastic aside for Twilight before gathering myself to head out.
“You’re not gonna eat anything?” Rainbow Dash asked with a bit of curiosity, I cast my eyes back at her and gave a small smile.
Glancing over to Rainbow Dash, I consider my options and simply grab an apple from a basket on the counter close to the fridge, biting into it as I step out of the kitchen.
“I’ll be good! AJ, I’m heading out to the post office, then I’ll make my way to your farm.” I call back as I head off for the front door. I get a collective sendoff from the girls, each of them saying thanks for the food and wishing me a good day as I head out into town.
Reynolds furrows his brow while watching the young thestral mare sleep peacefully before him with her head laid across his thigh, the rest of her body curled up at his side. The two have been like that all throughout the night, and all throughout the night Reynolds had watched over Vick as she slept. The news he had just heard, the events that unfolded and scarred this poor mare for life, it did not please him. Not one bit. Not only had this mare suffered a gruesome attack on both mind and body, but her assailant was a man that Reynolds had long since assumed was dead. Breaking the silence with a long and strained exhale, Reynolds pulls out his phone, gently brushing Vick’s mane with his large bulbous fingers as she sleeps, using his free hand to dial a special number into his phone. After a few rings, a familiar and delighted voice answers on the other end of the line.
“My son, it’s been a while since you’ve called. How are you?” Luna’s voice graced Reynolds' ears, her tune gentle and full of mirth, obviously quite glad to hear from the large human man. However, that tone wouldn’t stick for long, unfortunately.
“Hey, Mom. I’m sorry I haven’t called or visited you and Auntie for a while, things have been… Busy to say the least. It would seem things have gotten… Unpleasantly complicated… Mom, Felix Krane still lives…” Reynolds speaks in a grave tone of manner. There is a long pause on the other end, but soon the once gentle voice Luna once spoke with has now faltered to that of a chilling growl.
“How?” she inquires, her voice much lower than before.
“Unsure. He must’ve had strong connections of some kind to bring him back from the dead, or at least to keep him from dying considering the state I left him in.” Reynolds responds while his other hand still delicately pets Vicky's mane, the thestral mare still sleeping peacefully in the large man’s presence.
“This is… Awful news. How did you learn of this?” Luna inquires, muffled shuffling and movement being heard in the background through the call.
“A young mare approached me. She was referred to me by an old friend. She and her cousin were attacked in their home by Krane, who apparently appears to be working for somebody of great authority here in Equestria. I’m not a hundred percent sure, but from what little I know my suspicion lies in Canterlot. Tell me, do you know of anybody with power or wealth in Canterlot that may have connections to Krane’s operation? Extortion, lending money, organized crime, anything that’ll potentially point us in Krane’s direction?” Reynolds asked as he stared over at an old picture hanging on his office wall, a picture of him taking a group photo with him and some of the founding members of his establishment.
“Most of the scum that littered the higher society have been dealt with long ago after the Orphanage incident, at least those tied to Krane in any sense of the word. However there are a few worms I suspect still dabble in such matters scattered here and there, they’re far smarter than their predecessors that’s for sure, keeping their operations hidden in the darkest of shadows. I’ll procure you a list of names if that helps. It’s just a shame I can’t do much more help for you in this situation… You’d think that being a princess would grant me power to deliver justice without restriction, but politics don’t always work as easy as that…” Luna sighs, her voice heavy with many familiar emotions that Reynolds certainly feels right about now.
“I understand mother, no need to kick yourself. After all, I am your sword. All you must do is aim me in the right direction, and I’ll take care of the rest without any connections tied with you or Auntie. Just like old times.” Reynolds responds with a warm smile, though embers of a long since perished fire had started to burn once more in the large man’s eyes.
“Riley… Please promise me not to exert yourself. Do what you feel you must, but just remember that this isn’t the old days. Try to keep your efforts… Modern, or at least as modern as the situation allows.” Luna says with a sigh.
“That’s ironic, coming from you, mom.” Reynolds chuckles, earning a small laugh from the lunar diarch on the other end of the line as well.
“Watch yourself, Riley. And do be careful. I don’t need to remind you how dangerous Krane is. What he’s capable of.” Luna responds, earning a brief pause of silence from Reynolds before the large man gives a slow nod, exerting a sigh through his nostrils.
“Of course, mom. I know all too well what Krane is capable of. It’s my fault he’s that dangerous to begin with… It’s a mistake I plan on fixing soon enough though. Just keep your eyes and ears peeled for me, you and Auntie both. Contact me at any time if you find anything.” Reynolds says, saying his goodbyes with the lunar princess before hanging up.
Reynolds sits in silence for several long moments, tied with his thoughts as he searched himself for what he should do next. He looks back down at Vick with a thoughtful expression, gently caressing her features like a father would his daughter before an idea strikes him. Carefully, he lifts Vick up into his arms, carrying her over to a side room in his office where his bedroom resides. He places the young mare on his bed, tucks her in, and leaves with her a note placed on the nightstand next to the bed explaining he was off running errands, and she’s free to stay at the center for as long as she needs.
Reynolds had to confirm a suspicion of his.
I stand quietly within the crisp and sterile air of the post office, staring down at a package of letters written for old friends of mine. I’ve written about all that’s happened to me up until now, with parts edited out here and there to avoid worrying them. I just hope they receive these letters well. It’s been a few years since I’ve last seen them. Since the war came on I’ve been sending them more letters as of late, hoping they avoided the draft or at least are fighting with the good guys. Since I came to Equestria I haven’t received many letters from them, but I hope after they get these they decide to write back.
I gather up my thoughts and steel forward. I approach a clerk and hand them my information and my bundle of letters, paying what fees were needed and signing a few dotted lines before heading out of the office and leaving the rest to the clerk. I step out into the warm air of a particularly sunny day. Taking in a breath through my nostrils I begin my march towards one of the older roads that cuts through town and leads towards the outskirts where farms and older homesteads like Sweet Apple Acres reside. For the first time in a while I’d be able to invest my time into a familiar place, doing good old fashion work on a farm like the one I used to call home.
As I came to a crosswalk, I stopped and pulled up my phone, flipping through some apps absentmindedly while I waited to cross the street while a few other passerbys loitered around waiting for the same thing I was. I’m brought out of my absentminded idling when the sensation of a person colliding into my back snaps me to attention. I turn around to see who bumped into me when I’m greeted by a pair of two unsettling crimson hues peering back at me.
Before me stood a human man, nearly as tall as I am, which is a surprise in and of itself, but what startled me most about this guy was the air that hung around him. He wields a pale and smooth complexion, silky blonde locks tied back into a messy ponytail and a devil goatee protruding from his chin. He is dressed in a clean formal attire, a black dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a black and gold vest, and matching black slacks and shoes. A creepy smirk is plastered across his lips as he gazes up at me, his eyes examining me with an intensity I wasn’t all that comfortable with.
“You got a problem?” I’d ask as I stare this strange man down, raising my brows and adopting a rather unimpressed visage.
“No, none at all. My apologies, good sir, I was simply distracted, which is silly considering you’re such a big and strong looking gentleman.” the stranger says as he offers a smile, “Might I ask if you have any military experience? You sure seem like the guy who’s seen action!”
“What’s it to you?” I respond, crossing my arms now.
“Ah, well you see, I am a man with many ties to many interesting individuals. Individuals who bear opportunities that may be more than interesting for strong fellas like you.” the creeper says as his crimson eyes remain locked with mine.
“I may be standing on a street corner but I ain’t no gigolo. Find your fun somewhere else, pal.” I say as I go to turn my back, but I’m stopped by him putting his hand on my shoulder.
“You have a fine sense of humor, good sir, but no, that’s not what I’m proposing.” the man says with an amused smile. “You see, my employer seeks out suitable candidates such as yourself for underground matches. The payout is substantial, and on average fighters walk away with thousands of bits, and even if they lose they still get a few hundred bits for their time. I’m fairly certain that a gentleman like you would thrive in such an environment.” the man explains while I stare down at him, my expression showing restrained annoyance.
“How long have you been following me?” I’d ask, crossing my arms, this question seemed to throw the man off, but he quickly regained his cool and offered a small chuckle before speaking again.
“My my, a bit paranoid aren’t you? However, I wouldn’t say your paranoia is misplaced. My employer had their eyes on you since you came to Equestria, Mr. Barnes.” the man starts, his words making my blood run cold. “My employer understands that you have a military background, fighters from the Griffon Kingdom with your particular circumstances always make the biggest profits. It’s entertaining to see such trained brutality face up against the more tame fighting styles taught here in Equestria.” he cackles quietly.
“What if I told you to fuck off, and if I catch you following me again I’ll bust your face in?” I replied in a cold tone of voice, which only seemed to make the man’s smile grow wider. He pulls a card from his vest pocket, aiming it my way.
“I’d say that sounds like a reasonable response, good sir. However, if you are ever to reconsider, then take this card. Give it a call. And don’t bother handing this card over to the authorities, it will only lead them to a dead end.” the man says as he hands me a silver card with golden numbers engraved into it.
My smoldering glare shifts between the man’s crimson hues and the card for a few moments. I let out a sigh, figuring it’d be faster if I took the card so this creeper would fuck off already. I snatched the silver card and tucked it into the back pocket of my pants. Just before any other words could be exchanged between the two of us, a massive hand envelopes the entirety of my shoulder. A familiar deep voice with an impeccable southern drawl rings out, a voice that brings me relief, and for a scant moment, I saw pure terror wash over the strange man’s face as his head cranes up to meet the bright amber eyes of Mr. Reynolds, a towering behemoth that makes big dudes like me seem like a scrawny kid.
“Why hello there Walter! Fancy meeting you here! I was just out for morning exercise!” Reynolds greets me with a hearty laugh, patting my back, which makes it feel like somebody flattened a frying pan and proceeded to smack me between the shoulder blades with it. “Oh, making friends?” he quips as his eyes lock with the stranger, whose expression that was once filled with a confident bravado was now stoic and cold. It’s as if the moment Reynolds made his presence known, every fiber of this strange man’s being was driven to fight or flight mode, and he was currently deciding whether he should fight, or fly.
“Not really.” I’d respond, staring down at the man who had taken several steps back, and had never broken eye contact with Reynolds since he showed up.
“Is that so? Might I ask who you are, young man?” Reynolds asked the stranger, who simply scowled as if he were offended by the question. The man didn’t respond immediately, he instead just calmed himself down and slowly turned away.
“I was just taking my leave… Do consider my employer’s offer, Mr. Barnes. It may be within your best interest one day.” the stranger says before slipping away, disappearing into the oncoming crowd just as the signal to cross the road begins to beep. Mr. Reynolds and I cross the street together, and once we’re a good distance away I turn my gaze up to Mr. Reynolds, who is holding a sudden stern expression.
“Walter, do you happen to know who that man is?” Mr. Reynolds asks, his tone calm yet stern. I look up at him for a bit, reflecting on my thoughts for a few before shrugging my shoulders.
“I can’t say I haven’t seen him before, but I don’t really know who he is.” I’d reply, earning a slow nod from Mr. Reynolds.
“Where have you seen him before?” Mr. Reynolds inquires.
“I saw him at a club here in town after leaving the Gala with some friends of mine. After seeing him again today, and with him knowing my name, I assume he’s been following me for a while. He said he had an employer that was interested in my ability to cause harm, though he didn’t elaborate any further than that.” I’d explain as Mr. Reynolds and I walked down the sidewalk.
“I see… Did he give you anything?” Mr. Reynolds asked, looking at me studiously.
“Just a card, but I wouldn’t bother trying to get anything from it. He said that the authorities wouldn’t be able to do much about it.” I explained as I pulled the card out and showed it to him. Mr. Reynolds gently plucks the card from my hand and examines it, flipping it over a few times while narrowing his eyes. His expression shifts to that of recognition, and a small smile spreads across his lips.
“Thank you Walter, this was a big help. Do me a favor, if you ever think about calling this number, come to me first and tell me. The same goes is you get any calls from strange numbers, ya hear?” Mr. Reynolds says as he hands the card back to me. I nod to him and take the card, tucking it back into my back pocket.
“Sure thing. Thanks for the help back there. It felt like the dude was undressing me with his eyes. It was really creepy.” I sighed. Mr. Reynolds’ expression becomes stern, then softens for a moment as he nods.
“Anytime, Walter. I’ll tell you what I’ve told many others: I’m always here to help, no matter what, no matter where, no matter the time. I will always help. Remember that Walter. Even if it’s somebody that you know that needs my help.” Mr. Reynolds says firmly. I can’t help but crack a small smile at that, I can tell he’s speaking genuinely.
“Thank you, Mr. Reynolds. I’ll be sure to come to you if I need help for anything.” I nodded.
“You can call me Riley, if you feel like it. It’s much shorter than something as formal as ‘Mr. Reynolds’.” he chuckles, earning a smile from me as well.
“Very well then. Thanks again for everything, Riley. I have to get going, a friend is letting me work on their family’s farm so I don’t wanna keep her waiting.” I say as I begin jogging ahead, resuming my original plans for the day.
“No worries Walter! Good luck with your day!” Mr. Reynolds calls back with a smile, waving me off before turning a corner, and disappearing out of view.
Reynold’s suspicions were confirmed. Walter Barnes is involved. Not only that, he came face to face with Felix Krane himself, it’s certainly the real Felix Krane. Reynolds could feel the malice and unpleasant aura that bled from the maniacal bastard like a humid swamp with fog so thick you could cut through it with a knife. Not only is Felix alive, but his power has increased quite a bit, obviously not enough to feel confident enough to keep his composure around Reynolds, but Reynolds wasn’t about to waste time and give Felix a chance to get any stronger. He found a lead.
The card that Felix gave Walter, it’s enchanted with a familiar magic, a magic that has been developed in Tramplevania for centuries. He knows this because he was there when it was made. There’s only one family remaining today that can craft such a tediously subtle enchantment, and it’s the very family that Vick belongs to. So that’s how she’s connected to Felix Krane. It would seem that Reynolds has some investigating to do, and it all starts in Tramplevania. First thing’s first, he’s going to have to make some preparations before he leaves, he must ensure that the people he cares about are well protected before he leaves.
Reynolds does a bit of grocery shopping, picking up a few things before returning to the community center. Vick appears to be well awake by now and was hanging out in the lounge of the first floor by the times Reynolds entered. Upon seeing the large human enter, Vick stood up and approached him, a hard blush on her face.
“U-Um, Mr. Reynolds…” Vick starts, clasping her hands together.
“Call me Riley.” Reynolds smiles.
“R-Riley… Thank you for earlier. U-Um… I’m still not too sure about staying here… Is it okay if I think about it? I-I really do feel safe and all, and I feel even safer when you’re here…” Vick mutters.
“Of course. No one is forcing you to be here. Your cousin is welcome here too, as well as anybody else you feel is in danger. My doors here are always open.” Reynolds smiles as he places his large meaty paws on Vick’s shoulders, causing the thestral to blush even further.
“T-Thank you, Riley… S-So, will you be sticking around?” Vick asked.
“For a little bit. I’m afraid I have some travelling I need to do. I won’t be going very far, nor will I be gone for too long.” Reynolds explains, causing Vick’s ears to slightly flatten against her head.
“O-Oh, I see…” she sighs, hugging her chest.
“No worries! I’ll be back in a jiffy, just some important business that needs dealt with. In the meantime, why not hang out here? Invite your cousin, the two of you can stay here, make some friends, have some fun. I know it’s hard, but the worst thing we can do when we are feeling down is to let such venomous feelings consume us.” Reynolds smiles warmly, causing Vick to smile warmly in return.
“Okay… Thank you, for everything Riley… I’ll go call my cousin now.” she says, leaning up and giving Reynolds a peck on the cheek before walking off towards the lounge once more. Reynolds smiles, waves her off before turning around and heading to the kitchen to drop off the groceries he bought. While he is doing that, four tall womanly shadows appear behind him. Reynolds does not falter with putting away groceries though, and continues going about his business.
“You summoned us, Lord Odinson?” the four shadows spoke in unison, each bearing a monotone and stern deep effeminate voice.
“I need you to watch over this place, protect the people here at all costs. I also request that you provide assistance to Ashfall if he ever falls into a dire circumstance. Until your services are needed, remain hidden like you’ve always been. And stay vigilant, now more than ever.” Reynolds calmly and quietly instructs as he puts canned goods away into the pantry.
“Yes, Lord Odinson. I am your sword, I shall cut down your enemies.” one shadow whispers.
“Yes Lord Odinson, I am your bow, I shall hunt down your prey.” another whispered.
“Yes Lord Odinson, I am your shield, I shall defend you and your allies from harm.” the third one whispered.
“Yes Lord Odinson. I am your spear, I shall pierce the veil of lies of all those who wish to deceive you.” the fourth and final one whispered. And with that, all four shadows disappeared, fading into nothingness just as Reynolds finished stocking the shelves of the pantry.
“Something fills the air… A sense of dread for what’s to come? Or what’s already happening?” Reynolds murmurs quietly to himself. He wasn’t entirely sure what was going on, why Felix is alive or who’s working with him. The air that lingers above the land of Equestria grows thick with impending destiny, a fate that has gone unseen by Reynolds up until now. He didn’t know why things were being put into motion now, all that he knew, was one important fact.
Walter Barnes is the center of this unravelling conspiracy.
