Chapter 1: When Worlds Collide
The Grand Galloping Gala, as always, is the greatest event held within the boundaries of Canterlot, composed of every name and face that’s worth mentioning. It is held annually, for the best of the best to gather around to see what the marvelous event has to offer. New hooves to shake, nobles to kiss up to, and as of today a new set of folk will be attending the Gala this year.
Walter Barnes, a young refugee from the Griffin Kingdom who came to Equestria to escape civil war. His story was relatively ignored until word broke out that he lives with the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. His friendship gained him popularity, and often times people see him as a charity case that could possibly boost their reputation, which was why the poor young man was even acknowledged at the Gala this year.
Walter never paid too much attention to these stuffy events, he didn’t like large crowds and preferred to be himself around his friends, however considering pretty much all six of his friends are attending the Gala, he figured he might as well too. He didn’t really want to be home alone, plus some fresh air outside the house could do him some good.
Walter came dressed in a suit Rarity had especially made for his large frame, standing well over six feet tall and weighing as much as a minotaur makes it quite difficult to find a suit fitting enough for his particular physique.
His suit is crisp, colored black with a pristine white undershirt and smooth slacks sharing the same black hue as his jacket. His bowtie is a bright crimson color, pretty decent looking, it almost looked fashionable enough to distract people from the fact that it’s a clip on.
Taking a deep sigh and adjusting his firm attire, Walter made his way over to the beverage table, making himself a small plate full of food. He is quite the nervous eater, and being around so many stuffy individuals makes it feel like somebody injected cocaine directly into his nerves. After chewing up all the food he shoved in his face, he began to search for booze, something to take off the edge as well as wash down the food he had just wolfed down his gullet.
Scanning the beverage tables with his eyes, Walter notices something rather peculiar. The wine bottles were all empty or missing.
“Who the fuck...?” Walter mouthed quietly, raising his thick bushy brow in inquisition.
“At least let there be some booze left” Walter mumbled to himself, searching through the empty bottles, hoping to at least find a half empty one.
“Where the flipping flappity flying fuck did the booze go?” Walter hissed, scratching his scraggly facial hair in bewilderment.
Walter pretty much figured by now that somebody had raided the wine and left no scraps for anybody else who may be suffering from anxiety at this damn brown-nose meetup. He decided to poke his head up, looking around for anybody with excess wine in their possession, trying to narrow down the culprit the best he could. It would be rather easy, considering he towered over most of the ponies and foreign guests that currently inhabit the ballroom.
As Walter pouted by the empty wine table, and other guests harrumphed over the lack of beverages, Walter spotted something out of the corner of his eye. A human woman, athletic in build and sporting a short bobbed haircut. Her toned body was hugged tight by a sly red strapless dress, though he only saw the back as she walked away on short heels.
“Oh my god another human! I haven’t seen one in ages!” Walter gasps quietly, amazed that he is finally not the only homo sapient to grace this stuffy ballroom.
Adjusting his suit and looking himself over in the reflection of a food tray, Walter clears his throat and makes an approach. He quickly jogs up to her side, waving his giant bear like hand within her peripheral vision to catch her attention.
“Excuse me miss, forgive me but I haven’t seen another human since I immigrated to Equestria. My name is Walter, it’s nice to see a familiar face, even though you’re a stranger” Walter spoke up with a smile, trying to keep a friendly tone of voice since he is quite nervous, it’s been ages since he spoke to a human woman of such an attractive stature.
Though, it seemed the woman knew he was approaching the moment he started, his bulk having caused a slight tremor in the floor as he jogged. Looking over her shoulder at the culprit, the woman pulled her head back slightly, before looking up. “Fookin hell mate, y’eat your Wheaties this morning?” The woman cocked her head, and looked him up and down with a scrutinizing gaze.
“E-Erm, well, I uh…” Walter was caught off guard by her unexpected response to his large presence, he gave a sheepish smile while scratching the scruff on his cheek.
“I’m just a big kid, It’s in my genes. I apologize if I’m bothering you, Miss, I’m just a nervous wreck and some jackass left the wine bottles either empty or missing at the beverage tables, I have nothing to take the edge off” Walter sighed in defeat. “If I don’t calm down soon I’ll eat the entire fuckin’ beverage table” he added on with a grumble.
To his shock, the shorter woman snorted, before laughing. He felt his heart skip a beat as she raised well worn knuckles to her mouth to laugh into. It was enough to raise his spirits again, though the sly grin she shot off to the side as she shook her head gave him pause. “That twat. He’s gonna be right fooked- eh-ugh.” her features fell to disgust as her gaze locked onto something behind Walter.
Walter gave a big curved smile upon hearing the woman laugh, a positive reaction, which means a good start to a friendly conversation. However Walter’s hopes for said conversation is cut short after the short woman grunts in disgust. Walter gave a confused expression to the woman, before turning his head to see what she was scoffing about.
“Fuckdickassclown…” Walter groaned quietly under his breath upon seeing the rather unsightly pompous blonde noble stallion making a bee-line straight for him, a carnivorous hunger in his arrogant eyes. “Send help” Walter silently whispered to the woman before he begrudgingly turned to entertain the noble stallion that he has heard quite a lot about from Rarity, and quite frankly, Walter would rather suck on an AIDS Popsicle than spare this anus the luxury of decent conversation. “Greetings, Prince Blueblood” Walter forced out, trying to keep his disdain to himself so he didn’t embarrass his friends, after all, the whole reason he is here is for everybody to judge the refugee human that the Element Bearers had befriended.
Blueblood slowly looked up to Walter, the hunger in his eyes only growing more apparent as he took in Walter. Never before had the large man ever wanted to punch something in the face so hard, and run away screaming. It was bad luck and providence that saw him in the only place, and in front of the only pony, he couldn’t. “Good evening, human.” Blueblood’s eyes flicked to the woman, and he cracked a small, smug smile. “Well well, good evening my dear. You look… Ravishing.”
“I’ll ravish your face with t’bottom o’ my boot you puffy twat.” The woman shot back like a whip’s crack. The verbal blow almost seemed to stun the prince for a moment, before his features turned foul and dark.
“Listen here, you squash-faced primate, you will greet me as your better, or I will make you regret it for the rest of your miserable little life.” Blueblood snarled sharply at a low tone, to avoid having anybody overhear him.
Walter’s eyes widened like a member of a roast battle audience, laughter erupting in the cockles of his mind. It took barrels of willpower not to laugh in Blueblood’s face. However, his amusement is cut short at the arrogant assclown’s venemous response, which comes off as quite the serious threat.
“Prince Blueblood, I know you must be stressed from attending to your… Duties” Walter begun, trying his best not to slap a question mark after duties. Clearing his throat, Walter placed his hand on the short woman’s shoulder. “But it’s rather unsightly for a noble prince to threaten a guest of the Gala, I’ve heard worse spoken to her Majesty Celestia and her sister Luna before and they handled themselves quite professionally” Walter remarked in a soft and gentle voice, regrettably using what little ounces of kindness he could aim at that quadruped pile of trash. Walter smiled sheepishly, glancing between both the short woman and the pompous clown, trying his best to defuse the situation before it got any worse.
To his deep regret, the Prince smiled. “That is the tone one should take when speaking with Royalty. I will admit, I am rather stressed, perhaps you could… accompany me for the night. I promise, you won’t regret iiiit…” Blueblood slowly trailed off, the pompous look on his face draining visibly and was replaced by fear.
Walter began screaming internally, if he could, he would willingly allow tears of blood to stream down his face like Virgin Mary right about now. He glanced over at the short woman with a pleading look in his eyes, however his attention is focused elsewhere after he feels a presence leaning up against him, as well as the look of fear that replaced Blueblood’s arrogant smug grin.
“Huh?” Walter babbled, confused by the shift of expression in the Prince’s features.
Walter slowly shifted his gaze over to the weight he felt leaning up against him, as if he was a large post for anybody to catch a second wind while leaning against. His eyes widened slightly as his vision landed on a rather unruly looking human man locked in eye contact with the pompous assclown trying to get in the poor boy’s pants. The man leaning on him had a freshly shaved head, though his skull was decorated by a myriad of scars. He wore a shockingly well tailored uniform that simply screamed military; though if the uniform hadn’t, the sword strapped to his hip would have.
“Jack, luv, glad you could join us.” The woman chimed lightly as she moved to his side.
Jack simply smiled to the woman, before turning his attention back to Blueblood. Removing himself from Walter, Jack closed the distance and leaned over to bring himself closer to the noble. “Heyah Bluey.” The man flashed his teeth at the prince, which only seemed to cause the pony to try to shrink away. Throwing an arm over the prince, Jack pulled him close, and lifted up the wine bottle to regard. “I bet you five bits I can fit this whole bottle up your ass. Hell, I’ll do it for free, if you don’t fuck off and leave my people alone.” Jack lifted his brows at the Prince, who had somehow turned an even paler shade of white.
Walter’s jaw fell ajar, his eyes wide as the military bloke named Jack made a rather confident and frightening entrance, and based on how the pompous stallion’s arrogance was no longer in sight, the two had probably crossed paths before, and it was most likely unpleasant, at least for Blueballs.
“Oh..” was all Walter managed to choke out from how bold this Jack character was behaving, the large young man simply stood in silence after his brief verbal expression of surprise, watching, waiting to see what followed after the rather painful sounding offer to give the noble assclown a colonoscopy with a bottle of wine. To make sure that this was all really happening, Walter gave an inquisitive glance over to the short woman, the look in his eyes begging for confirmation that this military uniform clad unruly gentlemen really said what he did. The woman by his side didn’t meet his gaze, as she was too busy trying to keep herself silent in the face of what could have possibly been the most hilarious thing she’d seen all night.
“Y-you wouldn’t dare.” Blueblood muttered hotly at Jack, his hackles raising as he clearly considered doing something.
The statement only caused the man to grin even wider. “Do me a favour and fuck off back to whatever gated community you slithered out of, you greasy cunt.” The man reached forward, and flicked the noble on the tip of the nose.
The motion seemed to force Blueblood into a rage; his fur tinted red, and his pupils contracted as he bared his teeth. “I should have you hung, you evil little wretch!” Blueblood hissed, drawing more eyes to the mounting situation.
“Why don’t you challenge me to a duel, so I can kill you legally?” Jack dropped his wide grin, and his features became stone in an instant. He was utterly serious, and the threat seemed to cut Blueblood to the core. Without another word, the noble turned tail, and stormed off, likely to rape some of the castle help. Jack stood tall, before fixing his dress uniform. “Sorry about that, Ada, Pete. Figured he’da learned the first time.” Turning to look at the pair, Jack paused, and cocked his head at Walter. He blinked several times, before squinting, and looking over his shoulder into the crowd. Looking back, both his brows rose to meet the fat, ugly Y-shaped scar that dominated his forehead. Jack’s eyes were a sharp emerald green, and his features were severe enough to make Walter believe that somebody had simply stretched scarred leather over a human skull. “Yo… Not-Pete.” Jack grinned a little, before nodding slightly and offering a hand. “Staff Sergeant Jack Kessle, Joint Special Operations Group.”
“O-Oh, Private First Class Walter Barnes… Er, I mean, just Walter Barnes” Walter replied, immediately compelled to speak his rank before his name just like he did back during his service in the Griffin Kingdom. “Thank you so much, I was afraid I was actually going to have to sleep with that pile of rotten dog anus” Walter sighed as he reached out and clasped his giant hand over Jack’s, squeezing it firmly before giving it a shake. “Fucking hell.. If I don’t find booze soon I’m going to have a stroke” Walter laughed sheepishly, still quite amazed from Jack’s performance.
Letting out a single, barking laugh at the dog anus comment, Jack shook Walter’s hand sharply, before pulling free. “My pleasure. I love making that prick squirm. So, you new in Canterlot? I don’t think I’ve seen you before- I mean, I know a guy who looks pretty much exactly like you, but he seems to have skated…”
“Y’just miffed you lost track of a twen’y eight stone russian.” The woman moved to Jack’s side, and for a moment the pair shared a look that almost caused Walter pain. “I’m Ada, by the way. Corporal Ada, once of Her Majesty's SAS, now with Miss Pretty Pony Princess’ JSOG.” She offered her own hand to Walter.
Walter took her hand, his giant paw swallowing up her tiny limb with a gentle yet firm grip. He offered a friendly smile, shaking her hand before releasing her from his careful grasp. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Corporal, Staff Sergeant. I apologize for addressing myself in rank, it’s been years since I was in service” Walter explained as he folded his hands in front of him. “I don’t live in Canterlot, I live with my friends in Ponyville. Since they all would be coming up here to the Gala I figured I’d join them instead of being home by myself” Walter explained as he scratched his jaw. “I’m quite new to Equestria actually, I just moved here a few months ago” Walter says as he occasionally glances down at the wine bottle in discreet desire.
“Well, welcome to the shit.” Jack murmured as he snagged a bowl off the table and filled it with wine, before handing it off to Walter without a second thought. “It doesn’t get any better.”
“Aw it’s not so bad, innit Marine?” Ada teased as she leaned against Jack, smirking.
Fidgeting with his belt and sword, Jack rolled his eyes at the woman, before grinning a little. He was clearly enjoying her company. “The company makes it better, but I could say that with y’all in Iraqistan.”
Ada grinned happily, her gaze softening. “Y’makin’ me blush, you twat.”
Walter smiled warmly at their own special back and forth loving banter. He always loved to see happy couples, something he felt he didn’t deserve, he quite admired. “Are you two married?” Walter asked, “Just curious is all, you two seem to have lovely chemistry” Walter says warmly. Just then, a blinding pink force rushed its way up before Walter, swirling around him in a blinding stream of pink blur. Startled at first, Walter simply rolled his eyes before reaching down quickly and catching the powerful pink force that is Pinkie Pie, fixing up her mane a bit before placing her back down like a parent trying to calm a hyper toddler.
“What’s up Pink?” Walter asked, giving her a smile.
“Nothing much Walt! Just looking for Rainbow Dash, have you seen her? We’re playing hide and go seek!” Pinkie declared cheerfully.
“Oh, uh, hm. I haven’t seen her lately, last place I saw her was near the bathroom trying to scrape off all the layers of makeup that Rarity painted onto her” Walter replied.
“Okay thanks Walt! I’ll track her scent from there, see ya!” Pinkie Pie chirruped, giving Walter a giant squeeze, lifting him up in the air to emphasize the bear hug before setting him down and waving at Jack and Ada. “Hi Jack! Hi Ada! See you later!” Pinkie Pie says before taking off in a blinding dash.
Walter adjusted himself, clearing his throat and offering a sheepish smile. “Sorry about that, that was one of my friends that I mentioned. Do you guys happen to know each other?” Walter inquired, noticing how Pinkie Pie greeted the human couple before taking off at mach speed.
Coughing lightly, Jack rubbed his chest as Ada shook her head. “Good lord.” Jack muttered. “That girl is coked up enough to Make Flash Gordon jealous.” His comment earned a snort of amusement from Ada, though the pair soon turned their attention back to Walt. “No. For your question, we uh… aren’t an item. I was engaged once, didn’t work out so hot.” Jack seemed to almost flinch slightly, while Ada hid a frown. “Besides, that’s fraternization, isn’t it?” He looked to Ada for confirmation.
For her part, Ada shrugged in ignorance. “Dunno, never could be arsed to read the pamphlet.”
“Yeah, me neither.” Jack murmured back at her.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring anything up” Walter replied, sensing the pain in Jack’s voice and body language. “Well at least you two seem to be happy in each other’s company, that’s something extremely valuable, something no wealth can buy” Walter said before clearing his throat. “Anyways, give me a sec” Walter said before raising the entire bowl of wine that Jack had gave him, tilting his head back before gulping the booze down his gullet like he was drinking leftover milk after eating cereal. After chugging down the fine liquor, Walter’s smile grew in length. “Fuck me running that makes things better” Walter sighed, holding the bowl from the bottom as if it is a wine glass. “So then, what’s this JSOG that you guys told me about? I haven’t really heard of it yet” Walter said with a look of interest.
“Basically-” Jack paused for a moment as he waved to somebody in the crowd. “You know all those disasters that happen, what with the Discord, and the Sombra, so on so forth?”
Scratching his head, Walter seemed to mull around his noggin’ for a bit before speaking up. “Kind of, I didn’t get to read about a lot of news from where I came from. But I assume that the shit was serious?” Walter inquired.
“Serious enough tah get some scary blokes together under crown law.” Ada muttered.
“Basically, we’re the people who hunt down big name troublemakers, and give them the Mozambique.” Jack tapped his chest twice, before tapping his scarred forehead once. “We’re the Crown’s boogeymen.”
Walter’s smile slightly faltered at the mention of the crown, but he immediately wiped it off his face and gave an impressed nod. “Oh sweet, so you guys are special forces? It’s an honor, sir, madame” Walter said, standing straight and firm before delivering a traditional Griffin fist-to-chest salute before quickly correcting it to a simple flat palmed salute on the forehead. He gave a sheepish smile once again before clearing his throat. “I’m glad to know I have warriors like you two protecting our lives” Walter smiled before lowering his hand. “Man this shindig is boring, they need more fucking booze, better food, and a motherfucking karaoke machine for christ sake” Walter said as he glanced around, shaking his head at all the brown nosing that was going on among low and high ranking nobles.
Laughing roughly, Jack grinned and traded a glance with Ada. “I know a place. Ada, why don’t you escort our new friend to my place, while I gather the troops?”
A smarmy grin spread across Ada’s face as she looked to Jack. “I can do that. Don’ take too long now.” Looking to Walter, she motioned for him to follow with her head, while Jack ambled off to find his people. “Follow me, if’n yah want.” Starting for the grand doors, Ada threatened to leave Walter in the dust.
“Sweet fucking baby Celestia, that’s good to hear! I need a break from all this brown nosing, it’s starting to stink in here” Walter snickered as he then quickly followed behind Ada, his slight jog causing the ground to slightly shake from his heavy footsteps, causing a noticeable bounce in each pony he jogged past.
“So what’s this place that you guys know of? I only spent a week here in Canterlot when I first arrived so I only know of a shanty karaoke bar on the far side of town” Walter spoke up after exiting the ballroom and into the vast corridors, keeping up the pace next to her, his eyes unconsciously wandering down towards her well rounded derriere just for a scant moment before shooting back up to her face.
The woman nodded as he approached, his heavy footfalls causing her to bounce slightly. “Stop starin’ at me bum.” Before Walter had a moment to feel abashed for his wandering eyes, she spoke again. “Scratches Club.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean too…” he mumbled, scratching his chin as he glanced away coyly. “Scratches Club? Never heard of it, is it any good?” Walter inquired, quickly forcing a blush off his face as he cleared his throat.
“She’s a bloody nutter, but the drink is fine and the music only kinda sucks arse.” Ada shrugged as she led him through the halls, further and further away from the Gala. Soon, they were in the far wings, and the sounds of festivities were weak and echoed from far away. Approaching a door, Ada knocked rhythmically, before entering without being called in. Upon the door was a board that read Trespassers will be molested and shot. “Wake up y’lazy bug!”
“That’s quite a… Warning” Walter commented with a small smile, chuckling shortly at the humor presented. “It reminds me of the ‘Don’t Fondle Large Humans’ sign that I have posted in front of my bedroom door back home.” Walter says as he hesitantly stepped in along with Ada, quite concerned if the sign was serious or not.
His attempt at humor seemed to fall flat on Ada as she began arguing with a pony who was inside the room. The small mare yelled as they entered. “God! Fuck! You’re so goddamn loud!”
“Only cause you’re sleepin on the job, mate!” Ada wandered to a small table that was situated at the center of the room, where it looked like a game of poker had been played earlier, with spent brass casings as chips. Once inside the room, Walter swiftly discovered that it wasn’t a suite room, but a repurposed storeroom. A massive metal container sat against the wall, it’s contents dimly lit. Inside, were wall to wall guns of all makes and sizes. Weapons of death and destruction were strewn across a workshop table beside the container, and cases of ammunition were stacked high. It was like a one man firebase, planted smack-dab in the middle of Canterlot. A suit of armour stood vigil against the wall to Walter’s left, though it looked nothing like anything he had seen before in his entire life.
“I was not! I was reading!” The argument didn’t stop for his sake, it seemed.
Upon entering the room, Walter’s eyes widened in surprise at how gritty and bunker-esque the converted storeroom felt. Walter thought that a man of such military importance would be offered a suite of some sort, but it seems a good soldier doesn’t really need a fancy bedroom, although the odd netting and large metal container full of a wide variety of firearms, including a massive suit of strange armor Walter had never laid eyes on before seemed to be all the decoration this room needed.
His eyes locked on the armor and weapons for a moment, an odd feeling biting at the back of his mind. He kept a blank stare for a few moments before blinking rapidly, snapping himself out of the daze before returning his eyes forward, doing his best to ignore the giant container full of firearms. He shifted his attention to the pony before him, offering a friendly smile as he waited for the two to cease arguing so he could introduce himself.
“So who’s this?” The cream colored mare asked, gesturing toward Walter. She had a dark green mane, and seemed to be mostly bored. “He smells like angst and repressed emotions.” Her comment earned a suppressed snort from Ada, who smirked as she shook her head.
“My name is Walter” the young giant spoke up, a brief pulse of some sort of odd emotion flared inside of Walter’s chest that was only capable of being described as cold. “So, in case you forgot, greeting people goes like ‘hey how are you’ or ‘my name is’, I fail to see how I’ve given you a bad impression to go so far as to mock me” Walter retorted sarcastically, rolling his eyes as he crossed his arms. He seemed to be quite unaware of the cream colored mare’s true self, and the fact that she could sense emotions, and the clusterfuck of dark and unknown feelings bottled up deep inside his psyche.
“Sorry big guy, I’m sure you’re great and all, but you’re like… the fifth stray Jack’s dragged in this month.” The mare leaned back, before getting flicked in the ear by Ada. “Ow! What? O-oh. Right. Uh, Corporal Match Baron.” She waved lightly, before her horn lit up, and Ada yelped in turn. The unicorn smirked as Ada rubbed her ass.
“Little bugshite…”
“Stray?” Walter blinked, tilting his head. “I have my own place and I just met the guy not too long ago, saved my ass from Prince Blueballs. Seriously everybody who work around that pile of dog anus need a constant rape whistle on hand” Walter remarked, shivering at the thought of what would’ve happened if he was approached by Blueblood with no help from Jack.
“Nice to meet ya, Baron” Walter said as he placed his hands on his hips, giving Ada a confused glance before piecing it together that Baron had probably used magic to pinch her ass as payback for flicking Baron’s ear. “Out of all the insults, why bugshite?” Walter inquired out of curiosity, tilting his head.
“Y’like your doggie-bum swears, don’tcha? And Baron is our team lovebug, so I gotta use them.” Ada grinned at the mare, who groaned and rolled her eyes.
“What she means is, is that she thinks she’s clever.” Baron shook her head as she levitated a bottle of water over. “Blueblood’s always been a pain in the flank. Getting protection detail from him was like torture duty. Just being around him makes you feel like you need three hot showers followed by a cold one.”
“Lovebug?” Walter blinked, tilting his head, before shrugging the thought off. “To be honest, if I didn’t come here with my friends, I would’ve punched his face so hard that he’d look like somebody sat on an old avocado that somebody left out in the sun too long. I don’t care about getting myself in trouble, I’d just prefer not to get my friends involved in it” Walter shrugged as he began to scan the room for something to sit on. “So, Ada, how long do you think Jack’s gonna be? I’m bored outta my damn wits” Walter said as he began to drum lightly on his belly.
Shrugging her shoulders, Ada adjusted her strapless dress, pulling it a little higher over her pert, athletic bust. “Fook if I know lad. He’s gatherin’ the troops, so he could be-” She paused, listening. “Bout thirty seconds.”
“Thirty seconds?” Walter blinked, noticing how Ada cut herself off in order to pay more mind to her senses. Walter then ceased his drumming on his gut and glanced over at the door, crossing his arms. “Well that certainly was faster than I anticipated” he says as he turned his back to the container full of guns, he didn’t like the way staring at it made him feel.
Sure enough, within thirty seconds, a clamor of voices and hoofsteps reached the door. The door swung open quickly, and in poured four ponies, and three humans. Jack was flanked by three clearly military ponies, and another in a civilians tuxedo. The second human was a man just as big as Walter, though considerably more portly. The third was a small girl, bright eyed and wearing a simple dress that had dirt clinging to the edges. The multiple conversations overlapped each other, and created a clamor of voices in the small room. Introductions were quickly made. The civilian baticorn was named Field Note, and he owned the simple human girl, whose name was apparently Toasty. The girl circled Walter several times, chirping in question, as the rest were introduced. The large man was Petyr Morozov, and the three military ponies were Captain Hard Tac; a brown earth pony, Sergeant Taven Varrenikov; a one winged bat pony, and First Lieutenant Flitter Falenas, a pale light grayish blue pegasus.
Walter smiled, greeting himself quickly to them as they did to him. He came to a pause when Toasty began to circle around him inquisitively, making odd chirping sounds as she examined him. Walter gave an awkward smile to Toasty before returning his gaze up to Jack. “Alrighty, so We’re on our way to Scratches’ Club, right? Should we tell somebody that we’re leaving or do we just skedattle?” Walter inquired as he made his way to Jack.
Pulling off his dress blues coat, Jack hung up the article with meticulous care, before rolling his shoulders. “Celestia will be thrilled to hear that I’m out of the castle. Let’s get a move on, the night’s not getting any younger!” Now wearing only his dress blue pants and a white T-shirt, Jack’s arms were bared to see. Covered in intricate tattoos, Walter couldn’t help but notice one that certainly didn’t fit in. A clearly magical brand on the inside of his right forearm, that read 4859. Metal circles were pressed into Jack’s flesh at his elbows and just below his wrists; looking like rather painful additions to his already ghoulish appearance.
“Oh” Walter nodded in understanding, figuring that letting anybody know that Jack is out of the doghouse would probably kill any chance of him actually having fun tonight. Upon seeing the serial number, Walter’s heart fell to the pits of his stomach. He wasn’t sure why, but he recognized the significance of a serial number such as that one, his vision blurred for a scant moment before he quickly brought his hand up to his eyes, rubbing them and looking away. “Damn eyelashes” Walter mumbled, trying to cover for his odd space out. “Let us head out then, Staff Sergeant. I’m looking forward to the night ahead” Walter said with a smile, he felt more familiar and comfortable, Jack also kind of gave him a scant remembrance of his batshit crazy sister, only difference between them two is that Walter’s sister could take a few notes from Jack.
As Jack grinned and motioned for the door, the mare named Flitter spoke up. “Let’s try and keep it… you know… not crazy?”
“Whatever do you mean?” Jack responded innocently as he reached over and rubbed between her ears. Flitters argument died on her lips as her ears splayed and twitched, while she let out a murmur of contentment. “Come on gang, let’s go enjoy the real festivities.” Jack led the group out of the castle, circumventing most of the patrols. Outside the castle walls, the rest of Canterlot enjoyed the revelries. The streets were packed with ponies and stalls, making navigation very difficult. Despite that, Jack seemed to already know where to go, and navigated the crowds with ease. Everyone following him, did not do as well. They heard the music of the club far before they reached it, but upon finally reaching the place, Walter’s heart fell as he looked to the line that wandered off and crawled around the side of the building. They would be waiting hours.
“Ah fuck me sideways!” Walter groaned, scratching his head as he laid eyes on the long ass line that stretched from the entrance of the club. He stepped up beside Jack, tapping him on the shoulder. “I don’t think we’ll be getting into that club anytime soon, Jack. It’ll take hours until we can get in” Walter said as he glanced behind him to double take and make sure nobody in the group got lost in the crowd.
“Fuck that noise. Watch and learn.” Without pausing in his stride, Jack approached the door, and made eye contact with the bouncer. Without a second of deliberation, the bouncer opened the door, and stood far aside, giving Jack as much room as equinely possible. Cries of indignation went up along the line, as revelers gave the group a piece of their minds. Seemingly unbothered by the heckling, Jack waved the group inside, and passed the bouncer several thick gold bits. If the noise on the outside was loud, inside the club it was nearly oppressive. The bass thumped away, shaking the entire building right down to it’s foundation and nearly dictating the pulse of Walter’s heart. The lighting was dark, though occasionally lit up by flashing strobes and colourful neon lights. Ponies danced to their heart’s content in the center floor, while others filled the boothes and lined the bar. Leading his pack to a large booth, Jack had them all take a seat as he skipped off to gather enough alcohol for them all.
Walter adjusted himself before getting comfortable within the large booth, sitting himself between the military ponies while Jack scampered off to go get some of the devil’s juice that would make the night far better than it was back at the Gala. While Jack was gone, Walter awkwardly drummed on his knees, he didn’t really know these people, and it is quite surprising how quickly he got sucked up into this group. One moment he’s being sexually harassed by Blueblood, the next he’s in a seemingly hard to access club surrounded by people he has never met. As far as socializing with strangers go, this has raised the bar to new levels. Walter just kept quiet, allowing the friends to speak among themselves while he waited for Jack to return.
Soon enough, Jack returned with a tray full of shots. Setting down the tray, he began doling out the drinks to each person at the table. He seemed excited, nearly giddy even. Soon, once all the drinks were handed out, he proposed a toast. “To all the poor bastards who didn’t make it! He hefted his shot up and slammed it back, before pouring the spare shot out on the floor as the others drank.
“Oorah!” Walter exclaimed, throwing back his shot as well, drinking it all down before letting out a laugh. “Fuck yes! I haven’t had good liquor since the last time I raided my dad’s secret cabinet!” Walter says with a chortle as he enjoys the warm buzz that is rising in his chest. Walter had a wide smile plastered on his lips, he didn’t really know these people all that well, but he had a good feeling that they were going to be damn good company. Somewhere in the back of his mind he wished that his sister was at least here. He quickly pushed that thought deeper into his mind, focusing on what is rather than what could’ve been. Leaning back, Walter simply spectated the strangers he partnered up with interact with one another, glad to be a part of a crowd who actually seemed genuinely pleased to be in each other’s presence.
“Celestia… how do you drink this crap on such a regular basis Jack? It’s basically poison!” Flitter cried out as the others drank.
Cracking a laugh, Ada elbowed Jack in the ribs. “Looks like Flitter wants to be the desi’driver!”
Rolling his eyes in response, Jack gave the mare a shockingly warm smile. “Cause there’s shit in me I need to kill.” His look quickly flicked to Walter as Flitter scowled in response. “How you doin’ there big guy?”
“Good! I’m glad to be around people who actually seem to remotely tolerate each other again!” Walter replied, giving Jack a friendly smile. “This reminds me of my younger days, having secret meet ups on base because having fun was illegal while stationed there” Walter says as he looks for another shot of poison to pour down his gullet.
“How old are you?” Hard Tac questioned as he nursed his glass of whiskey. The others seemed to fall into conversations, though some were beginning to move into the club at large.
“Hm? Oh, well… Nineteen” Walter responded, grabbing a drink that didn’t seem to have any owner, taking a sip from it. “Why do you ask?” Walter inquired.
“Oh god I’m giving alcohol to a minor!” Jack cried out, only to be laughed at.
“Maybe in your shite hole country!” Ada teased as Tac rolled his eyes.
With Tac’s attention on him again, Walter knew that more questions were coming from the older stallion. “Jack mentioned you were military. Who did you serve with?”
“Oh, well… The 18th Division Imperial Guardsmen, back when I still lived in the Griffin Kingdom. I was just a lil’ tike when I was enlisted, at the age of thirteen most humans and other low-income folk were to prove their worth by joining the military. I was mostly stationed at an outpost near the border, luckily I had a few friendly faces stationed there with me” Walter replied, scratching his chin, his warm expression falling a bit cold as he spoke of his military past. “Private First Class Walter Barnes, at your service” Walter greeted, offering a short smile.
“Ah an Imp!” Tac chuckled lightly. “Ada over there was a bodyguard for the Imperial Royalty, Baron used to be Royal Guard, Taven was Night Guard. Flitter’s Royal Army, and, well, I used to be with the REA before it was dismantled. Now we’re all JSOG with that lunatic over there.” Tac gestured toward Jack, who was busy chatting with Ada.
“Heh” Walter chuckled at the Imp comment, taking another sip of the whiskey he nabbed before staring down into the glass. “Sounds like fun” Walter says as he examined his reflection in the whiskey before glancing back up. “It’s rather contradictory, being in the military surrounded by best friends. One moment you could just be having lunch with them, and the next… Bleh” Walter shook his head, taking another sip of whiskey. “Anyways, anything else you’re curious about?” Walter asked.
Glancing up as Jack pestered Baron, and the mare climbed over his lap to reach somebody at the bar, Tac smiled softly. “Nothing that comes to mind, son. Don’t worry, I’m not gonna interrogate you all night. I do enough of that for my day job.” Chuckling at his own joke, Tac seemed to relax. “So, you’re the guy that the newspapers are all clamoring over, aren’t you? The one who hangs out with the Elements?”
“Oh, heh, yeah that’s me” Walter nodded, chuckling. “The charity case that the tabloids believe is being used as a stunt to further improve the status of the Element Bearers” Walter says as he shakes his head. “It’s fuckin’ crazy living with six mares under a single roof. I mean, the first night I got there I got shitfaced with a few of the girls and woke up naked on the other side of town” Walter laughed as he took another swig of whiskey.
His story of alcohol induced nudeness seemed to draw Jack’s attention, as his toothy grin returned. “Been there before! I can’t even remember how many times I’d wander to work hungover and half naked.”
“Uuhhh… weren’t you an EOD, luv?” Ada asked, sounding slightly nervous.
“Well, yeah. Come on Ada, you try disarming hundred pound IED’s without a little liquor in you. And for the nudeness, those suits are fuckin’ hot, AC or no.” He finished his drink, before looking back over toward the bar, to continue to monitor whatever situation Baron had gotten herself into.
“One time I accidentally got piss drunk on base, walked into the older kids’ barracks and took a dump in the center of the room” Walter remarked, grinning. “It was worth the several laps I had to run after that” Walter added on as he finished his whiskey. “Needless to say they didn’t forgive me, even after I got punished. Their grudge is kind of the reason why I got discharged” Walter says as he sets his glass down.
Chuckles went around the table, before they were interrupted by a cheer from Jack. Turning to look at what he was doing, soon most of the table joined him. Walter’s eyes eventually found Baron hugging a stallion at the bar, though the stallion was now looking at the table, and seemed incredibly embarrassed and sheepish. “Attafuckin’ girl.” Jack grinned happily, and drank to the occasion.
“Don’t forget your helmet soldier!” Walter barked with a laugh, leaning back into his seat. “Man, screw cups, where are the damn bottles? I could chuck a vase of vodka right now!” Walter declared, feeling brave enough to explore deeper into the pit of Hell.
“You have fun with that, this marine owes me a real dance.” Ada spoke with a grin as she snagged Jack’s hand and dragged him out of the booth. He certainly didn’t seem to be fighting it. With the two humans gone, Walter noticed Flitter’s gaze lingering on the pair with pain clear in her eyes. She and Taven began a quick, hushed conversation, where Flitter soon pulled herself free from the booth, and quickly trotted out of the club.
“Excuse me for a bit” Walter said as he scooted his way out of the booth, secretly following behind Flitter. He recognizes that face she made, and just wanted to make sure she was okay. He managed to catch Flitter before she wandered too far outside the club’s doors, quickly jogging up beside her. “Hey, Flitter was it? What’s going on?” Walter inquired, giving her a friendly smile overlapping a concerned gaze.
Flitter’s eyes flicked up toward the big man for a moment, before she was swiftly blocked by a familiar baticorn’s body; he smiled toward her with drunken enthusiasm. “Heeey!” Field yelled to her as he danced before her. “Leaving so soon?” At her swift nod and attempt to scoot past him, Field quickly intercepted her again. “You want some company maybe?”
“I’m not interested Field.” Flitter tried to move around him again, only to earn an angered glare.
“Is it because I'm a freak?” Field demanded.
Shaking her head at him, Flitter fought down the pain in her heart. “No, Field, I'm just not interested right now-”
“He's never gonna love you, so why don't you give the rest of us a chance, huh?”
Pushing past the drunk stallion and the inbound form of Petyr, Flitter managed a short look to the big human that spelled everything out for him immediately. Petyr nodded in understanding, and swiftly wrangled the irate Field as Flitter slipped from the club with Walter trailing behind her. “Leave me alone, please.”
“After that shit, I’m afraid I just can’t turn a blind eye” Walter replied as he kept up at pace with her, “Look, it’s either I follow you or I go back there and pummel that bat cunt’s stupid face in, I think everybody would prefer it if I did not assault small ponies” Walter added. He managed to stop her about a half mile away from the club, reaching down and placing his hand on her shoulder. “You’re in love with Jack, aren’t you?” Walter asked in a soft and somewhat fatherly voice. “I’m here to listen, it always helps to talk to open ears, ya’know?” Walter said with a smile.
“Please…” Flitter started as she pulled away from him. “Don’t fucking patronize me…” She continued onwards, back toward the castle.
“I’m not patronizing you, I’m trying to comfort you!” Walter replied, as he continued to follow up next to her. “And I can’t really help if I don’t know the details” he added on, letting out a short sigh before he spoke up again. “If I tell you something personal about me, would you consider talking about your feelings?” Walter spoke up as he looked down at her.
Shaking her head vehemently, Flitter continued through the thinning crowd of revelers. “Just leave me alone. It’s not meant to happen, and I really, r-really don’t want to talk about it.” The mare’s voice hitched as she spoke as she struggled to swallow her emotions and maintain her stony expression.
“I call bullshit!” Walter shouted, growing frustrated now. He ran ahead of her and stopped in her path, acting as a great wall, blocking her attempt to run away from her current problem. “Love is a powerful fuckin’ thing, and it doesn’t give a flippity flying god damn fuck who or what you are!” Walter said, furrowing his brow. “Did you know it’s illegal to be gay in the Griffin Kingdom? Or basically have any other sexuality aside from straight?” Walter inquired, before gritting his teeth. “I fell in love with a young man that was stationed with me back when I was just a stupid kid who couldn’t even fathom how limitless love could be. I told myself it wasn’t meant to be, and it tore me apart inside. And every single day I made eye contact with him I made the same face that you did back in that club” Walter said as he stared down at her. “For over a year, I bottled that up inside me… I’ve never been so miserable in my entire life, so don’t talk to me like I’m just trying to be some random nice person who doesn’t know the difference between my ass and my elbow” Walter said as he knelt down. “Call me an asshole, but I just want to help a potential friend, I know it sounds corny but fuckin’ humor me will ya?”
Stopping without warning, Flitter turned and glared up hard at Walter. “Stop. Just Stop. I don’t want to hear this. I don’t need this right now, okay? I-I know, that I’m making a mistake, but I’m doing it for him!” Flitter gestured back toward the club. “I’ve joined the rangers to get away from him, for my own sake, but I haven’t told him a thing about it, because I know that I’ll just hurt him.” Her voice was laced heavily with her terrible emotions; her sorrow coming out thick and heavy. “He is my best friend, and I love him, from the bottom of my fucking heart, I love Jack, but…-” She took a short breath. “But he’s happy with her… he’s the happiest I’ve ever seen him, and I… I don’t want to hurt my best friend, all because I’m selfish…”
Walter’s heart broke as she spoke, he bit his lip and lowered his head. “Ah fuck…” Walter sighed, scratching his head in thought. “Look, you’re probably already set on doing this, but just hear me out. I… I’m sorry if I tried telling you what to do, I know I’ve felt the same way at some point but I don’t really know you or how your feelings differ from mine. I apologize for getting all soap opera on you” Walter said as he licked his suddenly dry lips. “You’re not selfish, okay? I could populate a small country with all the selfish people I’ve known, but as far as I can tell you don’t seem very selfish to me. You’re going to the rangers, and you won’t tell him because you can’t stand to hurt him… But how do you think he’s going to feel knowing that his best friend just up and disappeared without a single word of notice?” Walter asked. “You need to talk to him, you really do. And I can help you with that. You just gotta let me, okay? If you’re going to leave, you might as well get this heavy load off your chest. Please, let me help you, if you still don’t want to listen I’ll leave you alone, but please just think about what I’m trying to say...”
For her part, Flitter really did seem to consider his words. When she lowered her gaze, and began trotting toward the castle, he knew her answer, though she spoke softly to him. Her voice was nearly lost to the din of the festival. “I need to pack.”
“...At least let me help you then” Walter said as he walked calmly beside her. He seemed to have no intentions of trying to stop her any further. As they approached the castle, he turned his eyes to her and spoke up. “I’m sorry for getting so loud, I’m not very good with talking to others. I usually just try to keep quiet so I don’t say anything stupid” Walter said as he entered through the castle’s main entrance together.
“At least you’re… straight forward.” Flitter muttered as she led him toward her room. Unlike Jack’s, it was a proper suite, though it lacked any personal flair. It hardly looked like the mare lived in there at all.
“Man… This room looks rather… Unoccupied” Walter commented as he entered her room with her. “What all do you need?” he asked, “I’ll help you with anything you need” Walter smiled as he awaited her instructions. Without a word, Flitter got to work, packing away her spare uniforms, books, and personal effects. She only needed one bag, it seemed. Once the olive drab sea bag was packed up and zipped tight, she drew a pistol from under her pillow, and a leg harness loaded with magazines from her night stand. She regarded the weapon for a moment, before setting it down on the sea bag.
Walter’s eyes offered a brief distant stare at her sidearm before returning over to her. It seems he wasn’t really needed to help with packing after all. He gave a short sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. “What about a letter?” Walter asked, his eyes becoming soft as he gazed at her. “Nothing too long, just a simple letter… Something he can hold onto?” he suggested.
Flitter paused for a moment, before nodding. To his surprise however, she didn’t start writing. She simply pulled a small metallic rectangle from her bag. Setting it down on the pillow, she set down some wires atop it, and nodded again, as if content with the item being where it was.
Walter could only assume that the items she had set on the bed meant something dearly to her, something that only her and Jack would understand. “I’ll let Jack know where to find those” Walter said softly before he walked over to the door. “I’ll see you off, somebody has to” he smiled.
“I’d rather if you didn’t.” She responded softly, as she began pulling off her dress uniform.
“Oh” Walter replies, before nodding. He took a deep breath before letting out a sigh. “I don’t know all that you two have been through, and I’m sorry if I seemed like I was sticking my nose into something I shouldn’t have. I wish you good fortune, Flitter” Walter said as he rubbed his arm, giving her a small smile. “Semper fidelis” Walter spoke softly, before opening up her door and stepping out.
“Wait.” Flitter spoke out, drawing his attention. “That… phrase. Where did you learn it?’
“My father, he was… He was a soldier, like Jack. He taught my sister and I this phrase, told us that it meant ‘always faithful’, it was something that we said to one another as a family” Walter replied, standing in the doorway, glancing back at her.
“Eheh…” Flitter finally smiled as she shook her head. “Jack’s gonna love you… goodnight, Walter. It was nice meeting you.”
“Goodnight Flitter, it was nice meeting you too. You have my best wishes” Walter said, before straightening his posture and giving her a smile and a firm salute just before he closed the door and left her room, stepping his way down the empty hall of the castle alone, his smile faltering into a saddened frown. He wished he could do more, he really did, but he quickly learned that it was not his place. The best he could do was give her what little support he had to offer before letting her go on her way. Walter stopped in his tracks as he came to the mouth of another corridor, he quickly began looking around, blinking rapidly.
“Where the fuck am I?” Walter mumbled to himself, utterly lost since he had never visited this castle before, and was not used to traversing it alone.
Walter quietly ventured his way around the castle, wandering aimlessly until eventually he came across what appeared to be the hallway leading to the ballroom. Judging by the sounds, it seems like the party was still going on. He let out a thankful sigh, he knew his way out of the castle from here. He figured that he would go back to the club with the others, but is stopped by a familiar cyan blue pegasus.
“Hey, Walter! Where’ve you been? The girls and I have been looking all over for you!” Rainbow Dash spoke up as she jogged her way out of the ballroom and over to the large suited young man. “Man things have been boring so far, I guess you didn’t miss much. Where did you run off too?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Oh, well I ran into some fellow humans, we talked for a bit and I wound up joining them out at Scratches’ Club” Walter explained.
“You went out clubbing and didn’t invite me?” Rainbow Dash playfully pouted, before taking Walter by the hand with her wing. “Come on, everypony wants you to say a few words since you’re quite a popular discussion topic” Rainbow Dash said, causing Walter to cringe slightly.
“Say a few words? You and I both know I’m not good with that” Walter complained, earning a few nods of agreement from Rainbow Dash.
“I’m aware of that big guy, but Twilight’s got your back, so don’t worry” Rainbow Dash said as she pulled Walter back into the ballroom where the other Element Bearers were waiting for him.
They all greeted Walter as he approached, Twilight quickly trotted off to the stage so she could start her announcement of all the success and hardships that Equestria has overcome since last year’s Gala. As she did that, Fluttershy brushed up against Walter’s leg, sniffing the air around him before scrunching up her snout. “Walter, have you been drinking?” Fluttershy asked.
“Would you blame me if I said yes?” Walter replied.
“Walter, you said you would stop after that stadium incident” Fluttershy scolded, giving him a small frown.
“I was having an anxiety attack, can you blame me for taking the edge off?” Walter replied, rolling his eyes. He didn’t really mention the interaction between him and Blueblood since that would spark some trouble, he just wanted the night to be done and over with, however it seemed like getting scolded by Fluttershy was the least of his worries.
“Walter, could you come up and say a few words?” Twilight spoke, smiling over at Walter who gave her a owlish stare, as if somebody had just thrown a small bomb onto his lap. He cleared his throat, smiling sheepishly as he approached the stage, standing next to Twilight. Of course, the refugee had to spit a couple of words at this event, how else were the nobles going to feel better about themselves if the charity case didn’t talk about how grand his life has been since he came to Equestria. Walter took a deep breath, then began to speak.
“My time in Equestria, although filled with hardship and challenges, has been worth the trouble I went through just to get here. I was alone, and I felt misplaced, like a lump of coal tossed into a tub of white pearls. But soon my problems became less heavy, with the company of good friends my life here has improved dramatically. My… My only wish, is that… I could’ve started my new life with my family. With my father, Captain Franklin Barnes, and my older sister, Corporal Jessica Barnes. My father… He died, protecting his children, he gave his life for his family, not only as a soldier, but as my parent. My sister is still missing, but I know that she is still out there, waiting to reunite with me… And when we do, I will have friends to introduce her to. Thank you, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, for allowing this overgrown child into your country. Thank you, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, for being the best friends that you could to me in my time of need. Thank you Equestria, for giving me a home… And for giving me hope” Walter said, smiling warmly as the room fell silent for a few moments before applause filled the ballroom.
Walter smiled politely before petting Twilight between the ears, her cheeks warming up a brief moment while he gave her a friendly scratch of affection. He then stepped off the stage, making his way back towards the small area where his friends were, all of them giving a friendly smile to Walter as he approached. “That was lovely, Walter” Rarity spoke up.
“Thank’s Rarity” Walter said softly as he pulled up a chair to sit on while the Gala resumed.
After a few minutes, Walter felt a powerful, matronly presence moving up behind him. Casting a nervous glance over his shoulder confirmed who it was. Smiling softly to him as she came to a stop, Celestia fixed her regalia and cleared her throat. “Good evening Walter. How has the Gala been treating you?”
“O-Oh! Celestia, it’s nice to see you!” Walter said, obviously surprised since he never expected to see one of the two rulers of this entire country just waltz up and greet him like this. He quickly adjusted his red button on bowtie, which popped off and fell to his feet. Walter gave a sheepish smile, leaning down to pick it back up and put it back on. “I’m doing, well, decent I guess. Ran into some uncomfortable mishap a while back but nothing my new friend couldn’t clear up” Walter explained as he politely bowed to her.
“A new friend?” Celestia offered a very warm smile, that immediately had him feeling more at ease. “I heard that you slipped out with some ponies, who might it be?”
“Oh, well. His name is Jack, an unruly yet charming gentleman who rescued me from a certain… Blonde haired noble. He brought me and some of his friends out to a club a while back, I shared a few drinks and a few stories, but then I decided to return after bit so I didn’t get too unruly” Walter explained with a small chuckle.
At the mention of Jack’s name, Celestia’s warm smile snapped away in an instant, and she physically jerked, as if choking on her drink. Coughing lightly, Celestia put a hoof to her mouth for a moment, before her eyes flicked to regard Walter with worry. “Staff Sergeant Jack Kessle?” She asked, almost sounding nervous.
“Yeah, that’s the guy” Walter replied, his friendly expression turning to that of confusion at her odd reaction and nervous tone. “He’s a nice guy, I’m used to being around people like him, I grew up in a military family after all” Walter said to try and assure Celestia, offering a sheepish smile, growing slightly concerned why one of the elite Princesses of Equestria act so concerned at the mention of just one guy.
Taking in a deep breath, Celestia shocked Walter by frowning, if only for a moment or two. “I see. Walter… I have a request for you. Please, please stay away from that man. For your own good, and that of those around you. With you growing accustomed to your new, civilian life, I would be heartbroken to see you dragged back to the path of war and pain.” Celestia looked him straight in the eye as she spoke, and he couldn't help but meet her gaze with wide eyes.
“Uh” Walter blinked, his eyes aiming down at Celestia with concern and confusion. Jack seems like a good fella to be around, he did save Walter from being raped by Blueblood, so he couldn’t exactly label Jack a bad person in his book, at least not yet. “Your highness, the fact that you speak to me in such sincere worry as if I had been a subject of yours since birth warms my heart. But I’m afraid war and pain can never escape me, even as a civilian. In a sense, Jack is like a walking memoir of what little family and friends that I used to have” Walter explained with a small smile. “Besides, I have a new friend that I made tonight who would appreciate it if she had somebody keeping an eye on Jack while she’s away” Walter added.
Sighing softly, Celestia nodded. “I understand your sentiments, Walter. But please, give it some thought, and take your other friends, the girls, into account. Jack is… not the sort of person who meshes well with… well… anybody. I simply do not wish to see you get hurt by his lifestyle.”
“Right… I’ll contemplate it for a while. Thank you for your concern, your Majesty” Walter said as he threw up a smile. “Y’know, my father always once said that broken people are drawn to one another in order to make a whole” Walter started, “I’d like to give friendship a try whenever I can, y’know?”
“Jack is… so far beyond broken he has wrapped around the other way.” Celestia mused quietly, before giving Walter another soft smile. “Perhaps your friendship will be good for him. A grounded, intelligent man like yourself may be able to steer him toward the path of friendship, love, and tolerance. I wish you luck.”
Walter gives a short bow before straightening up and giving Celestia a warm smile. “Thank you mo- Celestia” Walter quickly corrected himself, his cheeks quickly becoming rosy while six of his best friends and roommates giggle at his slip up since they’ve been eavesdropping from a distance.
“Have a pleasant evening, Walter. Might I suggest you get yourself a glass of water? Your breath smells… of poor choices.” Celestia winked at him, before trotting off to see to the other guests.
“I shall get right on that…” Walter said with a nod, smiling as Celestia left to attend to other guests. Once she was a safe distance away Walter had a silent freak out, flailing about quickly and briefly like Jim Carrey in a Jim Carrey film. After that rigmarole was done and over with, Walter decided to retire for the night. Almost getting raped, getting shit faced, having a talk about love and complicated shit, and also getting lectured by one of the two most powerful beings in Equestria who just so happens to be a Princess has been more than enough shit for Walter to handle for the night.
And so, Walter began to make his way through the halls of the castle, wondering to himself, when he would meet Jack again, and how their next encounter would play out. Deep in the cockles of his gut, Walter had a distinct feeling that his days with Jack were far from over.