> A Game of Equestria
>  by Rubyfire377
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Prologue 


Comet Tail was standing on top of the Wall watching the other side of the Everfree forest, also known as the Haunted Forest. He wore the black armor with stars upon them of the Lunar Guardsmen beneath a vast array of furs and a cloak, essentials to bearing the Wall for more than a few minutes. He had a sword at his side and a dagger at his waist. He rubbed his hands together every now and again during his watch. Though it was a beautiful sight, it also was a scary sight, with a height of about 500 feet and a corpse littered ground below, it was no wonder the Griffins had a hard time getting up there. Their wings would freeze and they would plummet to their doom, joining the dead assembly below, presuming one of the guardsmen did not get to them first.

Comet Tail heard something coming towards him from the direction of the barracks behind him and tensed up, unsure for a few moments of the visitor’s identity. When Comet turned around, he sighed in relief when he noticed what, or rather who, had come to pay him a visit at the Wall: his lover, Star Storm. “Ohhh. It's you.” 

Star Storm was purple with a long white mane and very pretty teal eyes. He also wore the Lunar Guard armor. “Comet, you know you that you have to be careful up here. You know that it is slippery up here, and that frostbite is not the only death here on the Wall.”  

“Well it could get worst you know.” Comet had seen some of the worse before, such as griffins and timberwolves. But he had never encountered beings such as these Others; ghastly apparitions of tales often told by wise mares to scare the little foals into behaving, these White Walkers were the stuff of nightmares. They were the worst a guardsman could encounter here at the Wall. They were things that he would never be wise to encounter.

The winds whipped against Star’s face; making his exposed face blister and burn from the cold. He had been assigned watch duty atop the wall until further notice, and damned them all for it. It was getting towards nightfall and around this time, anypony would rather strut about bare as a babe through the snow then stand atop this blasted block of ice. 

  Comet leaned against the icy barracks trying to shield himself from the cold tongue of the winds. He looked out towards the valleys far below and the eerie, soulless forest that served as a warning to foolhardy crossers. Beyond that the white-caped Frostfangs rose up towards the settings sun and cast long shadows on these low lying areas. Those mountains were giants teasing the sky among the hell that rested at their bases. He gnawed at a piece of dried leather scrap that he had swiped from the kitchen the morning prior to keep himself somewhat entertained. Better than simply standing there waiting for his balls to freeze off he concluded. 

“Star? Is everything alright?” Comet asked with sincere worry. Not that he did not enjoy having his lover as company, but the Wall did not invite the unassigned without purpose. Comet  could feel the tension and uneasiness in the cold air around Star. “Have we been found?” Comet was a worried that him and his lover were going to be found out, their love forbidden within the very oath of the Lunar Guard that every guardsmen took. “Not for the lust or bond of a partner.” No Brother nor Sister truly followed the oath to the letter, but the consequences for breaking the oath often outweighed the punishment of being sent to the wall in the first place.

Star’s breath was heavy, thick blasts of crystallized vapor leaving his mouth and snout. He shook his head. “No.” He said looking to Comet, “You know what Luna told me? That she needs you for some kind of Ranger’s job. Well, at least thats what it seemed like when she told me to come tell you.”

So Star had been sent here by Luna, then, to tell Comet of his new assignment.“What kind of job does she want me for?” Comet already felt that he knew the answer: he is going to go outside of the Wall as most Rangers do. Luckily for Star he was a Steward, who did not have to be concerned with leaving the relative safety of the Wall for the dangers of the Forest. 

        “I don’t know, you should ask her.” Star cuddles with Comet, “I do know that I always want some Comet Tail.” Star then brings his hand into Comet’s trousers and touches his stallionhood. Comet recoiled and swiftly removed Star’s freezing hand from his trousers. Normally he would enjoy Star's touch, but his hand had been near as cold as a frozen solid turd; when trying to keep warm was half the battle at the Wall, that freezing touch could not have been more ill-timed, nor more of a turn-off.

Not wishing to come off as angry or completely disinterested, Silver gently spoke into Star’s ear, “No not today. When I come back. Then we could continue where we left off, Prince Fruitcake.” 
 
        Star kissed his cheek, “I will hold you to that.”

Perhaps there had been reason after all for their respective assignments. Duty, however unwelcome, came first, and already Comet had delayed too long in answering the summons. Comet walked into the barracks and took the elevator down to the first floor. Sometimes he wished that he had not been made a ranger. Maybe a Builder or Steward instead, so that he could be with his lover Star Storm. So that they could make love to one another like they had been doing for some time now. The creaking of the elevator and the sound of its pulley wheels turning brought up memories of when he had first met Star Storm.





It was ten years ago, when Comet and some others were being sent to the Wall on a cart pulled by two earth ponies, both wearing that same uniform of black with the moon and stars that he would later become so accustomed to seeing. The others, for the most part, looked fairly glum; among them were criminals of high and low orders, such as thieves, murderers, and rapists. The mildly more cheery few were those who had come of their own free will, either because they lacked a home or a calling of equal or greater worth. Comet recalled the loneliness of being among these individuals for the vast majority of the ride, and could only imagine the misery and anguish that he emitted from being left behind by his so called friends in their escape from selling knock-offs back in Flea Bottom, so much so that his very presence seemed to worsen the mood of all of the others. 

That is, except for one.

        “You know that Wall is not that bad.” Comet looks towards the speaker. At the time, Star looked like a prince, with his long, still curly white mane. Silver thought him beautiful like the queen, maybe even more beautiful. He blushed at these thoughts, for at that time he would have never before seen himself thinking a stallion beautiful or sexy or even worthy of a blush among villains. 

Not wanting to appear too soft, Comet asked in a harsh tone, “What, you think I’m terrified of the Wall? Where I come from, freezing near to death atop of stone builds character.” 

A lie, which would later be exposed during training when he complained of his first 18 hour watch atop of the Wall. It was around this time that the cart began to approach the Wall, where for the first time Comet got a look at its  mighty ramparts, its icy bricks and chilling solitude. Saw for the first time the ponies who stood atop the wall with spears in hand and soulless gazes. Saw the dark barracks that stood as the centerpiece of the entire structure.

        “Because you're scared of the Wall; only a fool is not.” Star sighed and leaned back on the edge of the cart, drawing dreadful attention to his broad shoulders. “ I can understand that. I remember my first time coming up here. I was mainly scared of the sheer cold up top and what it would do to me and the legends of the White Walkers. but no one has seen them for 1000 years.” Star looked up at the top of the Wall and grinned, giving Comet a none too sly wink. “I was a cook here before becoming a knight, then asked to become a cook again at my old castle. Any job here, even as a cook, has got to be more glorious than a cook at my old castle.”

Comet looked at him funny. Having been given a reason to look Star from head to hoof, Comet took in a few moments the idea that he stared at a knight turned cook. “You're a knight? You look like a prince you know.”

Star laughed, “Well the Master of Arms, Caballeron, called me Prince Fruitcake. I feel like some of the guards here wanted to fuck me, which now that I’m older I don’t mind as much, as long as when I get my turn they don’t try to cut my throat like last time.”

Some of the rapists of the cart cast gazes at Star. Some were curious, some hungry, some wanting to test Star’s statement. Star flexed at his muscles and flexed his fingers, purposely trying to show off some of the physique beneath his coverings. Perhaps they were more focused on the “get my turn” part, as there was no try in the statement: only do.

“So how did you get on the Wall anyways and why are you called Prince Fruitcake anyways?” By this point Comet had lost some his wits, for even though both questions seemed to had already been answered, Silver wanted to be sure. A cook turned knight turned cook again, what a story that had to have been.

“Well I heard my fruitcakes are good-” He added in a wink here as well, “-and that is why I am a cook instead of a ranger. I like being a cook: it is relaxing and it helps me think sometimes.”

“What, cooking helps you think?” It was strange this former knight, much less stallion, found cooking relaxing. Comet clicked his tongue, many of the others listening in on this also giving their skeptical looks as well.

Despite the disbelief, Star played along and nodded. “Yeah it's relaxing, even better than trying to swing a sword.” Comet had never heard of a knight who would rather sit back and relax rather than work hard at using a sword to protect the ones they love or accumulate fame, fortune, and trophies. “You know my family always supported the dragons. After the siege of my castle by Lord Magnum, the Oaf of the Golden Lands or more properly known as the Warden of the South, I was sentenced here to the Wall because of our support of the dragons. The Wall is bad, but looking at our Brothers and Sisters here day in and day out is going to be almost just as bad.” 

Comet looks around at the group as a whole: some had missing limbs, some may have taken a Wildling arrow, others have taken burns from sitting too close to the fire. Truth be told, the unscarred were few and far inbetween, with Prince Fruitcake himself standing out as the most good looking of them all. In hindsight, even a half-dead griffin could be easier on the eyes than some of them.

“I guess that there are nasty ponies here. But you are not that nasty are you?” Everyone of course knew what Comet meant when he said “nasty”, and though some took it to face value and merely turned away back into distention, others steeled their gazes and balled their fists. Had Comet known the damage he had caused with those words alone he might would have thought twice about speaking them.

Star laughed, in no way unsettled by the increased tensions as the group passed underneath the gates leading to the courtyard. “Well looks can be deceiving you know; I could be a very nasty rapist who can take pie crusts and turn them into cream pies that taste their weight in dragon scales. Ask a few of the guards around here about the one named Star Storm; they will have a tale or two to tell you. I didn’t catch your name, by the way.”

“It’s Comet Tail. My name is, Comet Tail.”  Comet laughed as well. This could be his first friend on the Wall, he never thought he would meet anyone he could get along with in this place, much less someone he could actually like. Fate’s humor showed its colors when the swindler Comet  had became a Ranger and the former knight Star had become Steward, and again when after savin.





        The jarring sound of the elevator beginning to stop brought Comet  back to the present. When the elevator came to a complete stop, he could see Princess Luna in the courtyard with two other rangers. 
Princess Luna, the daughter of the Night , and ruler of the Lunar Guards wore the Lunar Guard armor with a larger than usual cloak. On the Wall for a thousand years, Luna had been sent here by her own sister after the Nightmare Moon War. As a punishment for leading the rebellious faction in the war, Luna had been sent to the Wall to live out her many remaining days. She chose who became Lord Commander and who could leave the Wall, but she has not done the latter since her original followers were permitted to leave the Wall nearly a thousand years ago. It has been said that she battled and defeated the legendary, undead White Walkers. They have not been seen for thousand years since that famed encounter.
One of the rangers accompanying her was a young and blue unicorn with a long purple mane. Aptly named blue for his coat color, Blue originated from House Blitz on Tank Island, and had been a knight. He came to the Wall of his own free will, thinking that the Lunar Guards would be a greater calling for him.
 The other was an older, maybe in his 40’s, red earth pony armed with a shield and a sword and bore a scar from when a griffin attacked him. Aptly named Fire, the pony had been caught hunting on Lord Inguis’ lands without his permission, and as punishment had been sentenced to the Wall. Fire should have considered himself lucky not to have been hunting on Lord Sombra’s land. The mere rumors of his bastard Shade gave anypony reason not to even walk on the land much less hunt on it without permission.

Luna sighed upon seeing Comet  arrive, a touch of remorse present in her voice. “Something is brooding in the Everfree Forest, something that I wish I could never hear well. We sent some rangers out earlier to investigate, but they have not returned, nor have they been seen since going out into the forest. I am sending you three out to find them.”

Comet did not like the sounds of this mission, risking his neck to save some ponies he had little feelings for. Comet never liked any of the other Rangers truth be told; it was during times like these when he wished that he had not been made a ranger, and that and he had instead been assigned Builder or Steward instead, so that he could be with his lover Star Storm more often and less time with the dangers both inside and outside of the Wall.

As the group marched towards the gates that led to the Forest, directly opposite the gates that led back to where they all had once come from, Comet looked up towards the ramparts to see Star. The thought that Star wanted to see him off made Comet feel warm inside, warm enough to more confidently stride forward.


“It's pretty much a scouting mission, since those other Rangers will probably show back up at the gates while they’re gone. Nothing more, nothing less,” Comet reasoned.

Comet and Star locked eyes for a moment just as the trio of Rangers passed beneath the opened gates. They hardly were clear before the gates rapidly closed behind them, as if leaving them open a second longer would have been so dangerous. The wind from the shutting gates nearly chilled the earlier warmth in his chest, but Comet knew that Star would watch him as far as he could before heading back inside to anxiously await his return. 


Seeing the forest from above was eerie at night and the deathly kind of serene in the day. Seeing these woods from the inside, with the griffin corpses, some still fresh enough to have skin and bone on them, and a few pony shaped ones, sent shivers down Comet’s spine. Yes, even the filly impaled on a spear, seemingly staring at him with empty sockets, was dead. Dead was dead. It was the living that they needed to be worried about. Already the comfort from his earlier assurance began to fade with the disappearance of the sights and sounds of the Wall. 

They had been walking for some time, with Comet watching every dead and possibly dead thing with hawk eyes, his thoughts plaguing him in the macabre silence.

“Do the dead frighten you?” Comet jumped at least a foot in the air and shakily placed a hand to the hilt of his sword, only to see Blue lazily smile at his expense. “Take that as a yes.”

Comet got out his train of thought and looked at the blue and purple stallion with a horrified and angry look. Comet returned his hands to his sides and returned to his lead place in the group. “It's jjjjust that this is so unatural that so many of the these griffons and ponies died and-”

“Do you really think I am scared of the dead? Dead is dead and they are not going to rise up and kill us.”  Blue did not care what Comet thought of, and clearly thought less of him for being unhinged. “Remember, it’s the living things in this forest that we need to be worried about.”

Fire looked into the distance and squinted. After a few moments passed he readied his shield and drew his sword.“We got to move on. Something or someone is watching us, and I don’t like it.” 

“Come on there are no Timberwolves or anything this close to the Wall, and if it were griffins we would have heard them squawking their beaks off by now.” Though Blue’s words suggested that he was unfazed, his tone gave way to some concern. 

A harsh wind then blew. It felt like the Winds of Winter had just stuck them hard with a mist that covered everything. Visibility dropped swiftly to a mere few feet in every direction, and priority soon switched to escaping the freak storm over investigation. “Bloody hell where did this storm come from? Winter has not come here yet, it's too soon!” Fire shouted.


Between the frost laden trunks of the great pines the three ponies saw there standing a ghastly figure - physical and spectral - it turned towards the frighten guards ponies  Comet saw staring back at him two cold, blue spheres that took the place of eyes. The filly once impaled upon the spear now stood there staring at him as well with those same “eyes”.

The winds caused forest debris to rack across the young Guard’s bare face. His mind slipped into panic, for clearly the living dropped quickly on the top list of threats. Comet’s eyes darted about in futility, trying to find his bearings in the white emptiness around him. Fire and Blue were gone, perhaps having already fled like cowards, leaving him to face the creature alone.

Well, cowards lived to snuggle up to their lovers another day. Needing no further motivation, Silver turned around and fled in the direction he felt was backwards. he had to get back to what he affectionately called Hell, back to the Brothers he could not stand and the lover he could not be without. He resolved that even if he had to be shamed for life, he would not die here in this forest, not like this.

It seemed as if Comet ran several times in a large circle before he heard a scream, which sounded like Fire. He had lived a good life, that Fire, and he did serve the purpose of revealing where the monster hunted. Comet took off now in the opposite direction of the scream, stumbling and nearly falling several times in his flight, his gear beginning to weigh him down considerably. Just as Comet swore he wet himself he ended up running right into Fire. Before he could register the blue eyes that locked onto him Fire had come up to him, grabbed him by the furs with both of his hands, and forced Comet’s back into a tree.

If Star’s earlier touch had been that of a frozen solid turd, then Fire’s touch now had the shock power of a rod of ice shoved up the ass. Flight abandoned for the pursuit of fight, Comet withdrew his sword and ran Fire through the chest. No blood oozed and no cry emitted from the creature before him. As a clear conclusion of what they had encountered crept upon Comet's tongue, he both withdrew the sword and kicked his quarry backwards. When Fire stumbled forward for another grab Comet cleanly sliced off his arms. When the stubborn beast lunged at him with teeth bared, Comet removed his head, the body at last dropping to the snow in defeat. 

 It was then when Comet saw more blue eyed demons and a pony in black armor that looked different from the others. He stood high, like a king; he came out and drew his ice sword.

Adrenaline pumping and terror stricken at this point, Comet stood his ground and snarled at the creature before him. The White Walker, the likes of which only Luna had before bested. 

The only thing standing between him and the Wall. Between him and Star. 

“Graaaaah!” 

Comet charged forward, throwing up snow in his wake. The demon charged forward, dragging its icy sword as if it had grown heavy since its drawing. When two blades clashed, the mere force of the blow shattering Comet’s sword. Stumbling forward with nothing but a freezing over hilt, Comet tossed the blade aside and withdrew his dagger. Catching his step, he turned to face the demon, a haughty laugh taunting him to strike again. 

Comet was many things, but foolish he was not. If the sword did not hold, the dagger sure as hell would not do. As the creature charged forward for another swing, comet did the only thing he could with the weapon in hand. He hurled the dagger, aimed straight for the pony’s head, with the intent of striking between the eyes and felling, or at least injuring, the creature. 

The dagger hit its mark, but the pony did not stop, not even flinch. As the icy blade once again rose from the snow, Silver flung himself to the side, keeping his head attached to his body by the grace of mere centimeters. A chill on his cheek alerted him to the blade’s touch, a numbness beginning to seize that entire side of his face. His hands came upon a cold wood, and upon drawing it from the snow, he uncovered Fire’s shield. 

       Comet scrambled to ready the shield as the creature came for another blow. When he held the shield to meet the sword when it rose, his thoughts wandered to Star. His curly mane, his beefy body, his incredible punches, the Brothers he had kept at bay when Comet still had their enmity. 

The shield lasted for only the initial impact before shattering into countless pieces. The force threw Comet from standing up to his laying on his back. The icy blade twirled fancily in the air, as if in some sort of presentation for a captive audience. It was then that Comet thought he heard the faint sounds of shouting. The blade plunged towards the earth, going through Silver’s chest like a hot knife through softened butter. Silver gasped as the icy coldness seemed to surge through his veins like a cold brew, his heart seemingly gushing with disgust with the intruder. 

“Comet!” 

That. That was Star’s voice. Breath came in shallow gasps, the demon pony stared at him, and the snowstorm seemed to begin to clear. Looking towards the direction of the sound, Comet thought he could see the Wall, or something oddly wall-shaped looming in the distance. The sword left his body, and whatever warmth seemed to leave with it. He felt a tug on his leg, and the storm concealed what could have been once more as it wrapped about his surroundings like a veil. 

Dragged from the muffled cries of the Wall, Comet could do nothing more than close his eyes, an odd peace coming over his carcass while it was ceremoniously dragged through the snow, deeper into the Haunted Forest.
> Chapter 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oh Canterlot.
 
The creature named Discord sat upon the Iron Throne of Canterlot.
 
The Throne was a thing of hideousness, black and cold, yet its craftsmanship was a thing of beauty. From its back sprang countless blades, each chipped and bent from a history of battle. The original crimson cushion upon which the monarch would rest was now stained brown, as was the miniature waterfall that flowed a level below.
 
Discord tapped his goat hoof against the floor.
 
*Clack… Clack… Clack…*
 
Each knock came a few seconds after the last, and steadily the echoes lingered longer and longer, filling the dark hall with a chilling sound. So much dust had gathered on the banners hung high either side of the Throne that even those slight vibrations from Discord’s echoing caused specks to rain down, gently, and tickle Discord’s nose.
 
“Achoo!” He roared, with so much force he bounced up off his seat. “Oh drat these good for nothing banners,” he growled in distress, eyeing the banners with red eyes. With a click of his eagle claw the dust vanished from the two drapes and suddenly reappeared in an even pile along each side of the walkway, which ran down the middle of the Throne Room. He followed the crumpled, dank carpet, inspecting the entirety of the room as he walked.
 
Ponies often described the hall as ‘faded’, he knew, while others had rather used the word ‘shrouded’, ‘dead’ even. He thought all three words fit well. Discord knew that he would be one of the few to step foot inside it that day, or more likely that week. Months had passed since it had served its purpose, and years even since anyone had taken good care of it.
 
Filled with ash were the brazens that lined each side of the hall, with the only light Discord felt against his brown fur peering through the cracks in the boarded up windows. Long had the tales told by the tall stained glass artwork been covered. Those stories could only be known now as myths and legends for the poor to tell as they fought to keep warm.
 
Discord finally reached the main doors. They were huge and arched, hulking and burdensome, preventing even a splinter of light to enter the hall, and any darkness from leaving. Branches of iron were melded into the dark, polished wood, as cold as ice. Discord turned around to view the Throne, now so distant. However his ear perked. He could hear, barely through the thick, reinforced doors, hoofsteps faintly nearing. 
 
The doors slid open with a cumbersome creak. Princess Celestia walked into the hall, immediately illuminating it with her radiance. She focused on the Iron Throne, which looks like but a chair so far away. Yet, she spotted a figure upon it. A figure whose leg lowered to the floor and, once again, knocked against it.
 
*Clack… Clack… Clack…*
 
Celestia hastily marched down towards Discord. She wore a dress coloured blood red and fiery orange, and cared not that it dragged along the murky floor. Her steps filled the room with a graceful rhythm, though halted once she was halfway across the room.
 
“Discord,” she spoke, softly, her eyes fixed on the Draconequus. He ceased knocking his foot against the floor, though remained slouched upon the Throne. A grin cracked above his silver goatee.
 
“Celestia,” he greeted back, speaking her name slowly. The Princess did not open her mouth again until she had climbed the ascending levels upon which the Throne sat.
 
“Please,” she said with a tired sigh, “remove yourself from the Throne. If you were anypony else you would already be in chains, travelling to the Wall.”
 
Discord’s claw tapped the arms of the Throne, his smile never leaving his face. “The years have made you crueller, Celly,” he said. “Back when I knew you, the threat of such a punishment would never have left your mouth. The Wall was always more of Luna’s provocative, wouldn’t you agree?”
 
Celestia raised an eyebrow. “And by ‘years’ you mean the thousand years which have passed?” She took a few steps backwards as Discord gradually pushed himself up off the Throne.
 
“Something like that,” he said as he stood up. “Regardless, I wasn’t about to sit on the floor, was I?” Discord stepped to the other side of the Throne, which now stood between them. Celestia’s eyes didn’t leave his once.
 
“Perhaps not, but my sympathy for you cannot have me overlook crimes.” She sighed once again, visibly fatigued. “I will not say anything, though. This time.”
 
Her last words caused Discord to chuckle. “How lucky that I’m at the mercy of the great and powerful Celestia,” he joked, “albeit that nowadays the power of magic isn’t what it used to be.”
 
“Do you insult me after I forgive your crime?” She said with a stomp of her hoof.
 
Discord swiftly placed his lion paw under her chin. “Forgive me”, he said, “I meant nothing by it. After all, I too suffer the loss of many abilities.” He felt her chin press down.
 
“Really?” She asked, “Equestria’s division has affected you also?”
 
“Yes,” he said. He removed his paw from her chin and descended down from the Throne. “Who would have thought? A creature, born of chaos, requiring harmony so that he may fully function.”
 
“A thousand years ago you would have thrived if the land was as broken as it is now.”
 
“A thousand years ago my kind were neither slaughter nor forgotten,” he replied, in a rather calm manner, to Celestia’s surprise. “But I have learned to live alone, with not a single familiar face, and try to forgive both Dragonkind and Ponykind for their destruction.” Celestia tried to interrupt, however Discord waved his claw. “I know you had nothing to do with it Celestia, and that Dragons have been wiped out for twenty years now, and even that those ponies who gave the orders are nothing but dust in the soil. I have spent a thousand years locked away in my castle until I was thought dead, sunk into memory. But now I must face those who remember me, and try to repair the damage done by a millennium of conflict. Celestia, I wish to help you in uniting the Seven Kingdoms.”
 
Celestia did not register at first what Discord had offered. She knew he was a powerful ally, one of the most intelligent beings in the land. The White Princess soon bore a great smile, however, almost jumping to Discord’s side.
 
“This is beyond wonderful, Discord!” She exclaimed with glee. Discord only smiled back. “Now, with the marriage of Shining Armour, of House Light…”
 
Discord hurried her. “Yes, yes I know all of the family trees.”
 
“Apologies,” she said with a light blush. “But yes, with a marriage between Shining Armour and Cadence, the Mainland and the Crystal Lands will be united…”
 
“And with Canterlot in the centre, the middle of Equestria would be too,” finished Discord, all too aware of this plan.
 
“Exactly! And should Twilight and…” She stopped, her eyes flickering with thought. Discord raised an eyebrow, however.
 
“Go on, Celly,” he said with a stroke of his goatee.
 
She turned to face him again. “It’s not certain yet,” she said, “but if it all goes as planned the North with join the Mainland through marriage, and from there every House will have to join the newly United Equestria.”
 
He picks at his sharp lion claws. “Sounds like a good amount of force will be needed.”
 
“No!” She said adamantly. “The ponies of Equestria will know to stand together.” Discord smirked at her hope, to which she shot him a frown.
 
“Yes, I‘m sure,” he said with sarcasm, as was his nature. “That’s why there are  Seven Kingdoms, instead of the ‘original’ Three.”
 
Celestia’s gaze moved to where the stainglass once glistened in the window closest to the Throne. She remembered the tales of battle the artwork shared. “You were there, Discord.” Her eyes continued to stare at the cobweb-ridden boarded windows. “You saw the peace in which we lived.”
 
“Yes, yes,” he said, sounding uninterested. “The North, The Queensland, and The South, such simpler times, a thousand years ago.” She could sense the doubt within him.
 
“Precisely!” She said with excitement, turning to face Discord. “It has been done before, has it not? Why can’t we do it again?”
 
“Believe me, Celestia, there is nothing more in life I want than for us to live together in… harmony.” He growled his last world, as if it left a bad taste in his mouth. “All I’m saying is it will be difficult.”
 
“Thank you, Discord, with your help we stand more of a chance than ever.”
 
“Of course, Celly.”
 
Discord expects Celestia to leave, however she instead remains in deep thought.
 
“Something else on your mind?” He asked earnestly enough, though inside he wished Celestia would leave him to his own devices.
 
“I was hoping to hold a tournament, here in Canterlot,” she said. “And I want to name you the Steward of Coin, Master of Coin, and to aid in organizing the event.”
 
“Oh? Well, I…” He was stuck for words, but an ecstatic smile crossed his face.
 
“It would bring ponies from all the Seven Kingdoms together,” she said like an excited child, “and we could help them see eye to eye, beginning our task to repair the Kingdoms.”
 
“Well, all ponies but those from the Southern Kingdom,” he said, acting as if Celestia did not know this. “those in Sandhorn rarely leave their land.”
 
“I am aware, however all the others shall come. The King commands it.”
 
“Ah,” he said, finally coming to a realisation, “I knew you weren’t a pony to hold such affairs.”
 
“Yes. King Dusk hopes that the tournament will deter attention away from talk of his illness.”
 
“That’s right!” A sickly voice bellowed.
 
Both parties immediately looked to see King Dusk stumbling out of a small door to the left of the Throne, a detail Discord had missed.
 
“My King,” Celestia said in a panic, “you should not be out of bed. How did you get through that door? It’s been locked for almost a year!”
 
“Questions, orders, questions, ordered, that’s all life is for a King. Especially one like me, a dying King.”
 
“King Dusk you are not dying!” Celestia said, her face flushed with frustration. “In fact if nothing befalls you in the coming weeks, which it will not, you will be as fit as a foal.
 
 
“Highly unlikely, a fool maybe,” he said with a chuckle of disbelief disbselief. “Listen here my dear, for I have put some thought into it. My intended successor, Blueblood, should receive recieve a direct blessing from you before I perish, to cement his place as my heir.”

Celestia paused, her expression filled with uncertainty. “My, blessing? Are you certain that you want Blueblood as your successor? He is-” 

“- My son.” King Dusk stared hard at Celestia. “Gods know why, but you gave up the throne quite some time ago; you do recall how a monarchy works?”

Celestia shook her head. “Of course, but Blueblood is, is-” 
“Is what?”

After a moment’s hesitation, Celestia’s face slightly brightened. “He is not yet ready-”

“You can teach him, guide him, as you have taught and guided me through the years.” 

Celestia’s ears swivelled backwards and she brought her wings tightly to her body. Dusk had been very different as a young stallion, much more agreeable. “Blueblood would learn nothing from me, much less see any blessing as an honor beyond his worth.” 

“Nonsense, Blueblood has always been an avid listener.”

“If for no other reason than to plot the downfall of others.” 

“Cunning is a good trait to have.” 

Before this discussion could go any further, Discord flitted over and placed himself between the two, gently pushing the two further away from each other. “I have heard much of this stallion. He is morally skewed, but somewhat honourable. A survivalist set of traits for a king in a kingdom like this.” 

Discord cast a glance towards Celestia. “Might I suggest a bride? After all, choosing your successor is entirely within your right as monarch, something that Celestia surrendered a long time ago.” 

Dusk’s expression softened. “I”m listening.” 

Celestia untensed her body and averted her gaze. Discord took this as a sign of acceptance, or at least submission to the choice of heir.

 “House Richerly has a filly named Diamond Tiara unwed; in a couple of years she will be old enough to marry.”

“Pah!” Dusk Shine’s objection could not have been more clear had he shouted the word to the heavens. “The Richerly Family care about wealth more than they do politics, much less the task of keeping the kingdoms together.”

“The crown needs wealth,” Discord said bluntly. “And regardless of that, family is what the Richerlys care about above even wealth. If Diamond Tiara is promised to Blueblood, you will have all of House Richerly’s gold mines in your pocket, as well as The Pass. You will be able to control who travels North, and who passes to the South; it is a chokepoint! Your grandfoal would inherit all of it, and be in position to choose between buying and using military force to exert royal influence. Would that not help unite the Seven Kingdoms?”

The King thought it over for a moment. After some thought he looked past Discord towards Celestia.. “Where did you find this counsel?” Discord frowned, thinking he was being insulted. “So far he has spoken more sense than all of my advisers in years.”

 Celestia gave a long, weary sigh. “My king, you haven’t called for their advice in years.” 

Discord smiled, and would have been the first to laugh at Celestia’s reply had King Dusk not beaten him to it.

“Ha! You may be right,” he replied. He pushed himself off of the door and stood up as straight as he could manage to face Discord. “And what is your name, you unusual beast?”

“Discord, my king,” he answered with a deep bow.

“Well, with as much sense as you speak, I simply cannot admit Blueblood to marry Diamond Tiara. Together they would cause nothing but chaos.”

 Discord’s ears deflated at this news, having thought that his idea had won the hour. But Celestia seemed to crack a small smile, as if she had picked up on a slight confession regarding Blueblood’s integrity issue.

Discord remained hopeful. “Maybe you can sleep on it.” 

“Perhaps.” Dusk looked towards Celestia with a crooked, mischievous smile. “I could kill two griffons with a single arrow if you, my dear, were available. Would save you having to give him a blessing and solve the issue of .” 

“Now that would be a blessing of divine sort,” Discord chimed. 

Celestia did not smile, nor did she seem particularly taken with the joke. “I would rather give him my blessing and try to guide him as an advisor than wife-” 

“Great-” Dusk stopped as he entered a brief coughing fit. He turned around to head back out through the door he had come through. 

 
Celestia walked to the door in worry, holding great concern for the ill King.
 
“If you wish to go after him, do so Celestia,” Discord said warmly, “I’ll begin preparations for the tournament.”
 
“Thank you,” she said sincerely, before racing off after the King, using her magic to close the door behind her. Discord imagined that was about the extent her magic could handle, given Equestria’s situation.
 
Once again all was silent. Discord returned to the centre of the room. He studied the Throne.
 
“You did look good sat on it,” a voice commented from the shadows. A pony the colour of sand revealed himself, wearing a purple road that engulfed every inch of him, bar his face.
 
“You’re bald,” said Discord, bluntly. “An odd sight indeed.”
 
“Trust me, the loss of my mane is the least of my worries. You are far higher on that list.” The bald pony’s voice was soft, calm and reassuring. Discord hated it.
 
“I’m at the top of someone’s list? I’m flattered.”
 
“Oh, you’re not at the top. Not yet anyway, after all you’ve only just arrived.”
 
“Make sure to tell me when I am. It gives me more comfort knowing who might stick a dagger in my back.”
 
“Not at all my style. I’m more a player of chess, then a shadowy assassin. We must have a game some day, if you’re up for it.”
 
“Sounds delightful. I’ll bring the cucumber sandwiches.”
 
“I look forward to it, my new friend. Until next time.”
 
 
 
 
 
 
> Chapter 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

20 years ago, just before Fluttershy was born, her brother Butterscotch and House Angel battled alongside the dragons for the right to the Iron Throne. 15 years ago was the last memory Fluttershy had of her home: a house with a big red door. And the ashes that it would become when Filthy Rich ordered House Angel destroyed and butchered for their mere allegiance to the dragons during the War.
 
Now, her and her brother-in-law Garble lived in exile, in the East, where it was far warmer than anywhere she had been in years prior.
 
“Fluttershy!”
 
Fluttershy turns to see a red dragon with an orange fin and yellow eyes approach. She knew it was Garble, and though some might would think that a comfort, it was quite the opposite. No matter how much energy she had, her body always switched to flight mode whenever he came around, particularly when she inadvertently “wakes the dragon”. When Garble had used the phrase he meant angering him, but his responses could be aptly described with the image of a cranky dragon awakened from deep slumber.
 
 
“Guess what?” He smiled a toothy, razer filled grin.
 
“What?” Fluttershy squeaked.
 
“It is time to say good-bye to our host Fancy Pants and his wife; they have been very generous to us, and I will be sure to remember them both once I get my birthright, the Iron Throne.”
 
Fluttershy, feeling his intense gaze attempting to burn into her soul-filled eyes, broke a small smile in an attempt to show compliance. “Good-bye already? Why do we have to leave already?”
 
“I made a deal with the Diamondback sellsword company; all of their best swords for the price of a lucky yellow pegasus, no questions asked.” Garble’s smile never faded, and he even seemed to get even more excited when Fluttershly failed to, at first, visibly react to the news.
 
“Great! Just need to straighten up that hair of yours a bit-“
 
“I don’t want to go!”
 
Fluttershy’s outburst seemed to startle Garble for a moment, his wings flaring up in alarm. Truthfully even Fluttershy was surprised, and the frown that replaced the toothy grin on Garble’s face caused her own heart to sink.
 
Being sold for a single company’s worth? Could Garble even secure much less rule the Throne with so few? What kind of life would she be sentenced to? She figuratively already had a master; now she might would have dozens of her own kind, who no doubt had all sorts of filthy desires that only a slave would fulfill.
 
Garble narrowed his eyes until they were mere slits, steeling his gaze against his sister-in-law with a hint of anger.
 
“Do you remember running away from the assassins? Do you?”
 
When Fluttersshy did not respond, Garble stomped a foot to the ground and snorted smoke.
 
“Do you?!”
 
“Yes.”
 
“Remember when I had to degrade myself to beg for our food or our shelter or even a place for us to curl up for the deathly nights in the snow? Do you remember that Fluttershy?”
 
“Y-y-yes-“
 
Garble brought a talon to Fluttershy’s chest and jabbed; gently for one of his strength, but hard enough to nearly cause Fluttershy to fall backwards. “Never again. If taking the Seven Kingdoms by force requires me to make my sister-in-law an honorary bitch for a year or three, then you’re going to give those stallions their lives worth. Understand?”
 
 
She had come close to waking the dragon; his tense body language told her that. But when Garble reached out brush through her hair, for a brief second the reality that she would lose what freedom seemed to have with Garble stayed at bay.
 
Garble pulled her close, gently fixing and brushing at her hair with his talons. His hot breath felt as if it would set her hair ablaze with a single spark; her value no doubt would drop without a full head of hair.
 
Fluttershy whimpered at the thought, though she was not sure whether it was because her value could be dropped with the loss of her hair or that she already seemed to be accepting the inevitable.
 
“Cheer up Sis. I always remember my allies.”
 
He gave her a warm smile, one without the razors between his lips. The one that actually made Fluttershy believe that he did have a small desire to see her well.
 
“No doubt the skills I have taught you will come in handy for those mere ponies.”
 
And then the words that brought her back down to earth again.
 
Garble gave Fluttershy a firm pat on the back before turning away from her. “Come.”
 
A fleeting thought to run, flap her wings and fly too. Flee with what life and dignity she still had left. But Garble would chase her. He would find her.
 
He would make her regret acting on that impulse.
 
With that in mind, Fluttershy tentatively followed him along the downtrodden path.
 
The home they had been staying at was not particularly fancy; one story bright home with a chimney. It had enough rooms to fit five comfortably and actually had a stone floor. Fancy pants and Fleur were waiting for them at the front door, the former with a large grin on his face.
 
“Well good morning good ol’ friends!”
 
Fancy Pants was a stallion with a blue mane and a white coat. He wore a white and blue summer robe which had a Honduran Emerald bird upon it. The bird was the symbol of House Pennas, sometimes called House Avid by commoners, which once had ties with the dragons, back when Lord Elusive was Warden of the South nearly 200 years ago. Now it was a mere shadow of its former self, having narrowly escaped the fate of House Angel thanks to its distance from Canterlot.
Fancy Pants was also with his wife Fleur Dis Lee. Fluttershy never spoke to her because Fleur only spoke in Valyrian, a language Fluttershy was unfamiliar with.
 
“I am here to meet the Captain of the Diamondback group. Where is he?” Garble searched all about, as if the stallion might be hiding behind his gracious hosts.
 
“Hello.” Fluttershy quietly greeted.


Fancy Pants made a light laugh at seeing Garble’s impatience. “Well the Diamondback are not the most punctual, unlike most sellsword groups, and you know that I know sellswords. Life as a sellsword is rather short, so they are drinking or fucking mares when they are not fighting of course.”
 
Gable growled and folded his arms. “I don’t care how short or how long a sellsword’s life is, all I care about is them giving me an army so that I can take the Seven Kingdoms.”
 
Fluttershy teared up, her lip quivering. “Can I stay here? Can you find some other mare to-“
 
Garble flinched, his left arm moving as if bring a back hand to Fluttershy’s pleas. Though Fluttershy also flinched, only an angry sigh came her way.
 
“Leave here before I knock you down to a one sellsword’s worth of bits. I will come get you when the bastard shows.”
 
It was no idle threat, Fancy and Fleur knew, and though their eyes held some pity, they made no move to intervene. Fluttershy scurried off to the back of the inn, where a small fountain stood in the center of a modest garden. Here, out of sight of Garble, she could let her tears drop.
 
 
It wasn’t fair. Why did Garble have to be so harsh with her? They were in-laws, but still family. Together they had dodged the assassains and beaten mother nature’s deathly call on more than one occasion. To be fair Garble handled the scuffles and she the aftermath, but still. Even if he did feel that ponies were weak, that his actual brother and sister were weak for marrying ponies in the first place, and that kirin were the worst examples of dragons, worthy of all being banished to the Wall.
 
If this was how he treated his own sister-in-law, Fluttershy thought, just imagine how he would treat the pony-dominant Kingdoms.
 
Hell, he might would treat even the stranger better. Fluttershy smacked at the water fountain with clenched teeth, a burning sensation on her cheek reminding her of drunken awakenings of the past.
 
“Garble is not fit to rule. I would hate to see him on the Iron Throne.” Fluttershy smacked at the water again, as if striking something that did not cry out would soothe her spirit.


 “Don’t let your brother-in-law hear you say that; he might not hold back next time.”
 
Fluttershy looked up to a white stallion with a blue mane and armor like a Seven Kingdoms knight. His kind smile and lively green eyes seemed to dissolve the thoughts of fountain water pummeling, and replacing them with caution.
 
Rising from the fountain, Fluttershy took a step backwards. The stallion chuckled and took a step back himself, placing the fountain squarely between the two.
 
“I am sorry for not introducing myself but my name is Soarin’, formerly of the Wonderbolts.”
 
Wonderbolts were supposed to protect their king’s life for the rest of their natural born lives; surely the king had not come all the way out to the East for a visit? Then again, he did say “formerly”, so perhaps he had been one only a long time ago.
 
 “ Ummm shouldn't you be protecting your king, ummm good sir?”
 
“ Well I have been exiled from the Wonderbolts.” Soarin’ laughed sheepishly, placing a hand behind his head. “I dishonored myself by sleeping with the Lady Octavia when I should have stuck to my oath to protect the king. But the king has enough guards already.”
 
The knight slowly edged forward, as if attempting to sneak up on a rabbit that clearly saw him and had half a mind to hop away as fast as its feet would carry it. It was a stalking that Fluttershy had become accustomed to seeing towards the aforementioned animals, but this being done on her put her on edge.
 
After a few moments Soarin’ simply walked normally to her, stopping a few feet away.
 
“I think that you could use more protection than the king right now.”
 
“You will protect me Sir Soarin’?” Not that Wonderbolts were reputed to be poor dragon killers, but Fluttershy had to look back several times to make sure Garble had not also stalked his way here; Soarin’ without a doubt would be in for a fight if he caught wind of such a declaration.
 
Sourin kneeled and put offered his sword to Fluttershy. He bowed his head in reverence and declared, “I promise to you, my Lady Fluttershy, that I well protect you with my life, by the gods, by my sword, I will pledge my sword unto you from this time till the end of time.”
 
Fluttershy could only blush. She looked back once more. No sign of Garble; perhaps she could entertain this knight. Entertain having a guardian to keep her safe. After all, all she had to lose was her life, and even that was hardly hers to spend as she wished. “Will you protect me Sir Soarin’?”
 
Soarin’ raised his head. “Yes on my honor as a knight of the Wonderbolts I will protect you from harm: primarily from the Diamondback, but even from your brother-in-law if required.”
 
> Chapter 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Damn it all!” Stone Edge shouted in anger, rubbing his temple in frustration. He cursed himself as his arrow flew clear off its mark. He had always had a lacking tendency with a bow, but by Luna’s name  he was going to hit his target. Drawing another shaft from his quiver, he brought it up to bare, stringing it and aimed it at the scarecrow across the courtyard.

Drawing in a breath, he lined up his shot and steadied his hand. The high walls of Winterneigh made for an excellent buffer from the cold northern winds outside, meaning he would face no interference from them, but he could hear them whisper as they blew through the oaken branches of the outlying forests before crashing against the stone battlements of castle.
Focusing back on the target, he pulled it back to its capacity and held his breath; he wasn’t going to miss this time! But just as he was about to let loose his arrow, the sound of air whizzing by filled his ears and to his great surprise saw an arrow of unknown origin dug itself deep into the heart of the wicker scare crow.
Stone was caught off by this and jumped at the sudden appearance of the arrow. His string thrummed and his arrow flew. Stone fell back into the dirt as his arrow flew far off its mark, overshooting the stables and falling into the open window of the castle kitchen. He winced as he heard the sound of clattering pots rang out.
Regaining his composure, he looked up to the tower to find who had interrupted his archery and it was his half sister Pinkie.

"Pinkie!" He exclaimed in annoyance as he glared over towards the pink mare with bow in hoof and string still thrumming. She gave him a playful giggle and curtsy in reply before skipping over to his side.
"Morning Stone," She said in her classically joyful voice. "Practicing your archery eh?" Pinkie was in a brown and fur jerkin like all the everypony in Winterneigh that is trying to keep warm in from the harsh winter.
"Well I was trying before you target-blocked me." Stone groaned as he pulled another arrow from his quiver.
Pinkie snickered in response, "Well judging from all the places you have hit looks to me like you have hit plenty of targets." She teased.
Stone sighed, having to forcefully resist the urge to facehoof himself, "Shut up!" He said with a thick frown, "Those were practice shots. I'm going hit dead center on this next one!"
Pinkie shot him a mischievous grin and brought her nose to his, looking him dead center in the eye, "Oh yeah? Prove it!" She playfully challenged.

Stone tried to shoot his next arrow but it missed. Pinkie giggled. “ Stony you don’t have to be good at everything you're one of the best swordpony I know, and plus you beat Big Mac at the tournament when your went as the Ghost Knight.”
Four years ago Stone went in disguise as the knight called the Ghost Knight and during that Stone could not enter because he was a bastard, so he went as the Ghost Knight and won his way through the tournament. At the end he faced off against one of the best swords in Equestria Big Mac, and before the fight Stone kind of cursed with some ghost noise: ‘“whhoooo Big Mac, I well curse you, well, forever, to take second place in these tournaments, forever!”  It was a joke but Big Mac has ever since been taking second place  As a result,  The Second Knight became Big Mac’s new title. 

While nice to reminiscence on, none of that made Stone feel better about his lack of marksmanship. “But I need to get better at using an arrow. What would happen if I had to go to war Sis?”

Pinkie hugged  her brother tight   “But I don’t want you to go to war! You should marry a beautiful mare and have a nice castle off the books, and bed the mare and have foals-” 
“-ummm sis, you know that I am both a bastard and a kirin. Your mom would never let me marry a beautiful mare, let alone would a beautiful mare want to marry me.” kirin were greatly looked down upon after the Dragon War. There were exceptions, but most saw him only as a murderous kirin; being a bastard on top of that fell a step short of damnation.“ Oh Stoney-willy,” Pinkie hugged him like a true sister would hug him “ Don’t be like that! You always complain about being a bastard.” She smiled and put a hoof to his face. “But you know you are like a true brother to me, so come on Stone.  Show me that smile that I always loved to see.”

Stone forced a smile 

“Come on Stone show me a real smile! Pllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllease?” Pinkie gave Stone the puppy dog eyes, which Stone could not help but smile and laugh at. Pinkie’s puppy dog eyes look appeared more funny than pitiful, which made it exceptionally good at putting Stone back in good spirits.a Truth be told Pinkie had a way to trigger anyponies’ living in Winterneigh laugh. 

“Pinkie you always know how to make me laugh and smile.” Stone didn’t not like bemoaning being grim all that much anyways. Feeling particularly cheery, Stone looked towards the trodden path with a mischievous smile on his face. “ Hey is, you want to race to Sugarcube Corner?”

Pinkie’s face lit up, puppy dog eyes replaced by the wide, starry eyed wonder of a boy asked if he wanted to go to the candy store. 
“Of course! First one there gets the cake”  

In preparation, Pinkie planted her two hands firmly on the ground, playfully pawing at the ground. 

Stone also gets ready as well; he could outrun her with his draconian heritage and general masculine brute force, but Pinkie had unpredictability on her side. She could bounce around the castle, climb the tall towers, and in general be in places seemingly impossible for a pony her size and race. “Ready, set, GO!”

In a flash Stone burst forward, going through the first of the gates like an arrow through the air. Linear with only slight deviation, the path winding towards the primary Castle having a thin layer of snow on it still. Careful not to slip, Stone heaved and stole a glance backwards. 

No sign of Pinkie. That could be either a really good sign, or a bad one-

Snap!

A loud snapping noise drew his attention towards the towers, from which Pinkie literally shot through the air like an arrow, or more accurately a javelin, flying over Stone and headed straight for the castle ramparts. 

“No fair Pinkie!” Stone pressed harder, the clop of his hooves resounding through the air while he passed by a few sellers. One such seller, a cabbage seller, he zoomed past and nearly barreled over. 

“Gotta be quicker than thaaaat!” Pinkie teased, bouncing along the ramparts with a clear shot towards the stone building of sweets and oral pleasures. 

Stone galloped with what strength was left in him, the scales on his body seemingly burning with his muscle’s exertions, only to have a pony walk into his path, mere meters from the front door. The granite colored pony looked towards the oncoming kirin with a bored expression. 

“Oh hey Stone, I was just looking for you-” 

No room to dodge, Stone  attempted to vault over the mare. Just as his body got over hers, another body forced his downwards, completely slamming him onto the pony and defeating his attempt at winning the race. After a  briefly tumble and roll on the ground, Stone stopped a mere feet from the bouncing, triumphant Pinkie, who gleefully gloated over her victory. 

“I won I won I won!” 

Angrily Stone looked towards the obstacle pony, who merely rose and shook herself off, her brown fur dress with the emblem of a Timberwolf with a rock atop it hardly damaged by Stone’s less than gentle landing. Recognizing her to be his sister Maud, Stone rose to his hands, shaking some of the dust from his body. 
“Maud, what were you doing in the middle of the road?”
Maud blinked, unfazed by the dragon head’s bared teeth. “Father has an important message for PInkie and you, and sent me to get you. What were you doing sprinting in the middle of the road?” 
“Racing of course silly!”
Stone rolled his eyes, not quite feeling his sister’s cheer. “What is it the short version?” 
“Father has picked your matches.” 
Their matches? As in, it was not just Pinkie who was getting betrothed? Despite Maud’s fairly dry speech and lethargic body language, the well of excitement from earlier returned within Stone’s chest. Now even he felt giddy, despite putting together that Pinkie had probably jumped off of him to land in front of the entrance to Sugarcube Corner. 
PInkie paused for a moment, looking towards Sugarcube Corner and then back to Maud. “Do we have to go now?”
Maud blinked. “Yeah.” 
Stone likes his half sister Maud, but sometimes, Stone could not tell if she was happy, sad, or simply  disinterested.  She was dressed like any Northern lady should, but Maud could equal Stone in a swordfight; she was not to be taken as lightly as the average damsel..

Stone’s thoughts of being bested in a sword fight by a mare dropped his spirits, and his personal vision of his prospects. If anything, their father would only give him some dame from the pleasure house to marry, hardly better than nothing.“ It will be a long winter before I got married,”  He muttered grimly.

Maud looked at him with a head tilt so light only a keen observer would even notice it. “ What was that Stone?”

Stone’s eyes went wide as he realized that he had been heard.“ Ummmmm nothing it’s just it me and my wife well have a long winter together hehehehehe.”

“ Awwww Stony would love to spend all winter with his wify” Stone did fool Pinkie but Maud still heard what Stone said out loud but she did not care at all.  
Maud’s unblinking stare seemed all the more indfiferent when she fully leveled her head again. “Let’s go then.”
They followed Maud inside the castle which was kind of grey and had the some wolf far on the walls which is mostly used for winter because the ponies don’t eat meat but Stone does eat meat which he gets weird  looks from other ponies. 
The two then followed Maud inside of the grey castle, mildly decorated with some wolf furs. The benefits of being a meat eater among straw eaters was that such pelts rarely had their fleshy former bearers go to waste; that didn’t keep the odd pony from eyeing him whenever he ate said meat in front of them, but Stone had never had issues eating with a small audience of concerned onlookers. As long as no unusually equine bones pop up anyways.
At end of the entrance hall there were a bunch of guards, all of whohad different banners. One such banner as that of the House Umbrum :a shadow over a red shield. The guards of this banner stood near a long door. This door opened, out of which came two ponies who wore so much black that some might be led to believe that the red shield of their symbol had been added just so that it could be seen at night, and not because the Umbrums actually wanted any other color in their symbol. One of the ponies entering the hall  was a unicorn with a silky black mane  a black fur coat  black armor, and sharp green eyes. The other was an earth pony witha curly black mane, black eyes, a black leather jerkin with the Umbrum symbol woven onto it, and an evil smile that Stone could not get out of his mind. 
“Weelllll if it isn’t the the bastard of Winterneigh himself!” 
Stone wanted to punch him, but Maud put her arm around Stone’s good swinging arm and shook her head. “ But that’s, ok I am a bastard myself, so we are both bastards of the North. So put her there!” The young earth pony put his arm out to shake Stone’s hand.

Stone bregrudgingy accepted this gesture and shook. “ It’s a pleasure to meet you. Who, are you exactly?” 
The pony looked at him like with that  smile having grown larger since the meeting of their hands. “ My name is Shade, bastard son of Lord Sombra himself! This here is my father, Sombra, Lord of House Umbrum!”

 Stone did not recognize Sombra but it was said that he was a very cold pony. He at least looked the part, a scowl affirming that he had seen the kirin that was said to walk these very halls. 
Pinkie came up to both of the Umbrums and said, “Oohhhhh hey Sombra and Shade are you here to party?”

Sombra  continued to scowl at Stone even as he addressed Pinkie. “Sorry Lady Pie we cannot; we are heading back to the Dark Fort. But maybe another time Come along  Shade.” Sombra bumped into Stone  as they passed with almost enough force to knock the kirin to the ground.
Shade’s smile lost its touch of evil, instead adopting the scowl of the wearer’s father. “ Heheheh you know, there is a thing about being called a Lucky Bastard you know and you are one, but your father will tell you when you talk with him. But know this also; I am also a lucky bastard.” Shade’s eyes narrowed.“ I am just not going to be as lucky as you, this time.” Shade refrained from coming into contact with Stone on his way past,  perhaps not wanting to test his own luck with the lucky flesh eating bastard of the land he currently walked on. Or maybe he felt it more dramatic that way; either way, Stone felt puzzled at the whole thing, for how could a pony bastard be any less lucky than a kirin bastard?
> Chapter 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pinkie Pie was very happy she wanted to know what and who they are getting married to. Shade did call Stone “A lucky bastard”, and this really peaked Pinkie’s interest.
“Hey Stoney, who do you think Father is going to marry you to?” Pinkie asked. Smiling the big smile that she knew that Stone loves.


“I am not sure sis,” Stone replied.
Pinkie put her hand on her face as if she was thinking very deeply. “Applejack?” Pinkie suggested.
“Um Applejack is married to Caramel of House Syrup,” Stone replied, “and didn’t we go to their wedding with Spike?” The wedding left a lasting impression. Stone recalled that Spike brought a goat and a honeycomb to the wedding.
Pinkie laughed so hard then broke out in song about Spike bringing a goat and a honeycomb.





The day was so merry,


The wedding was so swell


The bells were a ringing,


With their haughty bells


The bride and groom were smiling


Showered in golden oats


 


But not long after


Now this is mighty quire


From over a hill yonder


Came a dragon, a whore, and a goat!


 


A dragon, a whore, and a goat!


 


That impish little dragon


With a mug and a mare in claw


So merry was his laughter


So merry was his laughter


So might, roaring drunk


So pummeled was his mare


She reeked of dragon spunk


At he forgot it all!


Stone did not understand why Pinkie loved that wedding as well as how that song came to be. All Stone knew was that day was the worst. Not only did it smell so bad but Spike also smashed the honeycomb with an axe, which caused the bees to come out and sting everyone at the wedding.
“Pinkie, I was not big on that wedding and I hope that Spike does not do that again.” Stone said.
Once more Pinkie started into deep thought, trying to figure out who Stone is to be betrothed to.


“Well how about Rarity? She is the most beautiful in the realm, and during the tournament I noticed that you could not stop looking at her!” Pinkie said.

Stone then thought about it, remembering he was looking at her during the tournament with her beautiful purple gown.
“But she is apart of the House Pennas, she’s too rich for a bastard like me.” Stone said frowning. He looked down at the ground, and he felt sad that he was a bastard that had no rights to Winterneigh.


“Stone, please don’t be moody about being a bastard. I don’t like seeing you like this,” Pinkie said as she patted Stone on the back. “You know what? How about you make me a Pinkie Promise to not be moody about this.”


Pinkie stared Stone down. Stone sighed as he made Pinkie’s Promise.
“Cross my heart, and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” Stone promised.


“Thank you Stone. I’m glad you aren’t going to be moody anymore.” Pinkie said. She hugged then smiled. “There’s still more mares to choose from.”



“I know.” Stone said a little annoyed.



“What about Twilight then? She is beautiful and she is part of the House Light, and I would bed her if I could.” Pinkie suggested. House Light’s sigil was an owl, and they are very close to the royal family. Night Light is King Dusk’s brother and it would be near impossible for a bastard like Stone to marry Twilight.

tone laughed so hard that he cried.
“Pinkie are you mad? I can’t marry her, she’s too important and she’s basically a princess. Plus I’m a bastard.” Stone laughed.



“Bastards have sometimes gone far in life.” Pinkie said.
Stone knew she was right. Bastards have gone far in life. One has become Lord Commander of the Wonderbolts, another a king. However that king was not the best king in the realm.
Igneous Rock looked at each of his children.
        “My kids, I see that you are here, but where is Limestone?” Igneous asked. 


Limestone Pie was the stubborn one in the Rock family. She would rather fight their father rather than listen to him. In some ways she reminded their father of his sister, Essexite Pie, who was killed during the War of Dragons. Essexite was killed by the Dragon Prince Wildfire, who was the eldest of King Blackfyre. Lord Sombra killed Prince Wildfire though, this upset Igneous.


        At that moment Limestone was dragged in by Maud. She was wearing a guard’s armor and not very good armor at that cause it looked like it would fall apart.



“So...Limestone, you look cute in your guard armor.” Stone tried to say with a straight face.


Limestone gritted her teeth as her rage built up. 
        “Silence brother!” Limestone yelled. 
        Limestone, much like a few other mares, would rather be a sword fighter. However, Igneous forbid it because Limestone has an explosive temper and is a reckless fighter much like his sister. The young Limestone was not as good of a fighter, especially not as good as Maud or Stone. 


Igneous Rock rose from his chair.
“Enough,” Igneous commanded with authority. When all of his children were quiet, he cleared his throat before speaking. “I have arranged some marriage proposals to some lord to better unite our houses.” First he looked at Marble. “Marble you are to be betrothed to Big Mac. Make no comment about the rumors.” 

Quietly Marble nodded. 
        “Limestone,” Igneous continued, “you will marry Shade, Sombra’s son and the bastard of the Dark Fort. Though he will be legalized before you two are wed.”
        Stone grumbled as his father said that.


“Pinkie, you are to wed Lord Cheese Sandwich of House Boneless,” Igneous said.


        “Yay! That is so awesome. I can’t wait.” Pinkie cheered. She jumped into the air.


‘Why is she so happy about her marriage’, Stone wondered, ‘I wonder who I am intended to’. He thought silently even though usually he couldn’t keep his thoughts to himself, which always ended horribly, which was a habit he had.

Igneous then turned to Stone. “Stone, my son, you have been a very good son to me and my family. I think it is time that I legalized you.” Igneous said.


The news left Stone very speechless. With his mouth opened, drool started dribbling down but Pinkie caught his drool before it landed on the ground. Stone kneeled down before his father.
        “Father, I am not worthy,” Stone said, “What would Cloudy Quartz say?”


“She did not like this and I know she did not like you, but she agreed to this in order to unite the realm.” Igneous said. “Stone, you will not only be sent as a squire to Night Light, but you will also marry Twilight Sparkle.”

Stone was speechless as his father told of his betrothal to Twilight.
        “Father, I need to think about this.” Stone said.


Pinkie went after Stone. 
        “Stone, it’s going to happen. You’re going to get married to somepony who is basically a princess. Maybe I will sing a song for you at your wedding, maybe it will be called Kirin and the Maiden Fair, it would be like Bear and the Maiden Fair from Game of Thrones because we are technically in a crossover.” Pinkie said.

“What are you talking about?” Stone asked. He looked at her in utter confusion. He never questioned Pinkie was rambling on about. Most of the time he never gave a second thought to it. Some other nobles thought that Pinkie was stupid insane but avoided saying that in front of Stone or in front of the Igneous.


“Stony, let’s head back to father so we can plan our weddings, and chin up, you are going to be legalized.” Pinkie said. 
        Stone became happy that he wouldn’t be called a bastard again. This was more than he could ever hope for, being sent to squire for a prince and marry that prince’s daughter. At least he was not getting sent to the Wall. However, a part of him is going to miss his family, especially Pinkie, the one who brought happiness to Winterneigh.


        They went back to the room with their father. Igneous raised his eyebrow to Stone. He sat there waiting for Stone’s reply.
        “So, have you made your decision?” Igneous asked.


“Father, I have made my decision.” Stone said. He looked to Pinkie for reaffirmation and she nodded. Stone then kneeled to his father. “I accept this great honor you have bestowed upon me. I will be sure not to bring dishonor to thi-”
        At that moment a guard ran into the room.


“My lord, we have caught the Lunar Guard that deserted the Wall. He awaiting justice at the courtyard,” the guard said.


Pinkie was right about the Lunar Guard being found. Their father, Igneous, got up and grabbed his sword Meteorite. Meteorite was a great sword that was black in color and was very heavy, the only one who could carry it was Maud or Stone.


        It was obvious what their father had to do. When they got out to the courtyard, they saw the guards holding down the derelict Lunar Guard. The guard was a young blue unicorn with a long purple mane.


“Pinkie don’t look away. Father is watching.” Stone said. 
Pinkie never liked when her father had to deliver justice but it had to be done. She watched as the pony had his head shoved down on the chopping block. He had tears running down his face.
“I know I betrayed my oath but I saw what killed him,” the Lunar Guard whispered with a cracked voice, “I saw the face of terror itself.”

Igneous thought nothing of the pony’s empty words, yet there was the familiar gleam in Blue’s eyes, true fear.
        “Years of war during the second dragon rebellion have taught me what terror is, be neither I, nor my brothers in arms fled the black burnt field of battle.”

        “You can kill a dragon because they can bleed. You can kill a griffon, for they bleed too. How do you kill something that does not? My lord, I saw the White Walkers,” he confessed. all the ponies in the courtyard was in shock and whispers when he told them about the White Walkers some of them called the pony mad maybe some believe him but Pinkie know that the pony is not lying she can see the fear in his eyes. 



Igneous Rock drew his greatsword.


        “In the name of King Dusk Shine, the first of his name, of the House Light, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, by the word of Igneous Rock, Warden of Winterneigh, I sentence you to die.” Igneous said.


        Igneous lifted the greatsword above his head. In one motion the sword cut the head off of the traitor. 







        As Pinkie watched on she tried to reassure herself with her father’s words, “A pony who passes the sentence must swing the sword”, but that did little to calm her. The terror of these beings are what is making her worried.




> Chapter 6
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Seaworth walked along a cobblestone road. Although on the older side, the earth pony still had a noticeable spring in his step as he journeyed through the last vestiges of Heartlands’ harbor.  
 
 
Heartlands was home to his old friend Lord Cupid Amore, whom he had helped during the Dragon Wars. Then a smuggler by trade, Seaworth provided Cupid and his forces with onions when the city had been laid siege to by House Angel, supporters of King Blackfyre. 
 
Despite onions being Seaworth’s primary, cutiemark commodity, and not particularly appealing for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, otherwise starving ponies tend to be less picky with food choices when fire and boulders rained from the sky. Cupid's connection with the sun god Celestia allowed Seaworth to out his smuggling behind him after the war and live a relatively lawful merchant's life. 

Seaworth smiled as he came up to the mighty walls of Cupid's castle. A single guard stood atop the ramparts and looked down upon the pony from above with a frown. 
 
“Who goes there?” 
 
“It is I, Seaworth, the Onion Knight!” 
 
The guard scrutinized the supposed “knight”, likely not realizing that it was more an ironic title than a real one, given Seaworth spent more time hiding and sneaking around rather than fighting during the War. After all, an aged pony with a brown jacket and dirty green cape easily cut the figure of a jester rather than war hero. 
 
The guard cracked a smile and puffed his chest out dramatically. "And I am Princess Celestia, Goddess of the Sun." 
 
The guard winked. 
 
"I also make a good Lord Jester." 
 
Seaworth reached into one of his coat pockets and withdrew a folded up letter with Cupid’s sign clearly stamped on the outside. The guard frowned and went behind the walls. After a few moments, he reappeared again behind the gates and extended a hand for the letter. 
 
Seaworth handed over the document and grinned as the guard read it to himself. The proof of identity caused the guard to double take.  
 
Seaworth mockingly bowed to the guard briefly. "Your highness, may a siege reliever see his friend?" Seaworth rose and retrieved his letter from the guard, who seemed to still hold disbelief as to Seaworth’s identity. 
 
"Follow me to Lady Cadence, Onion Knight." 
 
"Why is Cupid-" 
 
Seaworth was interrupted by the creaking as the gates rose to allow entry. The guard turned and began marching towards the castle proper with haste, so Seaworth had to jog in order to catch up to him. 

The guard opened the throne room doors, revealing a pink mare in a red and yellow dress with enough ribbons to make a sash long enough to surround the entire length of the castle walls. Upon seeing her, Seaworth blinked, hardly able to believe that the little filly who used to run around the castle playing knight had become such a well-dressed lady. 
 
“I present to you he who calls himself the Onion Knight.” The guard gestured towards Seaworth with a wave of the hand. “His smell thankfully does not give him away.”  
 
Seaworth raised an eyebrow at the guard. “The same for your armor.”  
 
Cadence giggled and waved the scowling guard off. She rose from her throne, lifting her dress somewhat in order to keep from tripping on her dress, perhaps another reason she in her youth preferred the knight’s getup to the princess gown, and walked over towards Seaworth, passing the large wooden dining table that stood in the center of the room.  
 
Seaworth and Cadence embraced, the smell of spice mixing with the smell of dirt and seat. Cadence’s large wings were nearly great enough to completely cover Seaworth in a sea of pink and royal purple. 
 
“Seaworth what a surprise it is to see you! It has been 20 years since I have seen you last; what are you, in your 50’s now?” They separated as Cadence looked all about Seaworth’s rather pitiful getup.  
 
The stallion chuckled. “Look at you! While I have grown grizzled you have gotten big, far too big to carry! Lord Cupid must be stunned to see you turn out so well!”  
 
Cadence frowned and weakly chuckled. “Yes, that is one way to put it.”  
 
Seaworth folded his arms and looked around. “Speaking of which, where is that fox at? When he sent me on my way he forgot to give me my free jesters in shining armor.”  
 
Seaworth laughed, but Cadence only chuckled again. Seaworth stopped laughing and fake coughed. “So, where is Lord Cupid? He wrote that my attendance here was urgent-”  
 
“How was your trip?” Cadence used a wing to cut off Seaworth’s path towards the exit, gently pushing him towards the throne. “I imagine you saw sights far greater than those seen here in Crystal Keep.”  
 
Seaworth had little option but to be shoved along by Cadence, nearly stumbling over the large table. “Um, it was fine, I saw diamond dogs, zebras, I’ve been all over Equestria…” Seaworth found himself standing in front of the throne and heard the latches close on the throne room doors. He turned to face Cadence, who retracted her mighty wings back to her person. “But what about your father?” 
 
Cadence looked about before answering, “He is very ill. The Maester Seaworth’s jaw dropped. Not make it? Cupid? The pony was old, slightly older than Seaworth, but to be felled by sickness alone seemed out of his fate.  
 
Cadence gave a weak smile. “At least you are here during my finest hour.”  
 
“Finest, hour?” 
 
Cadence nodded, and using her magic, levitated a letter from behind her throne.  
 
“Yes, my finest hour.” She unfolded the letter and read aloud: 
 
“ Dear Lady Cadence,  
 
  I would like to have you marry my son, Shining Armor, and to unite the realm into one, the way it once was before the time of The Seven Kingdoms, the time when Celestia was on the throne. 
 
From Night Light, House of Light.”  
 
Seaworth smiled to himself. “Shining Armor? You mean that little colt you used to play knight with? Didn’t you regularly beat him in swordplay?” 
 
Cadence smiled and shrugged. “That was swordplay; I imagine he has gotten much better since then. After all, he did create the Second Knight with his superior swordsmanship.”  
 
Seaworth and Cadence shared a laugh. Between the Goat Rider song that Seaworth was sick to death of and the tale of how House Apple’s best is only second best, the latter touched a much more joyful chord in his body. 
 
“So, are you going to accept?”  
 
The laughter died down, but Cadence’s smile only grew. “Of course I am. I still have as a gift from him the Blue Rose Crown that he won from that Tournament. Besides, he is still pretty cute.”  
 
Seaworth cringed somewhat of the idea of Shining Armor still having that colt innocence about it. It was unbecoming of a knight much less husband as far as he was concerned. 
 
“Anyways, you must be hungry after your long travel; you sure look like you have not spent much money.”  
 
Seaworth winked. “The wise traveler carries his gold not in his purse, but in his head. I would have arrived at the castle a broke stallion had I came in anything more, knightly.”  
 

 
Heartlands wasn’t really –that- bad, but Seaworth had not been sure when he picked out his choice of wardrobe earlier that day, as he had not stepped foot in the place in decades, and most of his destinations had a rough element with a keen eye for lone, easy pickings. Better to be safe than sorry in his profession. 
 
Cadence unlatched the door and gestured towards the table. “Please, eat, drink. We have some of that cheap ale that you used to guzzle, and some rich cheese.”  
 
Now, Seaworth was not very hungry, but the promise of rich cheese and ale was not one that Seaworth was inclined to decline. Of course the table being empty at the moment suggested that he would have to wait, but some magic and the wave of a wing from Cadence and servants entered the room bearing the promised cheese and ale. They also left a few rather buttery rolls. 
 
Once they had cleared of the servants, Cadence and Seaworth sat down at the table. Seaworth’s first taste of warm bread overbuttered was interrupted by the rapping on the throne room doors.  
 
“Lady Cadence, a stallion calling himself a servant to the Lord of Light and Dark has requested an audience. Grant it?” 
 
Cadence took a sip of the ale. Though she tried to not make it very obvious, the grimace on her face suggested that the ale had not been broken out for her occasion. “Grant him entry.”  
 
Seaworth groaned. “You know, Lady Cadence, though we serve Celestia and Luna pretty religiously, I don’t think it’s a good idea to invite a religious nut into your court. From my travels, I know that these ponies believe in just one god.”  
 
“One god?” Cadence seemed more intrigued than mystified. “Well, I am always open to learning about other cultures, especially if they come from beyond the Narrow Sea.”  
 
Seaworth did not share Cadence’s thirst for knowledge in this area, but kept his mouth to his cup of ale for the time being. He drained half the cup when the stranger entered the court under escort, the guard having apparently lost his earlier good cheer. 
 
“I present to you he who calls himself Ishmael, a servant of the Lord of Light and Dark the pale model for the walking dead.”  
 
The unicorn wore a black robe that covered most of his body, but it could easily be seen that he had a black mane that went halfway down his back. The unicorn smiled and, after a nod to the guard, looked towards Cadence. “Greetings my Lady; I am Ishmael, a servant of the Lord of Light and Dark.” 
 
His crooked smile would have prompted a spit from Seaworth, and he didn’t want to go out because he spat on a cult priest.  
 
He would rather drown in his favorite ale but he knows he can not trust this pony.
> Chapter 7
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A large red castle stood in stark defiance of the forested woodland around it; the sun barely crept from its place in the east, but already the light bathed the region in a gently green and blue glow. The blue ran along a clear stream, the only other disturbance in this early morning that only seemed to take on a life of its own.
A dock, laxly guarded by a few watchponies in red armor, smoothly connected to a lightly paved road leading up to the castle entrance. Towards this landmark on the river Rainbow Dash rowed; an inconvenient task for someone far more at home in the air. The problem is that strangers flying into the region tended to be met with arrows and javelins; shooting the strange feathered object out of the sky apparently took precedence over meeting said creature on its turf.
Her small rowboat coming to a stop, Rainbow gingerly looked towards the guards on the docks. Not that she expected nor needed any assistance tying her boat to the dock, but their lack of care that an armed blue pegasus approached suggested that there was more to the locality than met the eye.
Upon stepping onto the dock, Dash noticed that the guards were indeed surrounding something, or rather, someone; a small purple dragon in a dark red jerkin and sharp, soulful green eyes.
“Like what you’re seeing, mare?” The dragon smirked and broke away from his guards, visibly unperturbed by their grumblings.
“Depends, you looking for a new bodyguard?”
The dragon’s smirk turned into a grin. “Stare all you like, I am the only short dragon that you are going to see for miles around here. Big where it counts.”
Dash noticed that the current group of guards seemed to physically distance themselves from the dragon, as if their jobs had become less relevant in light of the small talk.
“A short dragon, big where it counts? You must be the dragon who made the Apple Family a joke, Spike the Goat Rider!” Dash laughed to herself, and though the guards seemed to get a chuckle or two out of her exclamation, the dragon did not seem particularly amused.
“And you must not be a knight from heavens knows where rowing gently down our stream looking for a job, what with that attitude.” Spike waved the guards off as he brought a claw to his chin, inspecting Dash from top to bottom with a scowl.
“No, I am Rainbow Dash of House Blitz, one of the very best knights you will ever meet, and I am looking for a job.” She briefly looks towards the departing watchponies. “You happen to need a new bodyguard?”
Spike stroked at his chin thoughtfully, circling about the mare like a vulture wheels about a carcass. “Maybe I could hire you as my bodyguard for my trip to piss off the edge of the Wall.”
The jangle of coins brought Dash’s attention to a sack tied about the dragon’s waist.
“That there would be your pay, as long as you do not join my family assigned guards in making light of my height. Can’t help it really; even if I were to hoard all the jewels and gold in the land I still would not grow an inch in stature, and I pay handsomely when pleased.”
Handsomely? Cider, half-dressed escorts, and a room for five filled Dash’s head upon mention of handsome pay. Whether the dragon was a mind reader or merely knew the ropes of the trade Rainbow could not tell, but she stepped forward and stood at attention.
“Of course. What would you prefer to be called-“
“Spike. Goat Rider will do, but I have ridden many a good ass just as well.” Spike stopped in front of Dash and waved off her stiffened posture. He then turned and began walking along the road.
Rainbow went to at ease and noticed him gesture for her to follow. Rainbow glanced back only once at the small boat that had served as her means of rugged travel. Traveling by water she would not miss. With a bit of extra energy in her step, she strode after him, soon coming into step. Rather than walk towards the large red castle, Spike seemed to be leading the way to a different destination.
“For the record, Rainbow Dash, Big Mac is the one who brought the family name low when he succeeded in becoming the 2nd Knight. And yet, I am the one my father’s hired swords try to shit on.” Spike turned his head towards the castle, his face having a slight scowl. “Can I call you Dashie?”
“Dash. Just Dash if you are going to shorten it.”
Spike nodded. The two diverted to a fairly beaten path. “Sooo, Dash, do you like brothels?”
Dash feigned insult. “What kind of question is that? If I am going to fuck a whore from each of the Seven Kingdoms, brothels have to be a second home.”
“Make the eight huh…“ Spike muttered something unintelligible, his smile widening. “Well then, my new bodyguard, I know just the place to put your mind at ease about that.”
Rainbow was excited. She loved brothels. She likes both stallions and mares alike, but today she feels like having a mare. “Why of course. Do you know who I am?” She said while holding her hand to her chest.
Spike could only listen to hear Rainbow’s story. “Why am I about to hear a story from the Rainbow Dash of the Rainbow Guard?” Which made Rainbow look at him funny when he said this.
“I am Rainbow Dash of House Blitz of Tank Island descent of Rainbow Blitz and the pony who is going to make the eight. Making the eight it's where you fuck any whore from each of the Seven Kingdoms.“ But I have yet to make the eight so yeah.

As her ladyship began her departure, the ever goggling dragon couldn’t help but admire her muscular toned figure. Taking a guilty amount of pleasure seeing the fabric of her cloths fold and curve perfectly with the mare’s form. “You know,” He began, grinning slightly. “It’s far too often that I encounter the flowers of this world, but never really have a chance to admire the rawness of the natural world that birthed them… If you know what I’m getting at of course?”

Turning to the grinning drake, Rainbow Dash of Tank raised an eyebrow, unsure of how to respond. “Sorry my lord, but I don’t see what you mean?”
Spike shrugged and sighed slightly through his nostrils, musingly. “What I mean is, I’m far too familiar with delicate maidens and, quite frankly, you my lady are a breath of fresh air to the senses. That simple stark contrast is what I mean. It’s invigorating.” 
“May I speak freely my lord?” Rainbow replied.
He nodded in response. “You may.”

Looking at him with a straight face she rose her jaw back and proceeded. “I know of your reputation Lord Spike, and believe me, from the stories I’ve heard, you’re going to need a much bigger horde than all the gold your family and then some before you could get a go at the rainbow.”
Spike smiled and raised his brow. “Fiery? I like that.” He chuckled, causing Rainbow to roll her eyes.

“Well you seem like you're a dragon who is full of lust, likes to bed so many whores, and drink so much.” Rainbow countered with that.

Spike put his claws on Rainbow’s butt and smacked it. “Yes I am full of lust and wine. I could probably out drink you darling.” He made a grin that meant for him to challenge her into a drinking contest, but the last one he had was with the Second Knight Big Mac, and that was the last time he challenged him because Big Mac can hold a shit load of alcohol. They should've called him ‘Big Keg instead but Second Knight stuck with him.

They head to an inn which was not a huge inn. There were many ponies here drinking and getting drunk, and it smiles of piss and dung just the way Rainbow likes it. She was never big on perfume. On some mares maybe, but on her that was a different story. She replied as Spike and her sat down on the table. “So you said you're full of lust and wine.”

Spike smiled with a toothy grin. “Ohhh you know that I am full of that, I been sleeping with so many mares I almost made the eight.” Making the eight is where you have sex from each mare of the Seven Kingdoms plus the Tank Islands.

Rainbow was laughing so hard that tears came out her eyes she had to brush her eyes. “Really you really Made the Eight really and I slept with the Prince Nightlight.” she said sarcastically
“Hey I can use sarcasm too, I once made love to Rarity one night at the tourney.” he said sarcastically
Rarity is the most beautiful pony in the Seven Kingdoms she is part of  House  Pennas the second richest house in the Seven Kingdoms and someone who Spike hopes to marry one day. “ Really you have slept with Rarity of House Pennas?” she laughed hard “ This calls for a drinking game because I want to know how big of a lair this little dragon is” 
“ You peaked my interest Rainbow Knight so how does this game play out” he put his arm on the table.

“ It goes like this I make a statement about your past and if I say it's right then you drink, if I get the answer wrong then I drink.” Rainbow always loved to play this game with many of her friends at Tank Island.
“ Ok well I well start because I am a great judge of character”  he stares at Rainbow maybe he might find something from her past. “ you dislike your father” 
Rainbow drinks her ale and licks her lips. “ Lord Rainbow Blaze expects too much from me I had to leave”
“ Well we both are like the same our fathers expects too much from us I wonder why” Spike then thinks of another answer to know about Rainbow. “ You liked mares when you were 13.”
“ Drink.”   Spike sign and he drank his ale. “ I was 12 when I started to have a thing for mares and hmmmm well 13 for sleeping with my first stallion so I well drink as well because you were very close” she drink her ale.
“ Can I ask who which stallion you slept with”
Rainbow sign lovely “ it was the Red Apple of Sandhorn, Braeburn” 

Spike was greatly shocked by this he never thought that she would sleep with a warrior like him but the Red Apple has a reputation for having  a thing for both mares and stallions, so if Rainbow likes both mares and stallions they would make a cute couple. “ so you and Braeburn you two would be cute together.”
“ Yeah but that was just one night also he had a cute buffalo with him I think her name is Little Strongheart” it was said that Braeburn was into both guys and girls but he loved his Little Strongheart more than anyone he know. “ but he did give me a child named Zap Apple she is a nice pony and she loves her dad so much but I had only two kids one was named  Scootaloo whom  is my child but I she is with someone I trust greatly at Canterlot.”
Spike was curious who the father was but he  thinks he already knows but it was a long time ago but he still asked the question “ who was your lovers name?”
Rainbow could only cry a little “ his name is named Lionheart he was a poor knight sworn to a House I could not remember he was called the Rooster Knight me and him made a shield that had a Rooster on it it was our most prized shield we got married and all that but” she had a tears going down her cheeks, “ during the Tourney of House Light in the Sami Finals of that Big Mac he cut him he then died of an infection.”
Spike holds her hand  “ I am and sorry I asked you know with both are the same almost we both lost our first lovers.”

“ Who was your first lover Spike?”
Spike then drank his ale and he hits it on the table he was now a bit drunk. “ Her name is Moon Dancer she was the Maester’s bastard at the Golden Keep,”  Rainbow know where this was going that bastards have no chances with High Lords. “ I loved to read, I read a lot one of the books was about dragons, this one night I accidentally slept in the library and then she puts a blanket over me and their we had it we fall in love and gotten married by a drunken priest.” Spike scarted the table with his claws “ then when the drunken priest told my father it all fell apart.
Rainbow drank her ale and she know what was going to happen his father beat her and sent her away. “ I think I heard enough Spike” but Spike shook his head.

“ No their is more” Rainbow sat down again she could not believe what would his father do Fifty Rich is an evil cunt anyways what's the worst he could do “ let's see now after he found out that I married her he told me that she was paid to do the things to me to lie to me and he give her to all of his men so they could do what they want to her and I had to watch this and my father told me to give her a gold coin.”

Rainbow could not believe this, she would kill Filthy Rich no matter what she knows her father would never do this to her even do he expects much from her but Rainbow Blaze would never do this to Lionheart. “ So you let's not talk about are sob stories let's drink and be merry.” she brings her bottle up.
Spike smiled “ you know what for you anything” he brings his glass up and toast to Rainbow “ a toast to our horrible past may it be a long life for both of us” he his bottle with Rainbow’s.

“ Here here and let their be more drinks and whores in our future.” they toast with a light and they drink their warm ale.

As soon as night hit both Rainbow and Spike were shit faced drunk  both of them had really pink faces and they both could barely stand they were both shaking after so much ale and wine, Spike got up but he stumped on to Rainbow “ hic wow their Little Dragon you are soooo light weight hic” but she was just as drunk as Spike is.

“ I can’t help it” he was touching her butt and squeezes it. “ you know I got slapped by a mare the last time I touched someone and I can see you like this.”

“ Yeah I am ok with this hic but you are like my good friend and I never slept with a dragon before” she giggled

I say lets go to the brothel and we find some mares to warm are bed” Spike said while  grabbing her more.[

“ You bet your ass lets go right now” They walked to the brothel in the dark  but Spike was leading Rainbow to where it was because dragons got good vision in the dark even do he was drunk.

“ Here we are now let's get a bed” then everything was so barley at that point that both of them could not tell what was happening after drinking so much. 




A low, aching thrumming assaulted the Pegasus’s brow as sleep slowly let her loose of its grip. The sun streamed through the draped curtains and stung her eyes as she took a deep breath and sat up from the bed. She felt her muscles ache and her tendons flex with stiffened effort as she regained her senses.

As she looked around, she began to make sense of her surroundings; a spacious fairly dressed room with high, wooden beamed ceilings. The air stunk of salt, stale wine and smoke from extinguished candles, only adding to her ghastly headache. 

“What in the name…” She trailed off putting a hoof to her poor brow. “What? What happened?

It was then that she spotted her discarded garments laid across a nearby table and stool, rather haphazardly at that. Looking down, she confirmed that she was indeed quite naked, as the dampened sheets clung to her body.

However, her attentions were redirected as a low murmur rose up from across the bed. With short breaths she glanced over to spot a medium sized lump curled up beneath the covers with an extra pillow covering where its head would be

Though her mind was screaming at her not to, her mixture of worry and curiosity won out and she reached over towards the plush fabric.“Oh… buck me…” She swore to herself.  Rainbow had to leave quicly before the rich dragon that hired  woke up.
> Chapter 8
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight was alone in the library, reading some stories about the long dead dragons that have been said that have been killed off 20 years ago. 

But there is one dragon that is still alive as well a couple of dragon-ponies that still live.

When Twilight was not expecting she was surpassed by a unicorn with a long white mane, dressed in a blue and white long dress. 

“Twilight, what are you doing here?” asked the Unicorn.  “You were up reading for 12 hours. That is something a lady should not do.” 

Trixie was right, thought Twilight.  She has been reading for a while and one of these days she is going to fall asleep while reading and drool all over her books.

Trixie was a ward Twilight’s family had taken in.  She was from the House Lulamoon, one that tried to rebel against the throne 5 years ago.  But after the war, the House Light  took her in and they have treated her a lot better than in Trixie’s former house. Twilight feared that she would hate her father Night Light but luckily Trixie treats her father with respect. 

“Well, I can’t help it,” Twilight said with excitement. “Reading is the best thing ever, Trixie. I wish to learn all there is in Equestria.”

Trixie laughed at that and asked, “So you would rather read and study rather than try to sing or dance like any lady does?” 


Twilight smiled and blushed, but then smirked and asked, “Well aren’t you trying to be a performer, making all those colts and fillies happy, Trixie?” Trixie was one of those mares who loved showing off and she loved to perform in front of the castle and many ponies love her performances, mainly for the kids.  Trixie loved kids a lot and she would never want to harm them at all but her father, Loki Lulamoon of Tank Island, was different. He was cruel and Twilight hopes that she would never be like him.

Trixie gave Twilight a look that said that something wonderful was going to happen. “ Twilight your father wants to see you today.  He has something important for you.” 


Twilight looked at her with a worried look and asked, “What could my dad want this time?” Twilight knew this day would come, the day where her father has picked her a husband to marry.

“I don’t know Twi, but it could that your father has picke husband for you.  It would be the best thing for you and who knows?  Maybe he might love books as much you do, Twi.” 

Twilight knew that was not possible since most stallions would rather use a sword and fight than read.

“I don’t think that would be possible...could it?”

“You would be shocked to know who does read.  Some stallions do love reading. Spike reading a book and also, 3 years ago, I saw a armored pony who was the mystery knight reading a classic book.” 

Twilight was curious about the mystery knight who had beaten Big Mac.  Rumour says it was Ignous Rock’s bastard son Stone Edge, others say it was her brother Shining Armor, but others say it was a random guy named Phil, but everyone says it's a ghost of a long dead bastard knight who died a long time ago, someone who could not enter the tournament simply because he was a bastard. 

“What book was he reading by any chance?” asked Twilight curiously.

“Well, I did get a good look at the title and it was called The Ice Dragon and it's a classic about a filly and a Ice Dragon and it’s really good.  Whoever this Ghost Knight is he has a great taste in books wouldn’t you say so Twilight?”

Twilight was deep in thought.  She never ever read The Ice Dragon.  Maybe because she was reading other books but maybe soon she will read it soon when she can get the time, which was all the time.

Twilight and Trixie were heading to the Night Light’s room where he does business with other Houses, but before they entered the room they see a pony who is wearing House Light’s clothes which were blue and white.  As Twilight and Trixie entered the room, they noticed that there was a bunch of notes and scrolls on Night Light’s desk one of the letters was opened and it had a Timber Wolf sigil on it which was from House Rock. Twilight could only guess that is what her father wanted to her her for but could it beabout marriage? Twilight had to find out. 

“Twilight,” Night Light said with a smile. “Let me guess: you were at the library drooling on are books again?” 


Twilight blushed. She knew that it was a habit of her doing that.  She might as well be living in a library or go to Trot Town, where they have the biggest book collection for the studying Maesters. 

“I am sorry father,” apologized Twilight. “I didn't mean to drool or sleep in the library, but I just love reading and learning so much about the history of the Seven Kingdoms.”

Night Light smiled and walked over to her and hugged her “It's ok,” he assured as let her go. “Not many people in the Seven Kingdoms read anyways.” He then puts his hand on her head, “You are my little genius you will be the smartest princess in the Seven Kingdoms.”

Twilight felt a sense of pride but was also a little bit sad that not many do read. If she was queen, everyone would be learn how to read and learn about history, chart stars, math and social studies. 

“Father I got to ask why do you need me here?” asked Twilight.

Night Light got over to his desk and said, “Twilight we found a match for you.”

That is what Twilight was scared about.  She did not want to be sent away from her family to live with another family.  She would miss her library, Trixie, and her whole family that she grew up with. 

“Am I being sent there?” she said with a bit of sadness.

Night Light smiled and knew why she was sad and assured, “Twilight it's ok. I asked Ighous Rock to send Stone here.” Twilight was greatly shocked when she heard that name.  She is marrying a dragon-pony. 

“I am going to have him become my squire and then later he will become a knight for House Light,” Night Light explained.

Twilight was confused.  She was nervous but then she wanted to know something “What is Stone like?” she asked, always interested in dragon-ponies.  She might ask him a bunch of questions when she meets him.

“Stone is a nice fellow,” responded Night Light.  “I met him when he was very young, but I can say he is nice, gentle and somewhat funny.  He also loves to read as well.” 

That greatly peaked Twilight’s interest.  She always wanted to meet someone who is a reader. 

“So,Twilight are you going to accept this?” asked Night Light hopefully.

Twilight was still worried because she hardly knows about him and yet they are still going to get married 

“Father, are we going to meet him soon?” asked Twilight.

Night Light nodded his head which made Twilight even more nervous.  She is growing up too fast.
> Chapter 9
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The North was cold and dreary even in summer. The sky was a constant film of dull grey, and the sun was almost always behind layers of clouds. The relative warmth merely turned the unforgiving blizzard into rain mixed with the occasional sleet. 

Shining Armor yanked his heavy scarves with a huff. He thought that the chilly wetness might even be worse than winter snow - but then he did not really know, being a southerner himself. 

After marching through the wide northern expanse for a while, he was  still not used to the cold.  Whenever the unforgiving gust of skin-cutting wind blasted on his exposed face, he mentally questioned whatever gods, new or old, that created such an inhospitable place for people to live, as well as the sanity of the poor sods that chose to live here.

As Shining’s thought swam, he suddenly felt numbness in his limbs. Fearing it was frostbite that was setting in, he hurriedly tightened his gloves and wrapped his cloak on tight. He and his family wanted to meet their future family members, the House Rock. In particular, he wished to arrive with every limb intact.

“A little cold, are you?” one of his bodyguards asked with cold tremor in his voice. Shining turned, the guard was a relatively new face, a gaunt youth with slightly darker blue hair than him. 

After another involuntary shudder, the guard mulled. “Wait until we get to Winterneigh, my Prince. It's a lot warmer with their hot springs and, heh, brothels.” 

Shining would never go to a brothel in all of his life, but the prospects of a warm spring did pique his interest. “Don’t mention those... degenerate places to my face. But really? How warm are the springs exactly… guard?” 

“You are a poor leader for not knowing the ponies who are loyal to you, my prince,” the guard said with a laugh, but the jeering was apparent in his voice. 

Shining Armor’s eyes narrowed, but he sighed, biting back the bile in order to appear as magnanimous in front of his retinue. “I apologize. Your face is new to me, for father only assigned you along with other guards and squires quite recently.”

“It’s fine. My name is Flash Sentry, one of your father’s guards. Sometimes I wish I was a knight sometimes.”

“Then you must work on your manner and knightly conduct a little bit more, Flash Sentry, before a lord would find making you a Ser palatable. For one, no self-respecting knight would just dive inside a brothel, as his first order of business in a princely entourage.”

Shining Armor nodded satisfactorily for his subtle jab back towards the impudent guard. Flash Sentry, on the other hand, simply mumbled something under his breath. 

However, the guard then struck up a grin. “Roger that. But my prince, you also asked about the warmth of Winterneigh. The hold is constantly pumped with hot spring water in its walls, and it stays warm throughout the coldest winter. And of course, there are pools of hot springs reserved for visitors who have been numbed by the cold outside.”

“That sounds great. But how do you know so much about Winterneigh?”

“This is not the first time I’ve been to the North, my Prince. Previously I’ve also brought messages and guarded lords to and from the seat of the North.”

“I see. I can’t wait to get inside the comfy walls of Winterneigh, then.”

Flash Sentry laughed. “Me, too. My prince, we all do.”

Shining watched the carriages passing through the treacherous terrain.  They were filled with the rich and the royal from the capital  - House Light, House Sun, House Moon, and so on. Dusk’s carriage was also there, but now his son Blueblood and his daughter Blue Rose rode on it. 

Shining would rather walk  in the cold wind, though. He preferred seeing the world with his own eyes than getting stuck in a windowless carriage. Sitting down for so long would certainly cause him to become stir-crazy, he thought.

 Hardy Earth Ponies pulled the carriages uphill. Shining observed the scrunched up faces, briefly thinking that if carriages were too taxing to pull. He jokingly thought that, if he became the King, he could issue an edict to ban all carriages.

It was of course a fleeting thought, because he knew that there were children and invalids among them, and supplies could not walk by themselves. He might not be very good with names, but he was still commonsense enough not to act like a mad king. 

As they finally passed through the hills, Winterneigh, the home of the Warden of the North, finally entered Shining Armor’s eyes. Winterneigh was a huge castle complex spanning several acres, consisting of two massive walls with a ditch between them and a village located just outside. The complex consisted of many buildings and keeps, some were old as the Wall, and others were newer additions. but Shining knew that this castle could withstand an army and the Winter.

Shining could see the Lord of Winterneigh as he got near. He could also see his wife and his children. One of them was pink and had a bright smile, the second one emotionless who looked at Shining with a bland expression, the their done was shy and wanted to hide behind her father. 

The Dragonpony looked around nervously. He almost looked like he was just as shy as the shy one, but he was striking up a brave face, presumably because he did not want to disappoint his father. Shining knew that one of Iguous’s children were not among them, ashe heard that he had five children counting the Dragonpony.

Then at the corner of Shining’s eye, he saw someone wearing a guard helmet approaching. 

The Lord of Winterneigh grunted and grabbed at the mare.. “Hey, what exactly are you doing with that on?” 

He took the helmet off her head, and all she could do was letting out a groan She then pushed the Dragonpony out of the waym so she could stand with her sisters. Shining pondered about these children. They were all acting quite weird for his taste. There were even unsavory rumors he heard about the madness running in the blood of the Rock family, but he would not of course keep his mouth shut about them.


Shining’s father, Night Light, came out of the carriage with his mother, Twilight Velvet. His younger sister Twilight immediately looked around curiously, because she had never seen the North with her own eyes, but only read about it in books. 

Night Light came up to Igneous Rock and hugged him like a brother. “Night, how have you been my old friend!”
Igneous smiled. “Guarding the North from griffons, as usual, my friend.” The duo had not seen each other for almost ten years. The last time they did see each other, it was the war against Loki of the Tank Islands, who raided as far as  the Heart Lands.

Shining Armor observed the duo, who seemed to be content to just stand there and chat. He asked his father’s permission to excuse himself with a gaze, and got an acknowledging gaze in return. 

Immediately, he scampered away to look for the famed Hot Springs. Asking directions from some of the guards, he hurried  downstairs.

Beyond the stony steps,  a nice warm pool could be seen steaming and inviting his entry. 

However, Shining’s eyes popped from seeing a mare down there with a curly blonde mane, and a short purple dragon nearby. Moreover, they were getting rather intimate.

Shining was staring straight when the purple dragon saw him. 

“Oh it’s you. It's bad luck watching a dragon mate, you know.” The dragon smirked. 

The dragon, Spike, was no stranger to Shining Armor. Even though they were not truly related by blood, there was a brotherly sort of understanding and camaraderie between them from their years together in the capital.

“Stop making up superstition to cover your own behind, Spike.”

Shining Armor averted his eyes when the mare playfully flashed herself. He then sighed and asked.What exactly are you doing here?”

“Staying at Winterneigh for a bit, friend. I heard there was a feast here, might as well join in.”

“So are you crashing the feast on a goat?” Shining laughed to Spike’s dismay. But the dragon also joined in afterwards.

“Heh, you wish my friend. Anyway, I hear that you are getting married to Cadance soon,is that right?” 

Shining nodded, to which Spike continued to ask.“And your sister is getting married to the half dragon Stone, who is a bastard?”

Shining frowned lightly. “I don’t know what decision father would make, but I did hear about some rumors. I can’t help, Canterlot is like a honeypot for seemly and unseemly rumors alike.”

“Everyone’s talking about it! It must have some grain of truth to it.”

Spike laughed. “So are you going to join us or not? There is still some room, my friend.” 

Spike pointed to the nearest pool, but Shining Armor merely gave him a stink eye.

“Nah, I’m good. Uh… enjoy yourself here, Spike.”
> Chapter 10
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After Shining Armor left, it was just Spike and Carrot Top in the Hot Springs.

She came up to him, her nice golden body pressed against him. Spike could feel her heaving soft breasts and long golden mane brushed by his scales. Spike felt incredibly lucky to get his claws on this mare before Rainbow Dash did. he would rather be greedy today than to share his spoils with her.



He briefly pondered the possibility of letting Rainbow join in as he dived his head downwards, but he wryly thought, I’m feeling nice and greedy today  He then goes lower on Carrot and licks her honey pop.. 

Just as his thoughts wandered, the cyan mare herself suddenly entered the springs. “Hey there, Lord Goat Rider, Night Light wants to see you.”Rainbow was staring at the mare he was with staring at her beautiful breast.

Greatly annoyed, he thought with a scowl. ‘ Damn him to Tartarus! If Rainbow takes this mare when I’m gone, I am going to dice her into rainbow drops.’ 

He got out of the spring and put on a towel. “Fine, I will meet with him..”

Rainbow could only shrug. “Beats me, that's an interesting lot to be sure. Especially the younger daughter Twilight.”

Spike looked at Rainbow with a funny expression.“So are you interested in that Twilight or not?” 

“Yep.” She admitted promptly."I'm. She may have been wearing a gown, but I always wanted to see what is underneath. Maybe I can even give her something a Stone could not.”

Spike raised his eyebrow. While Twilight was doubtlessly attractive, he saw her too much as a sister to make a move on her.. Instead, he teased.“ So, what exactly is that something you’ve talked about?” 

“Something to actually pleasure her with?” 

“What? Are you so drunk that you’ve forgotten that you’re a mare?.”

“Silly Spike, there’s plenty of ways that a mare can pleasure a mare!”
Spike made a face.“Yeah, tell me about it. However, he also has you beaten in terms of titles and possible physical strength, him being a dragonpony and whatnot.” 

“Do you know who I am? I am Rainbow Dash of Tank Island, legendary swords pony and legendary lover.If I showed her my cunt she would not hesitate to lick it.”

“Yeah, you’re a legendary cunt alright.”

Rainbow’s face grew red, but instead of giving in to her anger, she pointed to Carrot Top. “I’m gonna prove it to you!”

Rainbow then took her bottoms off to show off her  treasure. To Spike’s slight surprise, Carrot Top did look interested, as she slowly approached the cyan mare with a sensual look.


“Well, have fun you two.” 

Spike grinned as he exited the springs. However, he then promptly  groaned as he dressed, feeling that his drive was far from being fully relieved.

‘I swear to the gods, that shithead of a prince better have actually important thing to talk, or I’m going to make him drink my piss.” ’ Spike muttered as he put his pants and his red jerkin on., he exits the Spring and sees a dragonpony hitting a dummy he was curious. 


“You’re the ‘Dragonpony’, huh?” He asked the brown-haired pony with mismatched eyes. . Spike always  wondered why Night Light chose a bastard for her darling daughter, a major break with royal traditions.


The Dragonpony was clearly nervous. “Um, you are Spike the Dragon, right?” 

“The one and only. So you’re the Bastard of the Igneous Rock, am I right?” 

Stone looks down at his hooves in silence, prompting Spike to ask.. “Did I somehow offend you?”

“N- no it’s not that, it is just that- I- just-” 

He gulped. “I promised my sister that I shall not mourn about being a bastard all day, but it still hurts.”

“Stone, don’t let what you’re born with brings you down. Wear it like armor, and be proud of it.”

Stone growled and shouted. “ HOW would you know? Do you have a stepmom who disapproves of you and whatever you say or do?” 

His voice turned strained. “... Or Lords who make fun of me and my family simply because of how simple we are? I can’t stand it at all!!”

“So what if they say those shit? You’re the one who’s going to marry Twilight, the godsdamn princess of the land.” 

Stone stopped sulking for a bit.“ Do you think she will like me? I am a dragonpony and I am no match for her in appearance.” 


“Pfft. Only dimwits would think your draconic features as ugly. Twilight certainly wouldn’t. We’ve been with each other for so long, and she surely would think that being a bit scaly is a big plus.” 


Stone was curious about his knowledge of Twilight. “How come you’re so familiar with her?”

“We spent our childhood together, she is like my sister in all regards. She is a bit bookish, though, so I would suggest you act like a knight from storybooks. She’s going to eat it up right away. ” 

“W- Which knight, exactly?”

Spike shrugged. “You have to figure it out yourself. Anyway, I’ve got to go meet with Prince Night Light. Best of luck with Twi, mate.” 

As the dragon walked away from the confused dragonpony, he muttered to himself. “He seems like a good lad. I’m sure Twi would be in good hooves with him.”



He waltzed into the main hall and found Night Light leaning on a stone chair.

“So, what exactly is that matter, Night Light?”

The guard next to Night Light, Flash Sentry, immediately scowled. “It's your Prince! Bow before him,you little lizard!” 
“Whoa, tough guy eh? But you see, dear, mom and dad are talking. Why don’t you go and guard a door or something?” 

Flash Sentry’s face reddened like a tomato, and he almost pulled out his sword. Night Light, however, gestured him to stand down. He then ordered the irascible guard out of the hall, even though the guard was clearly incensed. 

“Whelp, sorry about Flash Sentry, he’s a bit overzealous. But you should also try to be more pliable next time.”

Spike sat down and got himself a cup of wine. 

“If you allow me to be uncouth, my prince: Fuck that. I could see from the very beginning that he was growling at me like I fucked his sister. Somepony just hate lizard folk with a passion, you know? No amount of niceties would make them nice to me."

Night Light sighed, but he nodded. “Let’s put that episode of transgression aside. I need your help.”

“Do tell.”

“The King, my brother is dead.”

“What?!”

“And on his dying breath, he asked me to be the king.” 

“I- I thought Blueblood was next in line?” 

“True. But my brother clearly saw something in Blueblood like we all do.”

“You can say that again.”

Night Light snorted in response. “That’s why I came up here to make Igneous Rock my Hand.”

He paused. “And you, too, will be on my council.”

Spike put down his glass of wine and widened his eyes. But he soon grinned.

“You’re good at picking competent people to work for you, my friend.”


“ I am picking you because you know my daughter and my son really well and I am having you work with the Master of Weapers Ghost Orchid” 

Spike knows the rumours of the so called  Ghost he hears things everywhere, they call him the Wandering Ghost, or the Spider, he has lots of names. ‘ and they call me Goat Rider I need a better nickname maybe Dragon Warrior or Spike the Wondering Swordsdrake but that would be a very dumb name.


“ So why do you need me to spy anyways Night Light” he asked with caution


“ I don’t trust Dusk Shine’s son Blue Blood”

Spike knows who Blue Blood is he is a Prince who is the rightful heir, Spike could think of so many reasons why not to have him as king one of those reasons is because he is a cunt that’s all Spike could think of at that point but he must never say it out loud. “ You don’t trust your nephew I don’t really know what to say about that” he spins his the top part of his wine glass to make music.

Night Light leaned forward in order to whisper “ their is some rumours that he is committing incest with his sister Princess Rose” Incest is very frowned about Spike heard legends that some rulers did it to keep the bloodline pure but now no rulers do that anymore.


“ So what your suggestion might be treason  but you're the King now” Spike thought about this ‘ This could work for me knowing everything that way I could say I drink and I know things’ then Spike drained his all of his wine cup. “ I well accept  this seat on the council who know maybe I might make some friends.”


NIght Light stands up “ It well be good working with you”  Spike pours more wine into his cup.

Spike puts his wine cup up as a cheers “ To everlasting friendship, more wine and fine mares”  drained all of his wine and he was drunk right now. “ but I well be at your leave my Prince or my future King.”

Spike made sure he poured more wine into his cup he wanted to leave he did not want to get drunk in front of the Prince last time he got drunk in front of Prince Blueblood he kind of puked on him which was a funny sight so when Spike got to the courtyard he was dark out and he sees Stone talking with a mare, Spike could barely see who it was but he was pretty sure it was Twilight.

“You clearer dragonpony” that was the final words he said before he fell drunk inside a pile of hay that had dogs in it and Spike fell asleep dreaming of fine mares and wine.
> Chapter 11
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Sourin always loved visiting the fountain when he was with his family. Often times in his foalhood he’d asked if he could have one.t was always beautiful with the water floating out but he was not big with the nude peasgi  mostly due to the fact it’s cock was where the water shot outt Yeah, that he could do without, even if the fountain was  where he meet Lady Octavia and now where he intended to meet a mare named Fluttershy.?

While he was cleaning his sword and watching the fountain squirt  its water from its statue's cock , occasionally checking the position of the sun and watching as it just grew later and later. ‘ 

“That does it I’m out of here’ Sourin decided though  he wondered if Fluttershy was ok. Maybe if he just went and asked at the palace before he departed? He went up to where the palace, noted that the flag for House Pennas was flying over the parapets, meaning Fancy Pants was currently in residence. 


Sourin had met Fancy Pant’s brother Lord Magnum and his daughter Rarity a long time ago, during the Tourney of Doctor Whooves. It was there he saw the Ghost Knight’s legendary  battle with Big Mac of House Apple. he could only see the knight’s eyes which was purple and silver with a dragon like slit. So Sourin could guess that the Ghost Knight is a dragon or a dragonpony but during that battle he cursed Big Mac to take second place forever.

Their are rumors on who the Ghost Knight was and Sourin could guess that it was Stone Edge, the bastard son of Lord Rock. It must be understandable that he did that because bastards are not allowed to enter  Tourneys at all it felt unfair to them and Sourin could never understand that.




As Sourin entered the palace, he bumped into somepony, a very familiar somepony. The figure  was wearing a cloak of white which meant one of two things: either they were a member of the Kingsguard or. 

“ I am sorry my friend I did not see you there” The figure’s  voice was soft and curled elegantly around  his speaking of  the Equestrian tongue. Sourin looked closer and his suspicions were confirmed, it was  the  one known as the Ghost.


“ I am sorry I was in my own little world” Soarin said

“ That's alright we are all in our own world sometimes but my dear friend their is  I would ask of you” 
Sourin knew what was going to happen, the only reason Ghost would be present


He wanted to have him kill Fluttershy for being a danger to the realm.







“ If you want me to do what I fear you’re going to ask me to do, then forget it! I already made a vow to her, and I am not one to just go back on my word at the first sign of danger! Well...not any more.”” 





Soarin knew this was a lie, he had broken many vows over his years as a Wonderbolt, he’d let his honor go from bedding a mare and not protecting his King, and he would go down in history as the worst knight ever, but that was then, this was now! Now when, just maybe he will make it up for Fluttershy.

Ghost slowly shook his head 






“ You presume too much. No I am not asking you to kill her, I am asking you to report the news about her and her dealings, comings, goings and even earn her trust” he gave Sourin letters for him to deliver. “ Then maybe we will let you come back to Equestria”









Sourin paused in his stride, Ghost’s words hitting him as graceful as a feather and as sharp as a knife to the heart. He knew the pegasus missed home more than anything,  that he wanted to see his own family again, even if they wouldn’t care to they want to see him again after bringing so much dishonor to their name. 



“ Fine I will tell you her comings and goings but that does not exclude my previous statement. I will not be your assassin!.”








Ghost smiled “ Of course not,  you will just be the one who looks the other way if we send another one in to do the deed...”






Sourin gulped  but a quick look from Ghost silenced his tongue. 






“ Of course  you can choose to follow her and defend her till your dying day if you wish. It just means you’ll never be permitted back on the shores of Equestria again.” 






“ I well...” Soarin began, but Ghost had already turned to leave.






“Take a day, think it over.” The enigmatic pony replied before walking out of the palace.  






“Ghost” Soarin began again then hung his head. “Dammit but...ngh...the war...and the dragons...I made a vow to her!” 





He looked to the letters and was  was about to throw them like so much trash, only to still his hoof at the last second. Thinking it over again,  he put them in his coat before ascending the steps to Fancy Pants’ Palace 






There  Fluttershy was with Garble as well as  a huge stallion whom Sourin could only imagine was the leader of the Diamondback Company sell swords.









The Diamond Back Company were  the most ruthless company in the East.  They helped out in the War of the Dragons, on the Dragon’s side, meaning so they were probably glad to help Fluttershy to conquer Equestria. The problem was, as far as Soarin could see,  they also lived by a code to follow only the strongest and, that only the strongest could  get what they want. Dueling for things such as property, food, a wife, were  common among the Diamondback.






Soarin suddenly had a frightful image of Fluttershy being raped by the giant stallion, perhaps a bit of a premature fear, but  then again,  Soarin could tell much from the eyes of a pony and this Fluttershy had the eyes that could only belong to the most innocent  of children. He could tell she was scared, of the world around her, of the stallion in front of her,  and of the red dragon behind her.






 Soarin felt the letters in his coat growing heavy, and realised this was an oppourtunity to at least get on Fluttershy’s good side.








He went up up to them and gave  the Diamondback Leader a challenging look 





“What do you want from me foreigner?” 





The stallion had a dark brown coat, covered in war paint, red war paint at that. Soarin could guess that was to drive fear into his enemies.











“ I, Soarin challenge you in one-on-one combat for Fluttershy!” He said, then immediately regretted what he’d said. This might quite possibly be the worst decision that he had  ever made, to the extent that many might believe he was indulging a death wish.   Still but he couldn’t live with himself knowing he’d condemned an innocent to a possible fate worse than death, and the fact that  he Garble was laughing at him and Fluttershy was making those begging eyes  that screamed ‘ to not fight.’ Yeah, he had to try to make a stand!








The leader laughed as well 


“ You know I always wanted to have my sword taste the blood of an Seven Kingdom knight, you knights think you are better than the rest of us  with your duty and your honor! I am Lord Red Iron  Leader of the Dimaond Back, and I aim to prove you have no honor!.”








Sourin drew his sword “ I do have honor’ 








“ I guess you are right  hmmehhehe I always heard stories about you knights defending the weak and all that but here, we serve the strong! If you beat me that proves you're a little bit stronger than I, a little less worthy of being a servant." 





The stallion he drew a large sword that could easily split Sourin in two. It certainly did the job of cutting his confidence in half.

Sourin and Red Iron circled each other like two animals  until the latter then came at Sourin with his sword, forcing him to dodge.  Despite the fact that the weapon appeared to be a two handed claymore of some kind,  Red Iron  wielded it like it was a regular one handed weapon. ,  The stallion then came at him again and again Soarin barely managed to dodge from that swing. He jumped back to  then to get some more space between him and his opponent, enough for him to then draw out his dagger and stab  Red in the knee on the next lunge. Sourin did not know why he did such a move that he would never do.





Red merely looked down at the wound and kicked Soarin away, apparently not even feeling the gleaming blade lodged in his leg. he is still up even with a dagger in his knee 


“ A move like that and you claim to be honorable? Ha!” ” He said with a creepy smile, though Soarin noticed he was slowing down. Red knelt and ripped the dagger out of his leg, then, as if to mock his opponent, he threw it back at him.  With a quick hoof, Soarin  caught the dagger by it’s handle, twirling it around and throwing it at Red. This time it landed in the stallion’s chest, and like before, he seemed to barely notice. 





“ Is this all you can do a fly’s bite?” Red asked. He charged Sourin again but this time his speed was clearly hampered. Soarin gripped his blade and dodged once more, while uttering a silent prayer.





“No, I can also do this!” He said while turning to buck the stallion as he passed. Red stumbled as his inertia caused him to upset his balance and he crashed to the ground.





Soarin wasted no time in pinning the equine down by driving his blade through his neck. Red let out several surprised gargles as his blood erupted from the wound, then slowly his body stilled as his titular color slowly spread out around him. 





Garble scratches his chin, surprised at this outcome but only a little. 





“ So I am guessing you are now going to declare yourself Leader of the Diamond Backs? ” He said, trying not to smirk at the idea of a clueless knight who thought it would be that easy to take over a major organisation of sell swords.

Sourin yanked out his blade and wiped it clean.





“No.” He said.





“No?” Garble asked in confusion. 





“ No I am going to give the title to my Lady  Fluttershy who I swore my life too.” The pegasus turned to Fluttershy and knelt. “ My lady...I give you this gift with the condition that you hear me out on this one point: do not give your army to your brother-in-law!” 





Fluttershy nodded slowly, placing a hoof to her chest. come “ I...I see. Th-Thank you I will never forget what you did Sir Soarin” 








Sourin put his arms around her. 





“ I vowed to protect you Fluttershy, in both action and word! Please, take the Diamond Backs and see that they agree to serve you the same as I. ” 





He let go of her and took a deep breath.. 





“ I will come with you when we are ready to leave, till then send word if you required my aid on anything else..”

Sourin turned to head to the market, barely missing a query from Garble of ‘Is he for real?’  Presently he came across a zebra covered in bandages

“ I see that she is important to you Sir Sourin of the Seven Kingdoms” Sourin had met many zebra’s before. He knew some were mystical and some were warriors. There were remours they knew everything in the world and were wise beyond imagination.

“ Who are you” He asked.

“ Who am I is not important it’s who is important too you but I see that  you well play a very important part in the war too come” she vanishes but says one more thing “ Your answers well be answered when you meet the Warlocks."

Sourin did not know what that was supposed to mean, but then again his mind was clouded by the events of the last few minutes.  He wished he knew where there was a tavern, a quick drink would help settle his nerves, and hopefully quell the fear in his gut as to what he was going to do next.
> Chapter 12
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stone loved wine, probably influenced by  his dragon side. . Tonight, though, he can’t drink to his full, because he was only allowed one cup now, now that he is in the front table sitting across the table with Prince Night Light and his family.

Stone was sitting next to Shining Armor, a dragon who was already drunk off wine, he could see Twilight who was dressed in a royal blue dress with stars talking with his sister Pinkie, they were becoming fast friends. Then, as soon has Stone finished his cup of wine, Shining Armor grabbed his shudders and all Stone could say was “ Oro?”. He never know where he got that from at all his sister says “ that the creator thought it was cute to make you say that word” which Stone never really understood in all of his life.


Shining Armor looked like a proper prince. He was wearing that dark blue fancy coat and had that long blue hair, but it was not as long as Stone’s hair which during this feast, he had to put his hair in a ponytail and it was braided by Pinkie to look good for Twilight. “ So you are going to marry my sister, you must be a very lucky dragonpony.”

Stone got that a lot from others, maybe they might have been jealous of him mainly because they wonder how a dragonpony, flesh-eater, bastard like him gets to marry a princess basically “ ummm sure I guess I am lucky” Stone was not sure if he was lucky or not, he never thought that this would happen, but it beats him going to go to the Wall to freeze and die of a slow death without making much impact for the realm. He would, though, certainly miss his sisters Maud, Marble, Pinkie and perhaps even Limestone.

Shining laughed a little too drunkenly. Stone did take note that he only had one maybe two cups, so Stone could guess that Shining Armor is a light weight from drinking. But Stone did not question it “ you guess he says” he smiled at Stone and put his cup down. “ I am serious and you are going to be my brother by law, I never  had a brother at all.”

Stone never had a brother as well, He had only sisters to be around with maybe Pinkie was the only one who was close to him, Maud did not have much emotion, Marble was quiet , and Limestone did not like Stone at all. Maybe it would be good to have a brother-by-law. “ yeah it would be nice to have someone that is like a brother to be” Stone felt happy, and he could see Shining Armor had a smile on his face as well.


“So tell me about yourself Princ----”

Shining interrupted him before Stone could call him Prince Shining Armor. “ I am not a Prince and don’t call me Lord, also don’t call me Ser as well just call me your brother or Shining.” He puts his arms around Stone which made Stone not so uncomfortable  because this is like a brother thing, Stone knows that some guys are into stallions and some mares are into other mares. Stone could see a rainbow maned mare checking out Twilight and also him which made him kind of nervous.


“ So a coin for your thoughts brother” he is acting like that Stone and Twilight is already married.


“ Ummm that rainbow mare who is staring at Twilight and ummm me.”



The  purple dragon overheard them “ oh hey that is my bodyguard her name is Rainbow Dash of the Tank Islands” he whips his mouth from all the wine he was drinking, “ I see that she is looking at your future wife, don’t worry I could pay a guardsmen to distract her”

Stone was shocked “ Oro, really she would get distract by a guardsmen” Stone was wondering if that Rainbow mare likes both guys and girls, but he knows that some in Sandhorn prefer it that way but also she looks very tough and could probably clock him in a sword duel “ how tough is she?”


Spike scratches his head   “ hmmm I have seen her beaten a Big Mac in a tournament and a Sourin but she is whory when she gets drunk, trust me I been their having sex with her was sooo good but yet so bad” Which it made both Stone and Shining Armor both confused at this and could not understand this. “ but she is a good and loyal  pony, . I have to say she is a very good warrior”

Its uncommon for mares to end up fighting and becoming knights Stone knows that Luna always mares to join the Lunar Guards. “ But anyone could beat Big Mac.”

Spike looked at him with a smile a knowing smile that could tell anything “ oh did you fight him in combat”

That question toke Stone by surprise, Stone had to think of something quick but he  could only say “ ummm I don’t know what your talking about” Stone did not mean to say that but he said “  I mean there's no way that I could of beaten Big Mac I did not fight him”

Spike whispered in Stone’s ear. Spike had so much alcohol on his breathe and he said “ keep telling yourself that Ghost Knight” That cause Stone to go in a shock like how did he know “ Don’t worry I won’t tell your secret, I have so many secrets that your head will spin. “ he laughs at a his own joke.

“ I bet you have many secrets like everyone in this place” he also looks to Shining Armor who was listening to their conversion for awhile but did not say anything but Stone could see that Shining’s face was already on the table from drinking too much mead. Stone thought out loud which is a horrible habit“ This is why my family only has one cup for feasts.” Stone looked disguised as Shining puked on him. “Ohhhh Celetisa damn it!!!” he got puke on him from Shining Armor drinking too much which he ran outside before anyone could see what has happened.

The purple dragon followed him “ Huh hey you here Stone”

“ Hey Spike” he looks down “ I am sorry that was very unbecoming of me.”

Spike gave Stone pat on the shoulder. “ My friend I been drinking so much that happens to me on a common bases besides Shining can’t hold his shit anyways” Spike sits down. “ he is a like a brother to me but I won’t drink with him.”


Stone signs “ So I got to ask you Spike what would you choose?” he asks knowing what the question might  be this was on Stone’s mind for awhile.


Spike looks at him “ you gotta do better my friend I can’t read your mind” Spike taps Stone’s head when he that.

“ The Wall or marrying a princess?”

“ Easy marrying a princess but that is just me, but I already have a princess that I want to marry”

“ Oh who is it” Stone said as he tried to get more comfortable on the stairs.

Spike grinned “ It’s the Lady Rarity the most beautiful mare of House  Pennas, or Avid I don’t know where they got the second name from maybe it was what the dragons called them”

Stone knows little of the dragon tongue but he know that Avid means traitor he knows Spike knows it but he won’t speak it. The reason that they are called   Avid is because Lord Magnum betrayed the Dragons



Spike stands up and heads back “ Now I got to make sure that silly mare does not pick a fight with a guard or drink too much she has a habit of doing that” he heads  back but then he sees someone a purple mare. “ oh hey Twilight”


Stone did  not know what to do he had tried to speak with her before but all he said to her when he went up to her was “‘Oro?’ and it was the most embarrassing thing he ever said he could see her coming to him she was wear a purple gown which made Stone blush. “ uhhhh hello umm Twilight’.” he look at the moon.


She sat done next to him “ hey”

“ Ummm hi uhh Twilight”


She looks at him and smiles “ why are you not inside eating with us?”

“ I don’t know, your brother puked on me and I wanted to leave because it was embarrassing.” Stone said.

“ Hmmmm maybe it has something to do with being scared of our planned marriage?”

Stone was shocked “how did you?”

“ I overheard you well I do think that was one reason why you wanted to come out here.”


Stone was flabbergasted he thought out loud “ This mare is very knowledge about maybe she might be worth to marry who knows I been wrong before, especially when Pinkie has pranked me with a pie to the face, I Stone Edge Dragonpony have been wrong before”

Twilight just stared at him with shock “ ummm what did you just say?”

Stone could not believe he was shocked he finally said something that he  ‘ Why do I do this, this thinking outloud well be the death of me’ . Stone got himself together and said “ Uhhhh I am sorry I have a bad habit of doing that ehehehheheh”


Twilight giggled at Stone’s silly excuse “ It’s fine you seen Shiny’s embarrassing moment he can’t handle mead, and he does a lot of other silly things, so you pale in comparison”

Stone could wonder what those are but his mind was on a different thing their planned marriage. “ Twilight what do you think of this planned marriage between us? Do answer to me honestly please.”

“ I am not big on planned marriages, I believe that we should choose for ourselves  it's what is right I read that some wars that some were started because of these planned marriages”

Stone countered that, “ Ah but some Lords were betrayed because they did what they wanted from what I have readed.” Stone could only have a smug grin from that.


“So you do read as well, I thought you were illiterate like many others”

Stone could only look at her with a deadpan. “ You underestimate me Twilight, I enjoy reading too I have had no problems with it”

Twilight looked very happy “ Well good maybe we can become good friends besides you're going to be my dad’s squire before we get married so we can still have these chats before we do get married”


Stone smiled “ Do you want me to make a vow to that?”

Twilight laughed “ Go ahead”

Stone then made his voice very different he changed his accest  to a very mocking one “ I Stone Edge of House Rock, titles titles” Stone really did not like how many titles that he has if he said his full name he would go insane. “ hereby vow that we will have are chats before we get married an----”

Before Stone completed his vows he heard a loud thud which was very loud, “ What was that?” Stone rushed to their and all he could do was cry “ NOooooo SIS how” Twilight could look in horror to see that Pinkie was on the ground her body twitching.  “ SOMEONE HELP!!!







“ What is happening” Pinkie opens her eyes and her is falling into blackness she could only remember herself being pushed off the tower she did can’t remember who pushed her only the shadows of two unicorns.

“ The things I do for love” is the words that Pinkie could remember from when she was pushed off, but as the ground touched her back she then found herself falling deeper into the abyss.

As she was flying she saw three eyes from something it looked like it was flying in the abyss but the so called revan said “ Why don’t you Fly?”

Even Pinkie could not understand what the Raven meant. She was born an earth pony, not a pegasi, they were the only ones who could fly but she can’t

“ What do you mean, I can’t fly” The ground was closer, still far far away , a thousand miles away but closer than it had been.



“ You will die, if you don’t fly now” The raven went on top of her head and she could see that he has the same blue eyes. Some may say that Pinkie’s and his eyes look the same but the raven had three eyes, three blue eyes like Pinkie’s.

“ I can’t fly, I can’t” Pinkie said

The raven pecked on her head “ you know the old saying Pinkie: “Do, or do not, there is no try”, open your third eye”

Pinkie try to close her eyes and then she found out she was flying in the abyss ‘ ohhh I am flying it working”

The raven made a what looked like a grin “ I can see that my friend you're doing good now maybe in this you could see some foreshadowing that might happen as you fly”

Pinkie looked at him with a smile “ you can break the 4th Wall too” as she was floating in the darkness, when she was floating she saw visions of shadows, shadows that may have the past of maybe the future.


She flew, and saw the throne room of a dragon who was on the Iron Throne. He was dressed very nicely with black and red, he looked at the pony who was also wearing the same color, but he had a yellow coat and long pink hair. He had his shoulders like a regular noble pony he bowed to the dragon. “ My old friend I have some good news” the pony talked to the dragon like he was an old friend that he know a long time ago. “ I have another child.”

The King raised his eyebrow  “ Really you have two sons now Butterscotch”  Pinkie did not remember who Butterscotch is, but as soon as she remember her history lesson, she was pulled away by a new vision.

She then saw a new shadow, three shadows one of them was heavily armored, and she sees two other shadows with a sliver like mane on his left side and the other side with a purple and pink mane on his other and the heavily armored pony drew his sword and held it at arms, the handsome blade dressed in dancing fire that lapped at the cold steel's, she tried to see the pony with the fire sword, as the vision pulled her.

she saw a many shadows going to another shadow and calling out to someone “ MOTHER, MOTHER, MOTHER!!!”

Then the visions came to her as fast as she could see them one vision is wear a purple stallion stabs a yellow pony in the heart and he his tears were like blood “Amethyst!!!” he cried out.

Pinkie then saw a shadow of a grey creature in the bed with another shadow, the shadow revealed itself as a pale blue demon with 7 more shadows ready to battle it. Following on from that were three shadows of flying creatures burning a castle.

Pinkie closed her and the visions were gone “ what was that were those?”


The raven went to Pinkie’s shoulders “ That is was is too come my friend, for Winter is coming” the raven leaves and then Pinkie finds herself awaken in the her bed.


“ What happened” she tried to move her legs but she can’t “ nooo it can’t be what happened how” she was crying ‘ did the raven lie to me saying I could fly?’ Then her mane deflated all she could do was cry.






Spike could only wake up with a huge hangover again, he didn’t remember what happened all he could see was that he was sleeping on the table, and he felt like he got punched in the face he felt his face and he could remember that someone did punch him and he can’t really remember who did it. He sees Rainbow sleeping on the  table, which it looked like she destroyed it from fighting a guard who was yellow and had that blue mane. Rainbow was snoring and drooling when Spike saw her he then kicked her in the side which Rainbow’s eyes shoot up. “ whhat who is there.”

Spike could only give her a sign. “You’re lucky that I woke up before that guard otherwise you would've lost your head.”


Rainbow gave him what looks like a damsel look “ ohhhh Spiky your my brave knight how could I ever stop that evil guard from chopping my head?” she asked very sarcastic which Spike rolled his eyes for.

“ You destroyed a table and I felt like I got punched in the face, clearly we’ve been drinking too much”

Rainbow winked and said. “ Ohhh I was the one who punched you”

Spike was shocked by he did not know what to say. “ How could you punch me in the face, I mean what am I paying you for?”

“ Well you looked like you needed to be punched in the face and I had to take it heeeeee”

Spike could sense that Rainbow may have enjoyed that  many mares have punched Spike but he has punched Blueblood a bunch of times which was the best thing he has done in his life. Spike knows that Blueblood is a pig he has a remour that he is banging his sister Bluebelle which Spike admits that she is a looker but she is a huge bitch and a cunt. “ So you ready to get going Rainbow.”


They got out of the Hall and into a hallway with many paints of the Kings and Lords of the North. “ Fine but this isn’t the first time I am going to get in fights maybe getting mares in bed”


Spike looked at her “ The next time you punch me again I am not going to hire you” he looked with a dead serious.

“ Your serious I mean come on I need a good fight I get very bored you know and the only thing I can do is drink and fuck” she was poaunting and she made a very pitiful face that Spike could only laugh at.

Spike wished he could just pich Rainbow’s cheeks but he can’t he was too short for that ‘ curse my sature I would pinch her cheeks if I could maybe I would try to pick her boobs if I would but she would punch me.’  Spike then said “ Then go to a whore house and find a mare to sleep with”

Rainbow rolled her eyes “ You know it becomes old sleeping with whores” She then looked out like dreamly. “ I think maybe I should puck a flower from a virgin it’s sounds much grander”

Spike kept on hearing on how Rainbow plans on sleeping with Twilight.  “ You sound like a drunken love-sick knight who wants to fuck the beautiful lady on a bed of roses or something with a lot of wine and you doing whatever you do, I would join you but one Twilight is basically like my sister, two the virgin I want is Rarity, and three Twilight is marrying Stone if you forgot” They crossed the hall with more pictures of old and forgotten lords who look more dead then they were in life.

Rainbow groaned  that all the reasons why Spike said ‘she can’t sleep with Twilight’ she wishes there was a way maybe they will send Stone to the Wall for the Lunar Guards and then she could marry Twilight but she didn't want to see the dragonpony named Stone leave to die on the Wall while she is bang his soon-to-be  wife it would look bad on her honor if she had any but Stone was a good lad and he was innocent always looking up to the future.  “ I get it Spike she is going to be married to Stone but I can still think about her.”


Spike signed he understood where Rainbow came from he has been their he never told her but he loved a noble mare named Venus but she married a rich stallion named Golden Hoof’ but Spike was 10 years old at that time and Venus was like 25 and already betrothed to him but he did not take it personally.  “ I get it Rainbow but their is always more mares or stallions out there and many of them would love you.”

Rainbow groans more she was getting very annoyed  “ I know, I know Spike I get it.” she turned to him and looked mad “ she is so beautiful it’s like she is an angel that is tempting me to go for her but I can’t because of a betrothed I can’t stand that!”

“ It's fine Rainbow  when we get too Canterlot I promise you I will marry you to a wonderful stallion or mare who would love you.” Spike pauses to think “hmmm but I don’t know who to introduce you to.”

“ Really good luck finding a honest stallion maybe you could marry me to Stone if you could”

Spike laughed he know that was impossible “ I don’t think Stone would be your type he is kinda quiet and he has bad habit of thinking out loud you have a better chance someone”

Rainbow snorted “ Man I never thought a bastard would be out of my league” she kicked the wall a bit but not too hard.

“ The realm is changing my lady, we got bastards rising to power, we got a Northern becoming the KIng’s Hand and a have idiot rising to become King”

Rainbow then smiled “ And what do we have”

Spike grinned and made a hand gesture that showed he was hold a goblet of wine “ Me and you we have gold, beautiful mares, and a shit load of wine.”


As they walked the hall they see Stone who is looking down on the ground ready to cry, he looked very down like the world was against him  and he had no one to turn to but himself. Rainbow walked up to him. “ Hey what's wrong”

Stone looked at her and looked down to the floor “ it’s nothing Pinkie fall off the tower, Lady Rock has also blamed me for daring her to climb the tower and not being with him.”

Rainbow gave Stone a hug “ It's fine Stone do did do anything”

Stone backed off “ That's the point Rainbow I was not their for my sis I could not help her I feel I need to be by myself for awhile” he leaves and heads to his room.

Spike looked worried “ Should we go help him”

Rainbow saw this it was herself for leaving Canterlot when her husband dead she felt helpless she ran away to drink and whore “ No he can figure this out himself” she was crying it might have been the worst decision that Rainbow may have made but somepony cannot be helped.